How to Install DarkRP on Your Garry's Mod Server

DarkRP is a roleplay gamemode for Garry's Mod. A DarkRP server needs two parts: the DarkRP gamemode itself and the darkrpmodification addon, where you make all your customizations such as jobs or settings. Afterwards you set the gamemode and a matching map in the dashboard.

Warning

Create a backup of your server before the installation and stop it before uploading files.

Install DarkRP via the Workshop

The easiest way is the official Workshop version of DarkRP. The server downloads it automatically on startup and keeps it up to date.

1. Add DarkRP to the collection
   Add DarkRP (Workshop ID 248302805) to the Workshop collection your server loads. You can find out how to create a collection and enter it in the Workshop ID field under Add Mods.

2. Add a map to the collection
   Also add a DarkRP map to your collection, for example rp_downtown_v4c_v2 (Workshop ID 110286060).

Note

If you installed DarkRP via the Workshop, skip the next section and continue directly with Install darkrpmodification.

Install DarkRP from GitHub

Alternatively, you can download DarkRP from GitHub and upload it yourself. In that case you also have to install updates yourself.

1. Download DarkRP
   Open the DarkRP page on GitHub, click Code and then Download ZIP. Extract the archive on your PC.

2. Rename the folder
   The archive contains the folder DarkRP-master. Rename it to darkrp – all lowercase.

3. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

4. Upload the folder
   Upload the darkrp folder to the following directory:

   /garrysmod/gamemodes/

5. Check the folder structure
   The file darkrp.txt must be located directly in the darkrp folder:

   /garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/darkrp.txt

   Warning

   If the file is located at /garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/DarkRP-master/darkrp.txt or /garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/darkrp/darkrp.txt instead, the server cannot find the gamemode. In that case, move the contents of the inner folder one level up.

Tip

The file darkrp.txt contains the Workshop ID of DarkRP. That is why players automatically download the DarkRP content when they join your server, even if you installed DarkRP from GitHub.

Install darkrpmodification

The darkrpmodification addon is the place for all your customizations. It does not work without DarkRP.

1. Download darkrpmodification
   Open the darkrpmodification page on GitHub, click Code and then Download ZIP. Extract the archive on your PC.

2. Rename the addon folder
   Rename the extracted folder darkrpmodification-master to darkrpmodification.

3. Upload the addon folder
   Upload the folder via SFTP to the following directory:

   /garrysmod/addons/

   The lua folder must then be located directly in the addon folder:

   /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/

Important

Never edit the files of DarkRP itself, meaning nothing under /garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/. All customizations belong in the darkrpmodification addon. Changes to DarkRP itself are lost with the next update.

Set the gamemode and map

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Open the settings
   Navigate to the Settings.

3. Enter the gamemode
   Enter the following value in the Gamemode field:

   darkrp

4. Enter the map
   Enter the name of a DarkRP map in the Map field, for example:

   rp_downtown_v4c_v2

   If the map is in your server's collection, players download it automatically when they join. You can find out more under Change Map.

5. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server.

Note

According to its Workshop description, the map rp_downtown_v4c_v2 requires content from Counter-Strike: Source. Since the July 2025 update, Garry's Mod already includes most of this content.

Customize DarkRP

All files for your customizations are located in the darkrpmodification addon under /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/. The most important ones are:

File	Content
darkrp_config/settings.lua	General DarkRP settings, for example starting money and salary
darkrp_config/disabled_defaults.lua	Disabling of included jobs, modules and content
darkrp_config/mysql.lua	Connection to a MySQL database
darkrp_customthings/jobs.lua	Custom jobs and modified default jobs
darkrp_customthings/categories.lua	Custom categories for the F4 menu
darkrp_customthings/shipments.lua	Custom weapon shipments
darkrp_customthings/entities.lua	Custom buyable entities

Tip

Restart your server after every change. If an error shows up afterwards, you can find it in your server's console. Usually a comma, a quotation mark or a bracket is missing.

Change the settings

1. Open the file
   Open the following file via SFTP:

   /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_config/settings.lua

2. Adjust the values
   Every setting is on its own line with a short description above it. Only change the value after the =, for example:

   -- startingmoney - your wallet when you join for the first time.
   GM.Config.startingmoney                 = 500
   -- normalsalary - Sets the starting salary for newly joined players.
   GM.Config.normalsalary                  = 45

3. Restart the server
   Save the file and restart your server.

Note

If a setting is missing from the file, for example after a DarkRP update, DarkRP automatically uses its default value.

Create a custom category

Jobs are shown in categories in the F4 menu. Included are, among others, Citizens, Civil Protection and Gangsters. You create your own category like this:

1. Open the file
   Open the following file via SFTP:

   /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_customthings/categories.lua

2. Add the category
   Add your category below the line Add new categories under the next line! and the end of the comment ]]:

   DarkRP.createCategory{
       name = "Services",
       categorises = "jobs",
       startExpanded = true,
       color = Color(0, 107, 0, 255),
       canSee = function(ply) return true end,
       sortOrder = 100,
   }

   With categorises you set what the category applies to. Allowed values are jobs, entities, shipments, weapons, vehicles and ammo.

Add a custom job

1. Open the file
   Open the following file via SFTP:

   /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_customthings/jobs.lua

2. Add the job
   Add your job below the comment Add your custom jobs under the following line:, for example:

   TEAM_TAXI = DarkRP.createJob("Taxi Driver", {
       color = Color(20, 150, 20, 255),
       model = {"models/player/Group01/Male_02.mdl"},
       description = [[You take the citizens of the city safely to their destination.]],
       weapons = {},
       command = "taxi",
       max = 2,
       salary = GAMEMODE.Config.normalsalary,
       admin = 0,
       vote = false,
       hasLicense = false,
       category = "Services",
   })

   Warning

   The category in the category field must be created in the categories.lua file or be one of the included categories. The value in command must be unique for every job.

3. Restart the server
   Save the file and restart your server. The new job appears in the F4 menu.

Tip

You can find all fields a job can have in the DarkRP wiki. You can use the included DarkRP jobs in the file jobrelated.lua as a template.

Disable or change included content

If you want to change or remove an included job such as the Medic, you disable it first.

1. Open the file
   Open the following file via SFTP:

   /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_config/disabled_defaults.lua

2. Disable the job
   In the DarkRP.disabledDefaults["jobs"] block, set the value of the job to true:

   ["medic"]     = true,

   In the same way you disable modules, shipments and other content in the other blocks of the file.

3. Recreate the job (optional)
   If you want to keep using the job in a modified form, copy it from jobrelated.lua into your jobs.lua and adjust it there.

4. Restart the server
   Save the files and restart your server.

Useful admin commands

DarkRP comes with its own commands for admins. You enter them in the in-game chat. To use them, you have to be registered as admin or superadmin on your server. You can find out how under Add Admin.

Command	Description	Required group
/setmoney <player> <amount>	Sets a player's money to an amount	superadmin
/addmoney <player> <amount>	Gives a player additional money	superadmin
/setlicense <player>	Gives a player a gun license	superadmin
/unsetlicense <player>	Revokes a player's gun license	superadmin
/arrest <player>	Arrests a player	admin
/unarrest <player>	Releases a player	admin
/forcerpname <player> <name>	Changes a player's RP name	admin
/teamban <player> <job> [seconds]	Bans a player from a job, optionally for a number of seconds	admin
/teamunban <player> <job>	Lifts the ban from a job	admin
/setspawn <job>	Replaces the spawn points of a job with your current position	admin
/addspawn <job>	Adds another spawn point for a job at your position	admin
/removespawn <job>	Removes all custom spawn points of a job on the current map	admin

For <player> you can use the player name or part of it, the SteamID or the SteamID64. For <job> in the spawn commands, use the command name of the job, meaning the value from command, for example taxi. With /teamban and /teamunban you can also use the name of the job. If you leave out the time with /teamban, the ban lasts until you lift it with /teamunban or the player leaves the server.

Example

/setmoney Max 10000

Reset the money of all players

With the following command you reset the money of all players to the starting money (startingmoney). You enter it in the console in your server's dashboard. In-game, only a superadmin can run it via the game console.

rp_resetallmoney

Important

The command also applies to players who are currently offline and cannot be undone. Create a backup first.

Use a MySQL database (optional)

By default, DarkRP stores all data such as the players' money in the SQLite database /garrysmod/sv.db on your server. You do not have to set anything up. If you want to use a MySQL database instead, for example to share the data with other applications, you need the MySQLOO module.

1. Create a database
   Create a database in your server's dashboard and note down the connection details. You can find out how under Create Database.

2. Check the architecture
   Enter the following command in the console in your server's dashboard:

   lua_run print(jit.os, jit.arch)

   The output is, for example, Linux x86. x86 stands for 32-bit, x64 for 64-bit.

3. Download MySQLOO
   Download the matching file from the MySQLOO releases on GitHub:

   • for x86: gmsv_mysqloo_linux.dll
   • for x64: gmsv_mysqloo_linux64.dll

   Note

   The file ends in .dll on Linux as well. That is correct. The Windows files (win32 and win64) do not work on your server.

4. Upload the module
   Upload the file via SFTP to the following directory. If the bin folder does not exist yet, create it:

   /garrysmod/lua/bin/

5. Open the MySQL config
   Open the following file via SFTP:

   /garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_config/mysql.lua

6. Enter the connection details
   Set EnableMySQL to true and enter the connection details of your database:

   RP_MySQLConfig.EnableMySQL = true
   RP_MySQLConfig.Host = "db1.cgn1.emeraldhost.de"
   RP_MySQLConfig.Username = "u123_AbCdEf1234"
   RP_MySQLConfig.Password = "YourPassword"
   RP_MySQLConfig.Database_name = "s123_darkrp"
   RP_MySQLConfig.Database_port = 3306
   RP_MySQLConfig.Preferred_module = "mysqloo"

   Replace the example values with the connection details from the dashboard.

7. Restart the server
   Save the file and restart your server. DarkRP creates the required tables in the database automatically.

Warning

Anyone with SFTP access to your server can read the database password in the mysql.lua file. Therefore, only share SFTP access with people you trust.

Tip

If the connection does not work, check the error messages in the console. DarkRP also writes them with the prefix MySQL Error: to the logs under /garrysmod/data/DarkRP_logs/.