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.

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).

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
   

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/
   

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.

Customize DarkRP

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

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.

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",
   })
   

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.