CS2 server plugins: installing Metamod:Source and CounterStrikeSharp on a dedicated server

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Quick summary

CounterStrikeSharp is how you write Counter-Strike 2 server plugins in C#, and it does not run on its own. It sits on top of Metamod:Source, so both layers have to be installed before any of your own code can load.[1][2]

The install is two directory copies and one line in gameinfo.gi. The three failures that usually follow it are a missing .NET runtime, the wrong Metamod build, and a gameinfo.gi edit that did not take.

What each layer does

• Metamod:Source is the loader. It hooks the game server so plugins can load without rebuilding the game. The official site calls 1.12 the stable branch and keeps the 2.0 branch in development for Source 2 support.[3]
• CounterStrikeSharp is the framework you write against. It implements a .NET scripting layer on top of a Metamod Source plugin, so plugins are written in C#.[2]

Prerequisites

• Metamod:Source 2.X dev build, build 1467 or newer, with KHook support.[1]
• The CounterStrikeSharp with-runtime release from the project's GitHub releases page.[1]
• On Windows servers, the Visual Studio Redistributables. Without them CounterStrikeSharp will not work.[1]

The two projects do not agree on which Metamod branch to use. The CounterStrikeSharp docs point at the 2.x dev build, while the Metamod:Source site still labels 1.12 as stable. For CS2, follow the CounterStrikeSharp docs, because Source 2 support lives in the 2.0 branch.[1][3]

Installing Metamod:Source

1. Extract Metamod and copy its /addons/ directory to /game/csgo/.
2. Inside /game/csgo/, open gameinfo.gi.
3. Underneath the line Game_LowViolence csgo_lv, add a new line: Game csgo/addons/metamod.
4. Restart the server.
5. Type meta list in the server console to confirm Metamod loaded.[1]

Installing CounterStrikeSharp

1. Extract CounterStrikeSharp and copy its /addons/ directory to /game/csgo/.
2. Restart the server.
3. Run meta list again. It should list one plugin:
   

   Code: Select all

   meta list
   Listing 1 plugin:
     [01] CounterStrikeSharp (0.1.0) by Roflmuffin

   That one line is the proof the framework loaded.[1]
   
   Folder layout after install
   

   Code: Select all

   addons
   ├── counterstrikesharp
   │   ├── api
   │   ├── bin
   │   ├── dotnet
   │   ├── plugins
   │   └── gamedata
   ├── metamod
   │   ├── bin
   │   ├── counterstrikesharp.vdf
   │   ├── metaplugins.ini
   │   └── README.txt
   ├── metamod.vdf
   └── metamod_x64.vdf

   Upgrading
   
   Download the newest release and copy it over the old one. Configuration files are not overwritten, so plugins and settings survive. Once CounterStrikeSharp is installed you can switch to the non-runtime build, but then you keep the .NET runtime current yourself.[1]
   
   Troubleshooting
   
   • The first install must use the with-runtime build. It ships a copy of the .NET runtime, which the plugin needs.[1]
   • Getting Unknown Command when you type meta list means the folders were not copied correctly or gameinfo.gi was not edited. Check both.[1]
   • On Linux, install libicu, icu-libs or libicu-dev from your package manager so .NET can run.[1]
   • On Windows, install the Visual Studio Redistributables or the framework will not start.[1]
   FAQ
   
   Do I need SourceMod?
   No. CounterStrikeSharp needs Metamod:Source, not SourceMod.[1][2]
   
   Can I run it on a listen server?
   The documentation covers installing it on a vanilla dedicated CS2 server, which is the setup to follow.[1]
   
   Where do plugins come from?
   The framework is only the loader. Plugins are separate releases. The project credits SourceMod and Source.Python as the earlier frameworks it borrowed from.[2]
   
   Is it free?
   CounterStrikeSharp is licensed under GPL version 3, with a special exemption for published plugins.[2]
   
   Sources
   CounterStrikeSharp Getting Started docs
   CounterStrikeSharp GitHub repository
   Metamod:Source official site