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Prerequisites

Before installing plugins, ensure:
  • CoD4 Unleashed Server is installed and running
  • You have access to the server’s plugins/ directory
  • The plugin file is compatible with your server version
Plugin files are shared libraries with the extension .so on Linux systems.

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Installation Steps

Installing a plugin is a simple 2-step process:
1

Copy Plugin File

Copy the plugin’s .so file to the plugins/ directory:
cp myplugin.so /path/to/server/plugins/
Ensure the plugin file has correct permissions:
chmod 755 plugins/myplugin.so
2

Load the Plugin

Load the plugin using the server console or RCON:
loadPlugin myplugin
Use the filename without the .so extension.
You should see confirmation output:
Plugin's OnInit executed successfully!
Plugin myplugin loaded successfully. Server is currently running 1 plugins.

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Auto-Loading Plugins

To automatically load plugins when the server starts, add the loadPlugin command to your server configuration file:
server.cfg
// Load plugins on server start
loadPlugin antispam
loadPlugin customcommands
loadPlugin statistics
Plugins are loaded in the order they appear in the config file. If one plugin depends on another, load the dependency first.

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Verifying Installation

Check if your plugin loaded successfully: 
plugins

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Expected Output

-------- Plugins List --------
 ID | Name        | Version | Commands | Functions | Memory
  0 | myplugin    | 1.0     | 3        | 0         | 4096 B
  1 | antispam    | 1.0     | 0        | 0         | 2048 B
-----------------------------
2 plugins loaded

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Unloading Plugins

To remove a plugin from memory: 
unloadPlugin myplugin
Cannot unload these plugin types:
  • Library plugins - Plugins that export functions to other plugins
  • Script-library plugins - Plugins that add GSC script functions or methods
Attempting to unload these will result in an error:
PHandler_Unload: Cannot unload a library plugin!
or
PHandler_Unload: Cannot unload a script-library plugin!
This is a security measure to prevent server crashes from dangling function pointers.

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Troubleshooting

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Plugin Won’t Load

Error: No such file found: plugins/myplugin.soSolutions:
  • Verify the file exists in the plugins/ directory
  • Check the filename is correct (case-sensitive)
  • Ensure you’re using the filename without extension
# Check if file exists
ls -la plugins/myplugin.so
Error: Plugin loads but immediately failsSolutions:
  • Set correct file permissions:
chmod -R 755 plugins/
Error: This plugin might not be compatible with this server version!Example output:
Requested plugin handler version: 2.1, server's plugin handler version: 2.0
Unloading the plugin...
Solutions:
  • Update your server to the latest version
  • Obtain a compatible version of the plugin
  • Recompile the plugin for your server version
Error: is not a plugin file or is corrupt or contains disallowed functionsSolutions:
  • Re-download the plugin from a trusted source
  • Verify file integrity (check MD5/SHA checksums)
  • If you compiled it yourself, recompile with correct flags
Error: Error in plugin's OnInit function!Solutions:
  • Check server console for additional error messages from the plugin
  • Review plugin configuration (cvars, required files)
  • Contact the plugin developer with error details

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Secure Mode

When running in secure mode, only plugins with verified checksums will load: 
# If plugin fails in secure mode:
Tiger = abc123def456...
plugins/myplugin.so checksum mismatch!
This plugin will not be loaded in securemode.
Whitelisted plugins in secure mode:
  • censor.so - Content filtering
  • antispam.so - Chat spam prevention
  • gameranger.so - GameRanger integration
These official plugins have hardcoded checksums and will load in secure mode.

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Managing Plugin Configuration

Many plugins use cvars (console variables) for configuration:
server.cfg
// Load the antispam plugin
loadPlugin antispam

// Configure antispam settings
set antispam_maxMessagesPerMinute "8"
set antispam_minAdminPower "50"
set antispam_minMessageDelay "4"
set antispam_renewedMessageDelay "0"
Plugin-specific cvars are typically prefixed with the plugin name (e.g., antispam_*, stats_*).

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Finding Plugin Configuration

Check plugin documentation or use: 
# List all cvars (search for plugin-specific ones)
cvarlist | grep antispam

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Best Practices

Test First

Always test new plugins on a development server before deploying to production

Keep Backups

Backup your server before installing new plugins in case of conflicts

Monitor Performance

Watch server performance after loading plugins - check memory and CPU usage

Update Regularly

Keep plugins updated to benefit from bug fixes and new features

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Plugin Load Order

If you have plugins that depend on each other:
server.cfg
// 1. Load library plugins first (they export functions)
loadPlugin mylib

// 2. Then load plugins that depend on libraries
loadPlugin feature1
loadPlugin feature2

// 3. Finally load standalone plugins
loadPlugin antispam

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Next Steps

Development Guide

Learn how to create your own plugins

Example Plugins

Study working plugin examples

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