Almost every CS2 plugin runs on two pieces of software: Metamod:Source, which hooks into the game, and CounterStrikeSharp, which lets plugins be written in C#, so you install those two first and then drop plugins on top.
What Metamod and CounterStrikeSharp do
Metamod:Source (usually just "Metamod") is a loader that plugs into the CS2 engine and gives other mods a way in. CounterStrikeSharp, often shortened to CSS, runs on top of Metamod and provides the framework that most modern CS2 plugins are built with. You need both before a single plugin will load.
Take a snapshot on the Backups tab before you start. If anything goes wrong you can restore in a click. Note that using Reinstall on the Settings tab can wipe these files, so avoid it once you are set up.
Step 1: Install Metamod:Source
- Download the latest CS2 build of Metamod:Source from metamodsource.net. Pick the Linux build, since GuavaHost CS2 servers run Linux.
- Unzip it on your computer. You get an addons folder.
- In the panel Files tab, go to game/csgo/ and upload the addons folder so you end up with game/csgo/addons/metamod.
Step 2: Edit gameinfo.gi
This is the step people miss, and without it Metamod never loads. Open game/csgo/gameinfo.gi in the file editor. Find the SearchPaths block inside GameInfo then FileSystem. Add this line directly above the line that reads Game csgo:
Game csgo/addons/metamod
Save the file. The exact spacing is not critical, but the text must match.
Step 3: Install CounterStrikeSharp
- Download the latest release of CounterStrikeSharp from its GitHub releases page. Pick the build that includes the runtime unless you know the .NET runtime is already present.
- Unzip it to reveal an addons folder.
- Upload it into game/csgo/ and merge it with the existing addons folder, so you now also have game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp.
Step 4: Add your plugins
Each CounterStrikeSharp plugin lives in its own folder under game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/. Download the plugin, unzip it, and upload its folder there so the path looks like game/csgo/addons/counterstrikesharp/plugins/MyPlugin/MyPlugin.dll. Some plugins keep settings in a config file you edit after the first run, and some need a MySQL database, which you can create on the Databases tab.
Verifying it worked
Restart the server, then open the Console tab and type meta list. You should see Metamod report CounterStrikeSharp as loaded. Type cssplugins list` to see every CSS plugin that started. If a plugin is missing from that list, its files are likely in the wrong folder.
Troubleshooting
- meta list shows nothing: the gameinfo.gi edit is missing or in the wrong place. Recheck Step 2.
- CSS loads but a plugin does not: confirm the plugin sits in its own folder under plugins/ and that it targets your CounterStrikeSharp version.
- Everything vanished after a reinstall: restore your latest Backups snapshot.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.