Question 1

What is panelra.io?

Accepted Answer

panelra.io is a cloud-based management platform for Rust game servers. It replaces the need to juggle separate RCON clients, monitoring tools, the uMod website, backup scripts, and wipe reminders. You install a lightweight agent on your Linux server, and everything — from plugin management to wipe scheduling — is controlled through a single real-time dashboard.

Question 2

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Sign up for a free account, then install the panelra agent on your Linux server with a single command. The agent connects to the platform over an encrypted WebSocket — no ports to open, no firewall rules to change. Your servers appear in the dashboard within seconds.

Question 3

What is the agent? Is it safe?

Accepted Answer

The agent is a lightweight background service (systemd) that runs on your game server host. It communicates with the platform over an encrypted WebSocket connection. It only performs actions you authorize through the dashboard — it never exposes your server to the internet. No inbound ports need to be opened.

Question 4

What operating systems are supported?

Accepted Answer

The agent runs on Linux servers (Ubuntu/Debian). This covers the vast majority of Rust game server hosting — most dedicated servers and VPS providers run Linux. Windows is not currently supported.

Question 5

Does panelra replace my hosting provider?

Accepted Answer

No. panelra manages the server software on your existing host. You still need a VPS or dedicated server from your hosting provider (OVH, Hetzner, etc.). Think of panelra as the control panel that sits on top of your server.

Question 6

Is panelra free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, completely free during the open beta. We're focused on building the best possible product with community feedback. Pricing will be announced before the beta ends, with plenty of advance notice.

Question 7

Can I install a Rust server from scratch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. panelra handles the full installation — SteamCMD setup, dependencies, game server download, systemd service creation, and initial configuration. Just click 'Create Instance', choose your settings (max players, world size, seed, ports), and the platform does the rest.

Question 8

How do server updates work?

Accepted Answer

panelra detects when a new Rust update is available by checking Steam build IDs. You can trigger updates manually or enable auto-update. Before updating, the platform broadcasts warnings to players (5 min, 2 min, 1 min, 30s), saves the server, stops it, runs SteamCMD, and restarts — all automatically.

Question 9

What happens if my server crashes?

Accepted Answer

The agent detects crashes automatically and reports them to the dashboard. If you have auto-restart enabled, the server will restart immediately after a crash. You can also view crash logs in the web console to diagnose issues.

Question 10

Can I run multiple servers on one host?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each server runs as a separate instance with its own ports, configuration, and plugins. You can manage all of them from the same dashboard. The agent handles process isolation through systemd.

Question 11

Can I use custom maps from RustMaps?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When creating or configuring an instance, you can provide a custom map URL (from rustmaps.com or similar). The map is downloaded automatically on server start. You can also switch between procedural and custom maps between wipes.

Question 12

Does panelra support both stable and staging branches?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can choose between the public (stable) and staging (beta) Steam branches when installing or updating your server. This is useful for testing upcoming Rust patches before they go live.

Question 13

What wipe schedule options are available?

Accepted Answer

panelra supports five wipe frequencies: weekly (pick a day and time), monthly (pick a date and time), forced wipe (auto-wipe on Facepunch's first-Thursday-of-the-month forced wipe), calendar dates (set specific dates manually), and immediate (wipe now). You can have multiple schedules on a single server.

Question 14

Can I do blueprint wipes separately from map wipes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each wipe schedule lets you choose between a map-only wipe (keeps blueprints) or a full wipe (map + blueprints). For example, you can set weekly map wipes with a monthly blueprint wipe.

Question 15

What happens during an automated wipe?

Accepted Answer

The platform can optionally broadcast warnings to players before the wipe, create a backup, update plugins, stop the server, delete map and/or blueprint files, apply any config changes (like a new seed), and restart the server. Each step is configurable.

Question 16

Does panelra handle Facepunch forced wipes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. panelra tracks Facepunch's monthly forced wipe schedule (first Thursday of each month). You can configure your server to auto-wipe on forced wipe day, with optional blueprint wipe and game update included. Smart skip logic prevents double-wipes if your regular schedule overlaps with a forced wipe.

Question 17

Can I change the seed on each wipe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can configure each wipe schedule to keep the same seed, generate a new random seed, or use a custom map URL. This is set per-schedule, so you can have different behavior for different wipe types.

Question 18

What mod frameworks are supported?

Accepted Answer

panelra supports both Oxide (uMod) and Carbon frameworks. You can install either one directly from the dashboard with a single click. Framework updates can be automated or triggered manually.

Question 19

How do I install plugins?

Accepted Answer

Browse the uMod plugin catalog directly in the dashboard — search by name or filter by tags. Click install, and panelra downloads the plugin, verifies its checksum, places it in the correct directory, and activates it via RCON. No SSH or FTP needed.

Question 20

Can I edit plugin configs from the dashboard?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each installed plugin has a config editor accessible from the dashboard. You can view and modify plugin configuration JSON files directly in your browser, then reload the plugin to apply changes.

Question 21

Do plugins auto-update?

Accepted Answer

You can enable auto-update per plugin. panelra checks uMod for new versions and updates plugins automatically. You can also trigger manual updates or update all plugins at once before a wipe.

Question 22

Can I upload custom plugins?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can upload custom .cs plugin files directly through the dashboard. For more advanced mods, you can also upload .dll Harmony mods and framework extensions.

Question 23

What player information does panelra track?

Accepted Answer

panelra tracks player names, Steam IDs, connect/disconnect times, session durations, IP addresses with geolocation (country and city), playtime, kill/death statistics, team membership, and combat logs. Steam profile data like VAC bans, game bans, and account age is also available.

Question 24

Can I ban players across all my servers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. panelra supports team-wide bans that automatically sync across all server instances in your team. You can ban by Steam ID, IP address, or both — with support for permanent and temporary (timed) bans.

Question 25

Does panelra support combat logging?

Accepted Answer

Yes. panelra tracks PvP kills, deaths, weapons used, distances, and body parts hit. You can view per-player combat stats, all-time and per-wipe K/D ratios, and combat leaderboards for your server.

Question 26

Can I see players on the map?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The live map view shows real-time player positions overlaid on the server map, along with monument locations. Player markers update every few seconds. This requires a lightweight companion plugin that's installable from the dashboard.

Question 27

Can I manage F7 player reports?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In-game F7 reports appear in the dashboard where you can review, dismiss, or take action (ban, warn) on reported players. You can filter reports by status and track the report history.

Question 28

What moderation tools are available?

Accepted Answer

You can kick, ban (permanent or timed), teleport, kill, clear inventory, give items, and send direct messages to players — all from the dashboard. You can also create admin notes on players (warnings, positive notes, investigations) for your team to reference.

Question 29

Can multiple admins manage the same servers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. panelra has built-in team management with four roles: Owner (full control), Admin (manage members and settings), Operator (start/stop servers, RCON, player management), and Viewer (read-only). Each role has specific permissions — no more sharing RCON passwords.

Question 30

How do I invite team members?

Accepted Answer

Invite team members by email from the team settings page. They receive an invitation link, create their account (or sign in if they already have one), and join your team with the role you assigned.

Question 31

Can I save server configurations as templates?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can save any instance's complete configuration — settings, plugins, schedules, permission groups, extensions — as a reusable template. When spinning up a new server, apply a template to skip the setup process entirely.

Question 32

How do backups work?

Accepted Answer

panelra backs up everything except the base game files (which can be re-downloaded from Steam). Backups are compressed and uploaded to cloud storage. You can create backups manually, on a schedule, or automatically before every wipe.

Question 33

Can I restore from a backup?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Stop the server, select a backup, and click restore. panelra downloads the backup, verifies its integrity via SHA-256 checksum, and restores the files atomically — with automatic rollback if anything goes wrong.

Question 34

What does the real-time dashboard show?

Accepted Answer

The dashboard shows live player counts, server FPS, entity counts, server uptime, CPU/RAM/disk usage, and recent log entries — all updated in real-time over WebSocket. You can view historical charts for players and FPS over 1h, 6h, 24h, or 7-day windows.

Question 35

Does panelra support Discord notifications?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can configure Discord webhook notifications for server events: restarts, wipes, backups, plugin updates, agent updates, and failures. Each event type can be toggled individually.

Question 36

Is there a web-based RCON console?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The built-in console streams server logs in real-time and lets you execute RCON commands directly from your browser. Quick-action buttons for common commands (status, playerlist, save) are included. Full command history is logged with timestamps.

Question 37

Do I need to open any ports for panelra?

Accepted Answer

No. The agent initiates an outbound WebSocket connection to the platform. No inbound ports need to be opened, and no firewall rules need to change. Your existing game server ports (game, query, RCON) remain as they are.

Question 38

How does the agent connect to my server?

Accepted Answer

The agent runs as a systemd service and connects to the platform over an encrypted WebSocket. If the connection drops, it automatically reconnects with exponential backoff. The agent authenticates with a unique token generated during setup.

Question 39

Does panelra modify my server files directly?

Accepted Answer

panelra manages server.cfg, plugin files, and framework files. It uses RCON for runtime configuration changes and the filesystem for persistent changes. All actions are initiated through the dashboard — the agent never makes changes on its own.

Question 40

Can I still SSH into my server?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. panelra doesn't lock you out of anything. You can still SSH in and manage your server directly — panelra is an additional layer of control, not a replacement for direct access.

Question 41

What is configuration reconciliation?

Accepted Answer

panelra stores your desired server configuration and periodically compares it against the actual running state via RCON. If the server drifts from your desired config (e.g., someone changed a setting via RCON directly), panelra detects it and can auto-correct it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Server Management

Wipe Scheduling

Plugins & Mods

Player Management

Team Collaboration

Backups & Recovery

Monitoring & Notifications

Technical

Still have questions?