📚 Metamod:Source Guide

Plugin loader foundation for Source engine servers

Quick Info

Supported Games:	All Source engine games (CS:S, TF2, L4D, L4D2, CS:GO, DoD:S)
Purpose:	Plugin loader layer between game and plugins like SourceMod
Config Format:	VDF (Valve Data Format) files
Latest Version:	1.11+ (actively maintained)
Website:	sourcemm.net
Install Order:	Metamod:Source first, then SourceMod
Not Compatible:	Half-Life 1 engine (use original MetaMod)

Navigation

📚 Overview
📥 Installation
⚙️ Configuration
🔌 SourceMod Integration
🎮 Game-Specific Paths
🛠️ Plugin Management
🔧 Troubleshooting
📖 Resources

Overview

Metamod:Source is a plugin loader and abstraction layer for Source engine dedicated servers. It sits between the game server and server plugins (like SourceMod), allowing multiple plugins to hook into game events and functions without conflicting.

Key Concepts

Plugin Loader: Loads and manages server-side plugins
Abstraction Layer: Provides unified API across different Source games
Foundation for SourceMod: SourceMod requires Metamod:Source to function
VServerPlugin Interface: Hooks into Source engine's plugin system
Hot-Loading: Plugins can be loaded/unloaded without server restart

Metamod:Source vs. Original MetaMod

Feature	Metamod:Source	Original MetaMod
Engine	Source (CS:S, TF2, L4D, etc.)	GoldSrc (CS 1.6, DoD 1.3, etc.)
Config Format	VDF (.vdf files)	INI-style (.ini files)
Plugin System	VServerPlugin interface	DLL/SO hooking
Common Plugins	SourceMod	AMX Mod X

Supported Games

Counter-Strike: Source
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Day of Defeat: Source
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
Garry's Mod
Insurgency
Killing Floor (Source version)

📥 Installation

Prerequisites

Source engine dedicated server installed
Admin access to server files
Know your game's folder structure

Linux Installation

CS:Source / TF2 / L4D Example

# Download latest Metamod:Source for Linux
cd /tmp
wget https://mms.alliedmods.net/mmsdrop/1.11/mmsource-1.11.0-git1148-linux.tar.gz

# Extract to server folder
# For CS:S:
cd /path/to/cstrike
tar -xzf /tmp/mmsource-1.11.0-git1148-linux.tar.gz

# For TF2:
cd /path/to/tf
tar -xzf /tmp/mmsource-1.11.0-git1148-linux.tar.gz

# For L4D2:
cd /path/to/left4dead2
tar -xzf /tmp/mmsource-1.11.0-git1148-linux.tar.gz

# Folder structure created:
# addons/
#   metamod/
#     bin/
#       server.so  (Linux)

CS:GO Specific

# CS:GO requires slightly different structure
cd /path/to/csgo
tar -xzf /tmp/mmsource-1.11.0-git1148-linux.tar.gz

# Verify structure:
# csgo/addons/metamod/bin/server.so

Windows Installation

# Download Windows version:
# mmsource-1.11.0-git1148-windows.zip

# Extract to game folder (CS:S example):
# Extract to: C:\srcds\cstrike\

# Folder structure:
# cstrike\
#   addons\
#     metamod\
#       bin\
#         server.dll  (Windows)

Creating metamod.vdf

Create addons/metamod.vdf in the game folder:

CS:Source

"Plugin"
{
    "file"    "../cstrike/addons/metamod/bin/server"
}

Team Fortress 2

"Plugin"
{
    "file"    "../tf/addons/metamod/bin/server"
}

Left 4 Dead 2

"Plugin"
{
    "file"    "../left4dead2/addons/metamod/bin/server"
}

CS:GO

"Plugin"
{
    "file"    "addons/metamod/bin/server"
}

Verify Installation

# Start server and type in console:
meta version

# Expected output:
# Metamod:Source version 1.11.0-dev+1148
# Built from: https://github.com/alliedmodders/metamod-source
# Loaded As: VServerPlugin (gameinfo.txt)

⚙️ Configuration

gameinfo.txt Modification

Metamod:Source can load via VDF or gameinfo.txt. VDF method is preferred.

Manual gameinfo.txt Entry (Alternative Method)

// Edit gameinfo.txt in game folder
// Add under "SearchPaths":

GameBin |gameinfo_path|addons/metamod/bin

// Example for CS:S (cstrike/gameinfo.txt):
"FileSystem"
{
    "SteamAppId"    "240"
    "SearchPaths"
    {
        GameBin |gameinfo_path|addons/metamod/bin
        Game    |gameinfo_path|.
        Game    cstrike
        Game    hl2
    }
}

Plugin Configuration

Plugins load from addons/metamod/metaplugins.ini:

; Metamod:Source Plugins File
; Each plugin is on its own line
; Format: alias:file

; Example SourceMod entry:
sourcemod:addons/sourcemod/bin/sourcemod_mm

Console Commands

# List loaded plugins
meta list

# Load plugin
meta load path/to/plugin

# Unload plugin
meta unload 

# Refresh plugin list
meta refresh

# Version info
meta version

# Plugin info
meta info

🔌 SourceMod Integration

Why SourceMod Needs Metamod:Source

SourceMod is built as a Metamod:Source plugin. It cannot run without Metamod:Source as the foundation layer.

Installation Order

Install Metamod:Source first (as described above)
Verify Metamod works (meta version command)
Download SourceMod from sourcemod.net
Extract SourceMod to game folder
SourceMod auto-registers with Metamod:Source

SourceMod Installation

# Download SourceMod (Linux example)
wget https://sm.alliedmods.net/smdrop/1.11/sourcemod-1.11.0-git6917-linux.tar.gz

# Extract to game folder (CS:S example)
cd /path/to/cstrike
tar -xzf sourcemod-1.11.0-git6917-linux.tar.gz

# Folder structure:
# addons/
#   metamod/  (already exists)
#   sourcemod/  (new)
#     bin/
#       sourcemod_mm.so  (auto-loads via Metamod)
#     configs/
#     plugins/
#     scripting/

Verify SourceMod Loaded

# In server console:
meta list

# Should show:
# [01] SourceMod (1.11.0-dev+6917) by AlliedModders LLC

# Or use SourceMod command:
sm version

🎮 Game-Specific Paths

Path Reference Table

Game	Game Folder	metamod.vdf Path
CS:Source	`cstrike/`	`../cstrike/addons/metamod/bin/server`
CS:GO	`csgo/`	`addons/metamod/bin/server`
Team Fortress 2	`tf/`	`../tf/addons/metamod/bin/server`
Left 4 Dead	`left4dead/`	`../left4dead/addons/metamod/bin/server`
Left 4 Dead 2	`left4dead2/`	`../left4dead2/addons/metamod/bin/server`
DoD:Source	`dod/`	`../dod/addons/metamod/bin/server`
HL2:DM	`hl2mp/`	`../hl2mp/addons/metamod/bin/server`

Multi-Server Setup

For multiple servers sharing files:

# Install Metamod once in shared location
/srcds/shared/addons/metamod/

# Symlink to each server
ln -s /srcds/shared/addons /srcds/server1/cstrike/addons
ln -s /srcds/shared/addons /srcds/server2/tf/addons

# Use appropriate metamod.vdf for each game

🛠️ Plugin Management

Loading Plugins Manually

Edit addons/metamod/metaplugins.ini:

; SourceMod (loads automatically if installed)
sourcemod:addons/sourcemod/bin/sourcemod_mm

; Custom plugin example
customplugin:addons/customplugin/bin/customplugin_mm

Plugin Auto-Discovery

Metamod:Source auto-discovers plugins in addons/ folder that contain:

A valid plugin binary (server.so / server.dll)
Proper VServerPlugin interface implementation

Common Plugins

SourceMod: Admin/plugin framework (most popular)
SourceBans: Centralized ban management
EventScripts: Python-based scripting (older)
Custom Plugins: Game-specific modifications

🔧 Troubleshooting

Metamod Not Loading

# Check if metamod.vdf exists
ls -la addons/metamod.vdf

# Verify VDF syntax (no syntax errors)
cat addons/metamod.vdf

# Check file permissions (Linux)
chmod 644 addons/metamod.vdf
chmod -R 755 addons/metamod/

# Verify correct path in VDF for your game
# CS:GO uses "addons/metamod/bin/server"
# Others use "../gamefolder/addons/metamod/bin/server"

"meta" Command Not Found

Metamod:Source not loaded - check console on startup for errors
Verify metamod.vdf exists in correct location
Check server console for "Metamod:Source" loaded message
Try manual gameinfo.txt method as alternative

SourceMod Not Loading

# Verify Metamod loaded first
meta version

# Check if SourceMod plugin is visible
meta list

# If not listed, verify SourceMod installation:
ls -la addons/sourcemod/bin/

# Check for sourcemod_mm.so (Linux) or sourcemod_mm.dll (Windows)

# Manual load:
meta load addons/sourcemod/bin/sourcemod_mm

Plugin Conflicts

# List all loaded plugins
meta list

# Unload problematic plugin
meta unload 

# Check server console for error messages

# Common conflicts:
# - Multiple admin systems (AMX Mod X + SourceMod)
# - Outdated plugin versions
# - Incompatible game version

CS:GO Specific Issues

CS:GO uses different VDF path: addons/metamod/bin/server (no ../ prefix)
Frequent updates: Valve updates may break plugins - wait for Metamod update
Insecure mode: Some plugins require -insecure launch parameter

Server Crash After Installation

# Check server logs for error messages
tail -f logs/L*.log

# Common causes:
# 1. Wrong architecture (32-bit vs 64-bit)
# 2. Corrupted plugin binary
# 3. Incompatible Metamod version for game

# Test with clean Metamod installation (no plugins)
# Remove addons/sourcemod temporarily
# If server starts, issue is with SourceMod or its plugins

Pro Tips

VDF Method Preferred: Use metamod.vdf instead of gameinfo.txt when possible
Version Compatibility: Match Metamod:Source version to Source engine version
CS:GO Path Different: CS:GO doesn't use "../csgo/" prefix in VDF
Test After Updates: Valve updates can break Metamod - test before production
Backup Configs: Keep backups of metamod.vdf and metaplugins.ini
Development Builds: Use stable releases for production servers
Plugin Order: Load order matters - SourceMod should load first
Console Monitoring: Watch server console during startup for errors