Minecraft Server Deployment Guide

You’ve defeated the Ender Dragon, conquered the Nether, and constructed your own pixelated King’s Landing. So, what’s next? Minecraft may be a game of limitless possibilities. Still, once you’ve experienced everything the standard game offers, you might wonder, “How do I replicate the magic I felt on my first play-through?” Building your own Minecraft dedicated server could be the solution you’re looking for, thanks to the number of possibilities accessible with custom Minecraft servers.

Perhaps you’ve experimented with some changes on your own. Maybe you’ve tried your hand at one of the tens of thousands of online player-run servers. It’s possible that you’re a complete Minecraft novice who’s just getting started or that you’re not even a player at all. If you’re reading this, you’re probably curious about how to set up a Minecraft server. Let’s begin with the fundamentals.

History of Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox survival game created by Swedish developer Markus Pearson that was first released in 2011. Minecraft has quickly transcended the world of video games and evolved into a popular phenomenon thanks to its unusual visual design, which is entirely made of blocky people and objects.

Minecraft is unique in that it allows players to play any way they like. Minecraft has something for everyone, with gaming aspects that include environmental damage, building construction, exploration, fighting, resource collection, and crafting. In fact, as of May 2019, Minecraft had sold more than 176 million copies across all platforms. Minecraft is now the best-selling video game, thanks to this astonishing statistic.

Minecraft has something for everyone, with gaming aspects that include environmental damage, building construction, exploration, fighting, resource collection, and crafting.

The tremendous degree of personalization provided accounts for a portion of the company’s success. This is true in the single-player game and in multiplayer mode. Isn’t it more fun to mine fictitious gems and cut down blocky trees with your friends?

This is when privately held Minecraft servers come in handy.

Minecraft Servers

There are a variety of specialized servers accessible online for those of you looking to mix up your Minecraft experience but are worried about the added responsibility of hosting your server. Thousands of popular privately hosted servers are listed on the website MinecraftServers.org. It includes detailed information on what makes each server distinctive besides each option. These servers might differ significantly because they offer distinct experiences such as PvP, Roleplaying, Factions, and Challenges. As a result, there are an almost endless amount of unique experiences inside Minecraft’s existing foundation.

However, playing on a server that was created to someone else’s specs isn’t always enough. We all want to have some control over our life. What makes you think our digital lives would be any different? By hosting your own Minecraft server, you acquire the ability to create your world and share it with other people.

Hosting your server grants you the ability to change Minecraft’s core settings. You can change the game’s internal parameters by adjusting enemy and NPC spawn rates, the overall difficulty, and physical parameters. But that’s not all. You can also use the extensive range of accessible mods produced outside of the game to make server-wide changes.

Hosting your server allows you to control how the game is played and will enable you to control who plays the game. Perhaps you’re a parent who wants more control over your child’s online interactions or an avid role-player looking for like-minded people to engage with. You can choose the type of community you wish to create by hosting your server.

Like with most things in Minecraft, the only actual restriction is the user’s imagination.

Getting Started

To begin with, a Minecraft server does not need to be hosted on a high-end computer. However, it is recommended that you utilize a desktop computer rather than a laptop. Compared to a notebook or comparable, the performance and hardware will usually be better. This is especially true if a user is playing on the same computer as the server’s host. To keep everything going well while doing both simultaneously, you’ll need a lot more processing power.

Second, using a physical ethernet connection rather than wireless internet is advised. Users will benefit from the speedier connection to increase gaming performance and minimize lag.

Third, while home-hosting is conceivable, it is not advised. Home internet connections are often slower, and home PCs are typically less powerful. The game’s quality will suffer if you don’t have enough RAM. As a result, it is preferable to use expert hosting services.

*NOTE: Jason’s Minecraft Server Buying Guide is a good place to start if you’re unsure what to look for in a Minecraft server. Please get in touch with our sales staff and inform them that you want to start a Minecraft server. They’ll gladly walk you through the process. Do you have any further questions or concerns?

Fourth, when starting, it’s best to utilize a hosting server service that runs Debian 9 or Ubuntu 18.04. Both alternatives give a secure and stable setting to learn the fundamentals.

Fifth, Minecraft is a Java-based game. Before setting up your server, ensure sure you have the most recent version of Java installed. You may get it from the official Java website. If you’re not sure if you have Java or what version you have, open a command window and type java -version. This query will return a version number if Java is installed. You may confirm that your version is current by comparing it to the most recent version posted on Java’s website.

Finally, make sure your server is secure from the beginning. It’s easier to prevent unauthorized people from gaining access than removing access once they’ve gained it. Install updates as soon as they are available. You have a better chance of addressing flaws before they are exploited if you maintain your system up to date.

Setting Up the Minecraft Server

• Java Minecraft is available for purchase on the official Minecraft website.
• Minecraft Multiplayer Server (the most recent version)
• The installation instructions for OpenJDK (an open-source Java implementation) can be found on their official website.

It’s now time to get your server up and running. To get your server running, follow these steps:

• Run the command mkdir Minecraft_Server from your terminal. This will create a Minecraft server-specific directory.
• The next step is to put your newly downloaded server.jar in its proper location (directory you just made).
• To list all of your directories, use the command ls.
• To switch to your server’s designated folder, type cd Minecraft Server.
• Use the java -Xms1G -Xmx1G -jar server.jar command to start the server. Server.jar is the name of your Minecraft server’s version number, and Xms and Xmx represent the starting and maximum RAM, respectively. If you’re using Minecraft server.1.15.2.jar (the most recent version at the time of writing this article), your command should look like this:

java -Xms1024M -Xmx1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.15.2.jar

You can add more information to the end of this line if necessary. If you want to start the server without the graphical user interface, use nogui, or -o true to tell it to run in online mode, only allowing authenticated users access.

• You should see the following output after entering the command:

Failed to load properties from file: server.properties [main/ERROR]

[main/WARN]: The file eula.txt was not found.

[main/INFO]: In order to run the server, you must first accept the EULA. To learn more, visit eula.txt.

• An EULA (End User License Agreement) file should be generated if you’re running the server for the first time. You must agree to the EULA before you can begin playing. You can do this with your favorite text editor or by typing nano eula.txt in your command prompt.
• Change the eula field from false to true: eula=true once the text file has been opened. You’ve read and agreed to the license agreement by clicking this button.
• You can now save the file and restart the server. If you don’t change this field in the eula.txt file, your server will keep shutting down when it starts up.

Create a Startup Script

You can use the full command line featured above to run your server each time if you want. It’s also a good idea to write a script that will run the command for you instead.

• Create a new document to begin. This document can be named whatever you want, but for the purposes of this article, let’s call it server. sh.
• Add the following lines to the new document:

#!/bin/sh

java -Xms1024M -Xmx1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.14.4.jar

• After you’ve finished creating your document, type chmod +x server.sh in the terminal.
• You can now use the commands./server.sh to start and stop your server whenever you want.
• Finally, it is recommended that you run your server from within a GNU Screen session to ensure that it runs correctly without an SSH connection.
• Before running your startup script, use the screen command to accomplish this. Assuming you’ve already agreed to the EULA, the console should start automatically generating the necessary configuration files.

Simply follow these four simple steps when you’re ready to start playing on your new server:

• Begin by launching and logging into your Minecraft client.
• On the home screen, select “Multiplayer” from the drop-down menu and click “Add Server.”
• Create a name for your server, fill in the appropriate form fields with its IP address, and click “Done” when you’re finished.
• Then click “Join Server” to begin playing.

Your server is now operational. Check the Minecraft Wiki if you run into any problems, have any questions, or want to run your server on a different operating system. It has a lot of extra information that you might find helpful for your specific needs.

Minecraft Server Customization

When you run your server.sh script for the first time, it creates a world with the default variables. But let’s say you want to create your custom variables for your server’s world. After all, it was probably customization that piqued your interest in hosting your server in the first place.

• Open the server.properties file first. You should see a long list of properties with numbers and true/false statements when you first open it. You can control how the world on your server is generated by tweaking the variables in this list.
• Scroll down the list until you find the line spawn-monsters=true, for example, if you want a world without monsters spawning. Replace true with false. Monsters will not spawn in your world until this value is changed back to its default setting.

Check out this page on the Minecraft wiki for a complete list of available variables and explanations of the parameters they control. Remember that you’ll need to restart your server for any changes to take effect.

But what if these options aren’t sufficient? Perhaps you’d like to personalize your server beyond the game’s built-in variables. This is possible, but it will necessitate the use of external modifications.

If you’re looking to add mods to your server, a quick Google search should lead you in the right direction. There are numerous websites and videos on the internet that list the best Minecraft mods available. With so many options, it’s critical to know how each mod works and any potential conflicts it might have with other mods.

Looking for an excellent place to start? Check out minecraftmods.com for a comprehensive list of downloadable mods to begin experimenting with.

So, your server is up and running, you’ve tweaked the default variables, and you’ve even installed a few third-party mods.

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve learned how to establish a Minecraft server, it’s time to enjoy the results of your effort. You’ll need other people to join your server unless you want to play in an open world. These people could be friends or even strangers. In either case, you’ll need to provide something special to get folks to join your server.

Finally, the community that supports the finest Minecraft servers is what distinguishes them from the rest—creating community guidelines, hiring employees to police and enforce requirements, and planning exciting activities to keep your gamers involved. These are the features that will elevate your server to the next level. You may even advertise your server by uploading movies to Youtube or Twitch, encouraging new people to join.

A powerful Minecraft server can even make money for its owner. You can make money from your digital world by including membership fees or selling one-of-a-kind cosmetic products. Thousands of players may be found on some of the largest and most popular servers. They can make six figures every month if they use this correctly.

Most likely, you still have a long way to go before reaching the level of these top-performing servers. After all, towns don’t spring up out of anything. Regardless, the fact remains that each of these Minecraft servers began identically. Someone took a risk and decided to set up their server.