Tutorials/Setting up a server – Minecraft Wiki

This tutorial takes you through the steps of setting up your own Java Edition server using the default server software that Mojang Studios distributes free of charge. The software may be installed on most operating systems, including Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux and BSD.

For more tutorials, see the bottom of this page or the Tutorials page. For more information on Minecraft servers, see the Server page.

Notes:

Note: There is also custom server software available, which most large servers use, but these applications are not supported by Mojang Studios.

Since you're about to run your own server, you should be aware of the possible dangers. Running by the instructions below should not put you at any risk, but this is a wiki which everybody is allowed to edit, and we don't know about your system configuration, so we can’t guarantee you'll be 100% out of danger.

In order to run your server and stay out of trouble, we highly suggest that you should at least know about the following:

Some Security Information:

Java is a programming language designed to create programs for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The JVM supports many different platforms. By doing this, developers write code for the JVM and any platform supported by the JVM can run the program. Further reading.(Remote shell port)

This section is designed to answer some frequently asked questions about Java and guide you through some decisions regarding Java.

OpenJDK and OracleJDK are very similar. OpenJDK is the official open source reference implementation of Java. OpenJDK is an open source codebase that almost all other JDKs are built on. Excluding packaging, cosmetic and license differences OpenJDK is the same as OracleJDK.

Do note that OracleJDK (Oracle's "OTN") builds require a paid subscription for commercial and production purposes. This likely includes running a Minecraft server even if it is non-profit. Oracle does provide its own OpenJDK builds, but they are not packed into an installer format for easy use.

JRE stand for Java Runtime Environment. JDK stands for Java Development Kit. JRE is a package tool designed to run Java programs. JDK is a package of tools designed to develop Java programs. The JDK comes with the JRE which comes with the JVM. If you have JDK then you have JRE and JVM. Vanilla Minecraft does not need JDK, but plugins may require it.

A headless Java installation is a trimmed down version of Java. It does not have a GUI or mouse/keyboard support. Headless Java is frequently used in Servers or other environments where a GUI is not needed.

There are several virtual packages used in Debian for Java. These cover runtime compatibility and come in two flavors; headless (omits graphical interfaces) and normal.

The general gist of running a Minecraft server is that you will need to install java, run the server, accept the EULA, and run it again. Once you have installed java and opened up a command line, everything is basically the same.

At this point you should have a basic server running. See Configuring the environment for more information about configuring your server. One of the things you definitely want to do is writing a script to launch the server so you don't have to remember the command line.

Java options should be added between the java and the -jar on the command line, or in your startup script.

To sum up, a reasonable flag combination can be as simple as -Xmx4G -Xms1G -XX:SoftMaxHeapSize=3G -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+UseZGC. That is it. There are bits that you can squeeze from complicated flags, but you would get much more from modified server software. In fact, all serious discussions (e.g. Aikar and brucethemoose) of server performance assume some degree of modding.

Options for the server JAR go after the -jar minecraft_server.jar part. Run with --help to see all available arguments that can be passed to the server. Below is a list of available commandline options for the server.

The following options are available from server.properties too. It might be a better idea to edit that file instead for easier management:

The Minecraft server requires the Java Runtime Environment (also called JRE or simply Java). For your security, you should only use the most recent version of Java. To verify that you have the latest version, do one of the following:

If you don't have Java or your version is outdated, then download the newest version at https://adoptopenjdk.net/ (OpenJDK) or http://www.java.com/download/ (Oracle "OTN" JDK)

Keep in mind that the server won't run correctly on macOS 10.4 and earlier and may crash your machine.

Open the terminal.

See the Common instructions.

Some homes use AirPort Time Capsule as a wireless router instead of other brands. This section will teach you how to set one up without messing up your file server.

NOTE: Make sure you have your admin username and password.

That's it! You're now ready to configure your server.

Linux comes in many different varieties called distributions (distros). Some of these distros are designed or better suited for running a server. If you are setting up a dedicated server it is recommended to use one of these distros.

Linux, in general, is more welcoming to open source programs. So where applicable it is recommended you use open source programs, such as OpenJDK.

For most distributions, it is recommended to install OpenJDK 16 (for 1.17+) or OpenJDK 8 (for below 1.17) from the official repositories. For Oracle Java refer to Oracle's Download Page.

Note: While not affecting Minecraft server, JavaFX or other proprietary aspects of Java will need to be installed separately.

Specific instructions are included for each distro below, but not all have been updated to 1.17. If it only says to install OpenJDK 8, that means that it has not yet been updated to 1.17.

Run sudo eopkg install openjdk-8 to install OpenJDK.

For OracleJDK refer to Solus Help Center

Note: OpenJDK 11 is not in Solus' repositories.

Note: You might need to install the package "software-properties-common" by running sudo apt-get install software-properties-common and/or "python-software-properties" by running sudo apt-get install python-software-properties to use the apt-add-repository command.

Due to licensing issues, the repository frequently used to install Oracle Java has been discontinued. It is now recommended that you install OpenJDK 8 or above.

OpenJDK can be installed with one command:

Removing the 'headless' part of the command will install all components of Java.

Note: Press "Create" button. Now the new network will appear in the main window —> invite friends, send them the info to connect -> you are welcome to run Minecraft. Connection: after program launch press “Join network" —> in the dialog box press enter Network name and Password received from the network administrator —> "Join" —> the new network and its nodes will be shown in the main window. —> Connect to the host in Minecraft. If the connection on Radmin VPN has been established, but you don`t see other players in the game, then it is required to adjust firewall for work of the game or just turn the firewall off. Configuring the Minecraft server Configure the server by editing the server.properties file, the format for which is explained here. Be certain to edit the file with a text editor that does not add formatting (e.g., for italics), such as Windows Notepad. Additional configuration may not be necessary as many servers run fine from the default values. To become or add an operator (op), type /op into the server console or gui. This adds the specified user's username and UUID to the ops.json file. Operator status will not be changed if you change your username due to the use of UUID. Administrators and operators may execute commands. In other words, operator (op) privileges allow you to control certain aspects of the game (e.g., teleporting players). ops.json contents:[ { "uuid": "", "name": "", "level": 4, "bypassesPlayerLimit": false } ] If your server.properties is configured to enable whitelist, you can add a user to the whitelist.json by typing /whitelist add into the server console or gui. Due to the transition to the UUID system, it is not recommended to directly edit whitelist.json. Connecting to the Minecraft server An update is requested for this section.  Internal IP is less reliable than looking for the server by hostname, which is available through either router DNS or mDNS (Bonjour, available in all versions of macOS and Windows 10). Static IP works, but it requires making sure the router never gives the address to anyone else. (In an ideal world you'd just use the existing LAN server discovery system, but Mojang has decided it's irrelevant for dedicated.) Port forwarding can potentially be replaced with UPnP. More flexible, but a bit brittle. If you are playing on the same machine on which the server is running, select the "Multiplayer" option in the game client, click direct connect, and then type in localhost instead of an IP address. Both hosting and playing on the same machine is not a recommended practice unless you have a powerful computer (e.g. more than 6 gigabytes of ram (4 for the server, 2 for the client, and some for the rest of the system). Users within your local network (i.e., that are accessing the same router) can connect using your internal IP address; port forwarding is not required for such local connections. The internal IP address of a specific network adapter can be found by typing "ipconfig" into the command prompt and looking for the IPv4 address, or by using this website. If the port is set to a number other than 25565 in server.properties, that port must be included. This address (both IP and port) will look something like 192.168.0.168:25565. Users connecting from the Internet (i.e., outside of your local network) must connect using your external IP address. You must port forward for someone outside your network to connect to the server. IP address notes Unless you set a static IP for the computer that is hosting the game, the internal IP address can change. This affects port forwarding rules, and can make them invalid. Each modem or router has a different way of setting a static IP address. You should refer to the manual for your device(s) or online documentation for further instruction. If you are having players connect to your external IP, your external IP can change if you do not have a static IP from your internet service provider. Use a tool such as WanIP to periodically check on the external IP address. You may also search "my ip address" on Google and it will show your IP address. Alternatively, you can look into a DDNS service that will allow you to have a name, rather than an IP address, that will remain the same. The name will point to your external IP address, regardless of whether or not it changes (the DNS is updated when changes occur, hence "dynamic"). For troubleshooting purposes you can try running Minecraft on the server machine and connect locally. You can connect through either localhost, your home network IP (192.168.x.x) or your public (Internet) IP. If for some reason you have trouble with connecting publicly over your IPv4, try connecting over IPv6. This should only be done for testing whether your server is online, external players should still use IPv4. Firewalling, NATs and external IP addresses You must open a TCP/UDP port (default is 25565) on the firewall. If the server in question is not reachable via a globally routable IP address, you will need to add appropriate address and/or port number translation rules to the gateway — usually your router has the global IP address. For help with address translation, opening the firewall and routing (these three make up what people call port mapping/forwarding), portforward.com is a good source. Select your router from that list, skip the ad that comes after selecting the device, and you will see instructions for setting up port forwarding. Alternatively, you can read the documentation supplied with your router, modem, or other ISP related hardware. Verify the port is open, and note your external IP by using a port checker tool, such as You Get Signal. The default port you should test is 25565, unless you specified something else. Have the Minecraft server running when you test the port. You can obtain your external IP address from YouGetSignal. Local network dedicated servers

This only applies to Classic (v0.30) servers.

A common problem for server administrators is the inability to connect to your own server via another machine on your local network. A typical scenario for this is that you have a Classic server running on a dedicated machine, and you have your own machine which you play on. They're both connected to the same router/switch, and have internal IP's with the octets '192.168.x.x'. Normally, connecting via the URL generated for your server will result in an error message claiming that the server is offline.

To correct this, you must add a function to the end of your URL, bookmarks, or whatever else you connect by. The function is: ?override=true Example: http://www.minecraft.net/classic/play/4c3bebb1a01816acbe31c5ece1570da5?override=true

Previously, (before the 1.8 beta and website update) this was &override=true. This caused much confusion since the change was not announced by Mojang, and wasn't announced on the website applet pages either. Before the update, connecting to your own URL via the website resulted in red text under the applet window saying "If you can't connect, try this link instead." The link returned the same thing, with the &override=true affixed to the end.

Note: This situation does not effect Beta servers, and you should be able to connect via an internal or external IP.

Java Edition since 1.3 also supports using custom ports without requiring the player to type it. This is achieved by using a SRV record (for "service") in the DNS. The SRV record tells Minecraft the actual host and port to use; some DynDNS services and most static DNS services allow you to set it up.[1]

To manually verify the SRV record, use (assuming the player-facing domain is "YOUR.DOMAIN.com"):

Q: I have a problem which is not answered in here! What should I do to?

A: Go to the Minecraft Forums and post your problem there. To help you, they need the following information:

And please, if we were able to help you, post where the problem was exactly and what the fix was for that. Other people will appreciate that (and we will be able to get a grip on the common problems)!

Q: On a Windows computer, when I double click the batch file it opens a command prompt window, but quickly disappears and the server does not start.

A: Right-click your .bat program and hit edit; add a new line and type pause save and run the file. If it says invalid path, it is probably due to an incorrect path to java.exe/javaw.exe or your Minecraft server jar file. You may just need to change /jre7/ to /jre6/ . Or search your system for java.exe/javaw.exe and adjust the path accordingly. (It's probably under c:\program files or c:\program files (x86).) Also, you must have the offline version of Java installed—not just the Java plug-in for your browser.

Q: Whenever I try to get the server up, it says "Failed to bind to port!".

A: The most common reason this happens is because you put an IP address in the server-ip field in your server.properties file. If the IP you specify isn't the same as any of your network interfaces, (your wireless or wired IPv4 from ipconfig/ifconfig/ip a) Minecraft will throw the port binding failure message. By leaving it blank, you let it bind to all interfaces. You will then be able to connect using localhost and people on your wired/wireless network (in the same subnet) can connect using the computers/server's (private) IP address.

Alternatively, the error can mean that you have tried to use a port that is already in use or that you do not have permission to use (ports < 1024 are privileged and require root/Administrator access to bind to). You can try a different port by changing it in your server.properties file in this line: server-port=25565.

Note: You should avoid using the following ports for your server as some ISPs may block these ports for security reasons and you shouldn't be running the Minecraft server as root (in the case of a Linux type OS and ports < 1024):

Generally avoid any port below number 1024, since those ports are generally referred as well-known ports and are registered with the IANA for important services.

Q: I tried to run the server with Solaris/OpenSolaris and got the following error:

A: For whatever reason, out of all of the operating systems, only Solaris throws that exception when a thread interrupts a connection. A workaround is to change the default behavior on the command line:

This instructs Java to use an interruptible IO stack instead of the default IO that is sensitive to interrupted threads.

Q: When I try to connect to my server this is what it says:

A: This error is usually caused when the server sends an unrecognized function to the client, which may be caused by using unrecognized server software, unbalanced client / server versions or modifications to the client.

Q: I cannot break/place any blocks!?

A: This is most usually caused by interacting with blocks in a protected area. If you are trying to interact near spawn, most likely it has been protected, by the Minecraft server software; either build away from it or get operator status.

Q: My server runs fine, but I cannot connect to it!

A: This could be caused by a series of issues. Please post a thread using the template provided above.

Q: How do you give a .jar server more ram?

A: Change the numbers in the server launch command "-Xmx1G -Xms1G". The -Xms part specifies how much memory the server starts with, and the -Xmx part is the maximum amount of memory the server can use. -Xmx1G -Xms2G = 1GB -Xmx2G -Xms1G = 2GB And so on.

Q: Why is the server CPU constantly at full load?

A: Some users are experiences full CPU load on the server. This may be caused by the GUI (graphic user interface) window. Run the server with the --nogui option to disable this window.

Q: Help! How do you find out your server's IP address?

A: Read #Connecting to the Minecraft server

Q: I port forwarded and allowed java.exe in my firewall and it's still not working!

A: Your modem might be acting as a router as well. If you switch ISP's or upgrade your connection to the Internet, you may get issued a modem/router combination (which might explain why it worked in the past). You can verify this by looking for the WAN IP of your router. If it's a private IP, you'll need to log into the modem/router your ISP issued to you, and configure port forwarding to the WAN IP of your router.

Q: I turned off my firewall on my router/modem how does it still not work???!!! However, port forwarding sites report they can "see" me?? What's going on???!!

A: Turning off your firewall on your router/modem means you essentially disabled port forwarding. Port forwarding is actually a subset of firewall rules. If no rule exists on that port (for example 25565), the firewall will ignore/drop the connection attempt (hence, you get a connection timed out). If there is a rule, it should pass on the connection to whatever computer is configured to receive the initial connection attempt.

When you disable the router/modem firewall and test your public (non RFC 1918) IP address on a port forwarding-checking website, the website will hit your router/modem, and your router/modem will respond, yes you can see me. This is another reason why disabling your firewall is bad; you incorrectly believe that people outside your network can connect to your Minecraft Server on your computer, when really, they're trying to connect to the router/modem itself.

To solve this, the next step is to confirm if your port forwarding (rules) are correct. By Google-ing "minecraft server checker" you'll be able to check if you configured your network correctly such that users outside your network running the Minecraft client can indeed connect to your computer through your router/modem.

Note: You may need to be careful about the Minecraft Query - It may use layer 4, the transport layer - UDP to query your server. Many Internet and Youtube guides will only tell you to port forward TCP (this guide outlines that you do both).

Q: What is connection timed out and connection refused?

A: Simply put, connection timed out is when a firewall ignores a connection attempt (ignores the intial connection packet with the SYN flag in the 3-way handshake). Connection refused is when there's no process listening on the port; therefore, the operating system lets the client (in the standard client-server model) know their connection attempt did not work.

The default configuration on all Windows computers (the home version) and (just about) all (SOHO) routers is to drop or time out the connections. This is called "stealth mode" and you can read more about it on superuser. Here's a brief summary: "The idea is that refusing a connection instead of timing it out will tell an attacker that there actually is a computer on that IP-Address. With the connection attempt timing out, the hope is that the attacker will ignore the computer."

You can read more about connection refused on serverfault.

So if your error message is a connection timed out, it's usually a firewall problem - you either need to allow Java in the Windows firewall or port forward. If the error message is a connection refused, perhaps your Minecraft server has not started properly or you turned off the firewall on your router instead of port forwarding.

As always, you can always ask the Minecraft Forum if you are uneasy or unsure about something, particularly if opening the command prompt/terminal and running commands makes you nervous.

Connection filtered and connection closed is another way of saying timed out and refused, respectively.

Here are some other tutorials on how to set up a Minecraft server: