How to Host a Minecraft Server on Your Dedicated Server

How to Host a Minecraft Server on Your Dedicated Server

Hosting a Minecraft server on your dedicated server offers you full control over game settings, performance, and server resources. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up your own Minecraft server, optimizing performance, and configuring it for multiplayer gameplay.

Step 1: Update Your Dedicated Server

Before setting up Minecraft, ensure your dedicated server is up to date. Keeping your system updated is essential for security and performance.

• Update the package list:
  • sudo apt update (for Ubuntu/Debian)
  • sudo yum update (for CentOS/RHEL)
• Upgrade the system:
  • sudo apt upgrade (for Ubuntu/Debian)
  • sudo yum upgrade (for CentOS/RHEL)

Step 2: Install Java

Minecraft requires Java to run. You will need to install the correct version of Java for the game server.

• For Ubuntu/Debian:
  • sudo apt install openjdk-17-jdk
• For CentOS/RHEL:
  • sudo yum install java-17-openjdk-devel

You can verify the Java installation:

• java -version

Step 3: Create a Minecraft Server Directory

Create a dedicated directory where your Minecraft server files will be stored.

• Run the following commands to create and navigate to the Minecraft directory:
  • mkdir minecraft_server
  • cd minecraft_server

Step 4: Download the Minecraft Server JAR File

The next step is to download the Minecraft server software. You can get the official Minecraft server JAR file from Mojang.

• Download the latest Minecraft server version:
  • wget https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/[latest_server_file].jar -O minecraft_server.jar

Replace [latest_server_file] with the latest version number or the direct URL to the server file.

Step 5: Accept the EULA

Before running the server, you need to accept the End User License Agreement (EULA).

• Open the eula.txt file:
  • nano eula.txt
• Change the line eula=false to eula=true.
• Save and exit the file.

Step 6: Start the Minecraft Server

Now that everything is set up, you can start your Minecraft server.

• Use the following command to start the server:

  • java -Xmx2G -Xms1G -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui

• Explanation:

  • -Xmx2G: Allocates 2GB of RAM for the server.
  • -Xms1G: Allocates 1GB of RAM initially.
  • nogui: Runs the server without the graphical user interface for better performance.

You can adjust the -Xmx and -Xms values based on the amount of RAM available on your dedicated server.

Step 7: Set Up the Server to Run Automatically

To ensure that your Minecraft server starts automatically after a reboot, create a systemd service.

• Create a new service file:
  • sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service
• Add the following configuration:

  [Unit]
  Description=Minecraft Server
  After=network.target
  
  [Service]
  User=your_user
  Nice=1
  LimitNOFILE=4096
  WorkingDirectory=/path/to/minecraft_server
  ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xmx2G -Xms1G -jar /path/to/minecraft_server/minecraft_server.jar nogui
  Restart=on-failure
  
  [Install]
  WantedBy=multi-user.target
  

Replace /path/to/minecraft_server with the directory where your server files are stored, and your_user with the user running the server.

• Reload systemd to apply the changes:
  • sudo systemctl daemon-reload
• Enable the service to start on boot:
  • sudo systemctl enable minecraft
• Start the server:
  • sudo systemctl start minecraft

Step 8: Configure the Server for Multiplayer

By default, Minecraft servers are set up for multiplayer. To configure the server for multiplayer, you’ll need to adjust the server.properties file.

• Edit the server.properties file:
  • nano server.properties
• Customize settings such as:
  • server-port=25565 (Ensure this port is open on your firewall)
  • online-mode=true (To allow only authenticated players)
  • max-players=20 (Set the maximum number of players)

Step 9: Open the Minecraft Server Port

To allow players to connect to your Minecraft server, you must open the required port (default is 25565) on your server firewall.

• For Ubuntu/Debian with UFW:
  • sudo ufw allow 25565
• For CentOS/RHEL with firewalld:
  • sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=25565/tcp --permanent
  • sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Step 10: Test the Minecraft Server

Now that your server is up and running, test the connection by opening Minecraft on your client computer and entering the public IP address of your dedicated server in the multiplayer section.

• Open Minecraft and go to Multiplayer.
• Click Add Server.
• Enter the public IP address of your server and click Done.
• Select the server from the list and click Join Server.

If everything is configured correctly, you should be able to join and play on your Minecraft server.

Conclusion

Hosting a Minecraft server on your dedicated server gives you full control over game performance, settings, and the player experience. By following these steps, you can set up a server that allows you and others to enjoy a customized and reliable Minecraft experience.