How to Host a Minecraft Server on Ubuntu – A Complete Guide for Dev

Greetings, Dev! If you’re looking to host your own Minecraft server using Ubuntu, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to set up and manage your own server from scratch.

1. Choosing the Right Hardware

Before you begin, it’s important to make sure your hardware can handle the task. You’ll need a computer with at least 4GB of RAM and a decent processor. You’ll also need a good internet connection with a minimum upload speed of 1Mbps.

If you’re planning on hosting a server for a lot of players, you may need to invest in dedicated hardware or a VPS.

Some popular hosting providers for Minecraft servers include:

Provider	Cost	Features
Shockbyte	$2.50/month	Lots of RAM, automatic backups
MCProHosting	$7.99/month	User-friendly control panel, DDoS protection
FadeHost	$2.99/month	Low cost, easy setup

2. Installing Ubuntu

The first step is to install Ubuntu on your server machine. You can download the latest version from the official Ubuntu website.

Once you have your Ubuntu installation media, insert it into your server, and boot from it. Follow the prompts to install Ubuntu on your machine.

When the installation is complete, you’ll be prompted to create a username and password. Make sure to choose a strong password that you’ll remember.

2.1. Updating Ubuntu

Before you begin installing any software, it’s important to make sure Ubuntu is up to date. Open a terminal window and run the following commands:

sudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get upgrade

This will update all of the packages on your system to the latest version.

3. Installing Java

Minecraft servers need Java to run. You can install the latest version of Java using the following command:

sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jre-headless

Once Java is installed, you can check the version using:

java -version

You should see output similar to:

openjdk version "1.8.0_292"OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_292-8u292-b10-0ubuntu1~20.04-b10)OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.292-b10, mixed mode)

4. Downloading and Installing Minecraft Server

You can download Minecraft server from the official Minecraft website.

Once you’ve downloaded the server file, create a new directory where you want to run the Minecraft server:

mkdir ~/minecraft_servercd ~/minecraft_server

Move the server file you downloaded to this directory:

mv /path/to/minecraft_server.jar ~/minecraft_server/

You can now start the Minecraft server:

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui

This will start the server with 1GB of RAM allocated to it. If you have more RAM available, you can increase this number.

4.1. Configuring Minecraft Server

When you start the Minecraft server, it will generate a configuration file in the same directory called server.properties.

You can edit this file to change various settings for the server, including server name, game mode, and more.

Once you’ve made your changes, save the file and restart the Minecraft server for the changes to take effect.

5. Connecting to Your Minecraft Server

To connect to your Minecraft server, launch Minecraft on your client machine and click on “Multiplayer”.

Click “Add Server”, and enter the IP address of your server machine. If you’re running the server on the same machine as you’re playing from, you can enter “localhost” as the IP address.

Click “Done” and then click on the name of your server to connect.

5.1. Troubleshooting Connection Issues

If you’re having trouble connecting to your Minecraft server, there are a few things you can try:

• Make sure the server is running and you have the correct IP address.
• Check to make sure your firewall isn’t blocking the connection.
• Make sure you’re using the correct port (the default Minecraft port is 25565).

6. Managing Your Minecraft Server

Running a Minecraft server involves more than just setting it up. You’ll need to manage the server, perform backups, and keep everything up to date.

Here are a few tips for managing your Minecraft server:

1. Use a server management tool like Multicraft to simplify server management.
2. Perform regular backups of your server to prevent data loss.
3. Install updates and patches for the Minecraft server to keep it secure and stable.

6.1. Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions about hosting a Minecraft server on Ubuntu:

6.1.1. Can I host a Minecraft server on my own computer?

Yes, you can host a Minecraft server on your own computer, but it’s not recommended for larger servers or if you plan on using your computer for other tasks.

6.1.2. Can I run multiple Minecraft servers on the same machine?

Yes, you can run multiple Minecraft servers on the same machine, but you’ll need to allocate more RAM and CPU resources to each server.

6.1.3. How do I whitelist players on my server?

To whitelist players on your server, add their usernames to the whitelist.json file in the server directory. You can also use a plugin like WhitelistMe to simplify the process.

6.1.4. How do I install plugins on my Minecraft server?

You can install plugins on your Minecraft server by downloading them from the official Minecraft plugin repository and placing them in the plugins/ directory of your server.