How To Start Your Own Minecraft Server

Minecraft isn't a very hardware-intensive game, but if you're hoping to run your own server, there are some key points to take into account. RAM will be the first problem you'll face. There's usually about 1GB of RAM per four to five users who will be using your server. Your Internet connection will be the primary obstacle. cities

Your first stop: CanIHostaMinecraftServer.com. This website will give you an estimate of how many players you can support simultaneously by entering your connection speed and RAM. If that number is a bit low, consider renting space on a dedicated Minecraft server-or having fewer friends.

There are many options for server hosts. A quick Google search will get you started. But before you choose one, you should have a clear idea of how many players you're likely to have on your server, and how much money you're willing to spend.

If you'll be hosting only a few friends, you can run a Minecraft server on your own hardware; the process is fairly simple. If you plan to install your server on a Windows machine, head over to the Minecraft downloads page and grab the executable. You can also download the server.jar file to run the server on a Mac and Linux. (Note - If you are planning to run this server in Ubuntu, please use the Windows Server Download link.

Whether you're running on Windows or Mac/Linux, dump the file you've downloaded into its own folder, as it creates a few configuration files of its own when running. Double-click on the executable in Windows. It will immediately create a world, populating it with critters.

The Mac/Linux option will require a little more effort. You must ensure that Java is up-to-date on both platforms. Macs will handle that task via software update. MINECRAFT Java's Download Page can be used to download the appropriate Java version for your distribution.

Once you've installed the latest version of Java, you'll need to tell the Minecraft server how much memory to allocate to the server. Skip to the section appropriate for your system. Windows users can skip straight to "Getting Your Friends Inside".

Linux Users

In Linux, open the terminal. Instructions can vary by distribution, but most likely you will find it under Accessories in the Applications Menu. Navigate to your Minecraft server folder (cd NAME OF YOUR FOLDER), and type the following command:

java -Xms1024M -Xmx1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui

This will assign 1GB RAM to your server. 1GB is the limit if Java is 32-bit. If you're running 64-bit Java you can replace "1024M", with however many megabytes, that you'd like to allocate. For example, you can specify 2048M for 2GB, 4096M for 4GB, etc.

Mac Users

If you are on a Mac, open TextEdit and type (or copy-and-paste) the following code lines.

exec java -Xmx1G -Xms1G -jar minecraft_server.jar

You can allocate as much memory as your heart desires by changing "1G" to the number gigabytes you wish to reserve (2G for 2GB, 4G to 4GB, etc.).

In the Format Menu, choose Make Plain Text. Save the file to start.command and then move it to your server directory. Next, you will need to use the Terminal. Type "chmod a+x" and drag the file'start.command directly into the Terminal. This will give the file the required permissions. Finally, double-click start.command, and your server will start up.

Invite your friends

Every player who wishes to participate in the Multiplayer event must choose the Multiplayer option from Minecraft's main menu. To instruct Minecraft to remember details, players can choose between Direct Connect (for a temporary visitor) or Add Server (for permanent connection). Occities If everyone is on the exact same network, they will be able to connect by typing localhost into their server address bar. To connect to friends remotely, you'll need your external IP number. Simply type "What is my IP Address" into Google. The box will appear above the results.

Sharing your single-player universe with friends

In your Minecraft server folder, look for the file named 'server.properties' and open it with your favorite text editor. The Minecraft Wiki provides an extensive guide to configuring your Minecraft server. This article will focus on how to transfer a world that you have been playing on to the Minecraft server you just created.

The first step in creating a world is to find it. Click the Start button in Windows. Type "%appdata%" (without quotation marks, but with spaces fore-and-aft) into the search box. Press Enter. The '.minecraft' folder should be right at the top. Your world will be in the Saves folder; copy that folder into the folder that contains your Minecraft server. In the server.properties file, find the line that reads "levelname=world" and change the name to your own world. The next time you fire your server up, your creation will be there for everyone who has access to your server to play on.