tags: - howto

Setting Up a Minecraft Server on Debian 12¶

Prerequisites¶

Debian 12 system
Root or sudo access
Open port (default: 25565) on your router/firewall

Step 1: Update Your System¶

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Java¶

Minecraft server requires Java. For the latest versions, OpenJDK 17 is recommended.

sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre-headless -y

Verify Java installation:

java -version

Step 3: Create a Minecraft User and Directory¶

For security, create a dedicated user:

sudo useradd -m -r -d /opt/minecraft minecraft
sudo mkdir -p /opt/minecraft/server
sudo chown -R minecraft:minecraft /opt/minecraft

Step 4: Download the Minecraft Server¶

Switch to the minecraft user:

sudo su - minecraft
cd /opt/minecraft/server

Download the latest server JAR (check the Minecraft website for the latest version):

wget https://piston-data.mojang.com/v1/objects/e6ec2f64e6080b9b5d9b471b291c33cc7f509733/server.jar -O minecraft_server.jar

Step 5: Accept the EULA¶

Run the server once:

java -Xmx4G -Xms1G -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui

This will fail, but generate the EULA file. Edit and accept the EULA:

echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

Step 6: Configure Server Properties¶

Edit the server.properties file:

nano server.properties

Some recommended settings:

gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
max-players=10
view-distance=10
server-port=25565
enable-command-block=true
motd=My Debian 12 Minecraft Server

Step 7: Create a Systemd Service¶

Exit to your regular user:

exit

Create a systemd service file:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service

Add the following:

[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=minecraft
Nice=5
KillSignal=SIGINT
TimeoutStopSec=120
SuccessExitStatus=0 1
ProtectHome=true
ProtectSystem=full
PrivateDevices=true
NoNewPrivileges=true
WorkingDirectory=/opt/minecraft/server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xmx4G -Xms1G -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui
ExecStop=/usr/bin/screen -p 0 -S minecraft -X eval 'stuff "say SERVER SHUTTING DOWN IN 10 SECONDS!"\015'
ExecStop=/bin/sleep 10
ExecStop=/usr/bin/screen -p 0 -S minecraft -X eval 'stuff "save-all"\015'
ExecStop=/usr/bin/screen -p 0 -S minecraft -X eval 'stuff "stop"\015'

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Step 8: Start and Enable the Service¶

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start minecraft
sudo systemctl enable minecraft

Step 9: Open Firewall Port¶

If you have UFW enabled:

sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp

Step 10: Check Server Status¶

sudo systemctl status minecraft

To view the server logs:

sudo journalctl -u minecraft

Step 11: Configure Port Forwarding¶

For players to connect from outside your network, configure port forwarding on your router to forward port 25565 to your server's local IP address.

Step 12: Backup Setup (Recommended)¶

Create a backup script:

sudo nano /opt/minecraft/backup.sh

Add the following:

#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)
BACKUP_DIR="/opt/minecraft/backups"
SERVER_DIR="/opt/minecraft/server"

mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
systemctl stop minecraft
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/minecraft_backup_$DATE.tar.gz -C $SERVER_DIR .
systemctl start minecraft

Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /opt/minecraft/backup.sh

Add it to crontab for automatic daily backups:

sudo crontab -e

Add this line:

0 3 * * * /opt/minecraft/backup.sh