Minecraft, a popular sandbox game, offers endless possibilities for creativity and adventure. Running a Minecraft server on Plugbox Linux allows you to customize your gaming experience and play with friends in a controlled environment. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to installing and configuring a Minecraft server on Plugbox Linux.
Understanding Plugbox Linux
Plugbox Linux is a lightweight, Arch-based distribution designed for ARM architecture devices. Its minimalistic design makes it ideal for running servers on devices like the Raspberry Pi. Before proceeding, ensure that your hardware meets the necessary requirements to run both Plugbox Linux and a Minecraft server efficiently.
Preparing Your System
1. Updating System Packages
Keeping your system up-to-date is crucial for security and performance. Use the following command to update your package list and upgrade all installed packages:
bashCopyEditsudo pacman -Syu
2. Installing Java Runtime Environment
Minecraft requires Java to run. Install the latest version of OpenJDK with the following command:
bashCopyEditsudo pacman -S jre-openjdk
Verify the installation by checking the Java version:
bashCopyEditjava -version
Setting Up the Minecraft Server
1. Creating a Dedicated User
For security purposes, create a new user specifically for running the Minecraft server:
bashCopyEditsudo useradd -m -r -s /bin/bash minecraft
Switch to the new user:
bashCopyEditsudo su - minecraft
2. Downloading the Minecraft Server Software
Navigate to the official Minecraft server download page to obtain the latest server .jar file. Use wget to download it directly to your server:
bashCopyEditwget https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/<server-version>/server.jar
Replace <server-version> with the actual version number.
3. Configuring the Server
Before running the server, you need to accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Create a file named eula.txt with the following content:
bashCopyEditecho "eula=true" > eula.txt
To customize server settings, create a server.properties file. This file allows you to configure various aspects of the game, such as difficulty level, game mode, and server port. Refer to the official Minecraft wiki for detailed information on each setting.
4. Starting the Server
Launch the Minecraft server with the following command:
bashCopyEditjava -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui
The -Xmx and -Xms flags set the maximum and minimum RAM allocation, respectively. Adjust these values based on your system’s capabilities.
Managing the Minecraft Server
1. Running the Server in the Background
To keep the server running after logging out, use a terminal multiplexer like screen:
bashCopyEditsudo pacman -S screen
Start a new screen session:
bashCopyEditscreen -S minecraft
Within this session, start the Minecraft server as previously described. To detach from the session without stopping the server, press Ctrl + A, then D. Reattach to the session with:
bashCopyEditscreen -r minecraft
2. Automating Server Startup
To ensure the server starts automatically on boot, create a systemd service file:
bashCopyEditsudo nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service
Add the following content:
iniCopyEdit[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=network.target
[Service]
User=minecraft
WorkingDirectory=/home/minecraft
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar /home/minecraft/server.jar nogui
Restart=on-failure
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Save and exit the file. Reload systemd to recognize the new service:
bashCopyEditsudo systemctl daemon-reload
Enable and start the Minecraft service:
bashCopyEditsudo systemctl enable minecraft
sudo systemctl start minecraft
Securing Your Minecraft Server
1. Configuring Firewall Rules
Protect your server by setting up firewall rules to allow only necessary traffic. Assuming you’re using iptables, add the following rule to allow Minecraft’s default port (25565):
bashCopyEditsudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 25565 -j ACCEPT
Save the iptables rules to ensure they persist after a reboot.
2. Regular Backups
Regularly back up your world data to prevent loss from corruption or other issues. Create a backup script:
bashCopyEdit#!/bin/bash
tar -czvf /home/minecraft/backups/world_$(date +%F).tar.gz /home/minecraft/world
Schedule this script to run daily using cron:
bashCopyEditcrontab -e