How to Make a Minecraft Server on Windows, macOS, or Linux?

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Lokesh Joshi
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How to Make a Minecraft Server on Windows

Minecraft has turned out to be a global phenomenon. Right now, as you are reading this article, there are 130 million active users playing the game. This indie sandbox game has Lego-like gameplay and design. It allows players to create a world of their own. Whatever you think you can make, you can build that thing in Minecraft.

Not just kids, but even professional gamers are hooked into Minecraft. As such, the game has seen a massive surge in its audience. The great thing about Minecraft is it can run on Windows, macOS, and even on Linux as well.

One of the best things about Minecraft is it has no rules. You can create your own world, make your own rules and allow your friends to join in so you can all play together. The name in itself is self-explanatory as it is made by combining two words together. Creating the world through the imagination of “mine” using the “craft” that I have at my disposal.

The numbers have grown massively in recent years, specifically in 2020, as we as a global community saw a lockdown due to a worldwide pandemic. Despite being 11 years old, Minecraft is still growing and adding new features to the game, making it exciting and fun to play.

Today our focus is to provide you information on how to create your own Minecraft server on different operating systems, namely Windows, macOS and Linux. It has never been so much easier to create a Minecraft server till date.

What is Minecraft? Is It Free to Play?

“The world is yours for the making.” This is what the developers of Minecraft had in their minds when they were creating the game. Minecraft is not free to play, and you need to purchase it to play it online with your friends. But if you are not looking to connect with your friends and want to enjoy the modded version of the game, which is, to be honest, has its own fun. Then you can download the other versions as well.

But one thing you need to keep in mind when you are downloading a cracked version of the game is that you are not getting any new updates from the developer, and if you try to go online from the game, the servers might throw you out.

On the other hand, there is one more method to play Minecraft for free, and that is by having a friend who runs his own Minecraft server. Minehut allows adding up to 10 players in one free account. Also, if you have a doubt about having a internet connection all the time to play Minecraft, then don’t worry. You can play it even without having an internet connection. However, you won’t be able to brag about the massive building which you have done, and we think that’s a bummer.

What is the Use of a Minecraft Server?

Well, a lot of people don’t think about having their own Minecraft server, and if your child is playing the game, why would she need a private server? Servers as a whole play a vital role in digital gaming, especially when the game has to do with the online community.

Also, we will see how one of the most popular games of morden times like Minecraft could actually benefit from having a dedicated virtual server. Given below are some of the advantages when you have a dedicated gaming server of your own:

  • Your Game, Your Rules

A lot of time, children get bullied when they play games online and get in trouble. Also, when your kid is playing online, you need to be on constant vigilance to know about their online friends. Having a dedicated server, you get to choose the world and its rules in addition to the content that will make up the world.

With a dedicated Minecraft server, you will be the sole administrator of the game, and you can add and remove players as you want. There are so many things that you can tweak when you are running Minecraft on your private server. Some of the tweaks are physics, landscapes, spawn rates, and roles.

  • Grow Your Own Community

As you are on the quest of building the most lavish 7-star hotel that the world of Minecraft has ever seen, during the journey you will encounter friends, and fans too. There are anonymous players who might be interested in your quest and want to help you out.

When you have your own Minecraft server, you can build a personal community around your gameplay. On the other hand, you can serve the server space to pre-established communities and help them grow.

Time and time again, we have seen a simple Minecraft server having a bunch of players exploding on the internet and every single Minecraft Twitch streamer is on that server and playing games alongside the community and fans. Such is the power of a dedicated Minecraft server.

  • Install Any Mods

When you are running Minecraft on your private server, you can control the mods that you want to install. There is no doubt about how fun a video game becomes when you add a mod to it, and Minecraft is no exception to it. There are thousands of mods for you to choose from and you can download and install any of it in your system as long as it is compatible with your machine.

Mods can also change the particular way of how things look and feel during your gameplay, and with the administration power, you get the opportunity to make minor changes to them according to your liking. The more you get into the modding industry, the sooner you will find yourself needing to have a custom Minecraft server to test out the mods and have fun with them.

  • Server Administration for Kids

Kids, adults, and even some grandparents enjoy playing Minecraft. In some schools, the game has made its way into teaching how different things in nature react to each other. Minecraft has become essential for gaming kids, and thus, parents need to have control over their kid’s activity and make sure they are playing their favorite video game in a much safer multiplayer environment.

Windows vs macOS vs Linux: Which is Better for Gaming?

For a lot of gamers, it will be a shock if you tell them that both Linux and macOS can run games. Although Windows isn’t made specifically for gaming, most of the video games are designed to run on the OS. This, however, is not the case with the other 2 operating systems.

Let’s discuss some differences between the 3 operating systems so that you can have a better idea of which operating system is suitable for your Minecraft server:

  • Windows

Windows is one of the most common operating systems that you can see in many mid-range to high-end laptops. Windows 10 has the most extensive range of video game selection, and users can select games from the 30,000 titles available on Steam alone.

Windows allows users to easily access a video game and make changes to it depending on the mod. Also, you can tune your settings for the no disturbance gameplay by hiding the notifications during the gameplay. Windows 10 takes advantage of DirectX 12 and has a lower rate of crashes and errors compared to the other 2 operating systems.

  • Linux

For many years gaming enthusiasts have been trying hard to make Linux gamer-friendly, and in a way, they have made some games playable. Just like Windows Steam library, now Linux has a Steam library too, and users can download games and play them on their Linux system.

But having a game downloaded and installed in the system is one thing and to be able to run it without any crashes is another, and that’s where Linux as an operating system for video gaming lacks.

  • macOS

Last on our list is macOS, and its gaming experience has stayed the same for the past few years. The OS has about 7,000 games listed on the Steam library. Blizzard also supports macOS, but still, there is not a wide range of gaming options for those who want to play games on a Mac. The main issue with macOS is that it has no support from the operating system developers to make the games run on the OS.

Users need to take the help of Wine to get around with the issues and errors. On the other hand, Apple has been famous for making sleek design machines that work as eye candy for users, but when it comes to raw performance, that’s where you are going to see Mac systems running into issues like thermal throttling.

The Winner

Windows is the clear winner among the 3 operating systems, without a doubt. Linux is the runner-up, and macOS has won itself the last place. Linux does deserve some appreciation as it is constantly evolving and helping its users to game with less hassle. macOS is third because you can only enjoy AAA titles only if you have a great Mac system, and for that, you need to pay a hefty amount of money.

A Step-by-Step Tutorial for Creating a Minecraft Server

Now you know a lot about Minecraft, let’s find out how you can create an accessible Minecraft server using different operating systems.

For Windows

Step 1– Check the version of the Java that you have in the system and see if there is a possible update available from their official website. If the update is present, download and install it on your system.

Step 2– You need to choose the location of your server before the installation. This location needs to be noted out beforehand because configuration files that will run for the first time will be created on that location, and you need to access them manually. You can place it anywhere you want in your system.

Step 3 – Go to the Minecraft website and download the server software. It will be a .jar file. Download the file in the pre-decided location. Once you click on the file, it will take you to the installation wizard and ask you to create configuration files.

This step needs to be done very carefully, and you will see in your files that eula.txt is present. Open the file and search for the eula=false and set it to eula=true. You won’t be able to start the Minecraft server if you fail to accept the EULA. On the other hand, if you are facing an error in opening this file, try to open it up in the administrator mode.

Step 4 – You need to enable port forwarding as well. It is not necessary if you are looking to host players from your local area network. You need port forwarding only if you want the server to be accessed by players located globally. From the router manual, you can find the configurations to enable and disable the port. Also, you need to provide the server IP or output IP for the forwarding of the port. You can find your IP by using the command ipconfig.

Step 5 – Now open the Windows Command Prompt to start the Windows server. The file name will be named something like this “minecraft_server1.17.3.jar.” You need to navigate to the selected path and find the file. Use the following server command:

java “-Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar {server_file_name_you_have_entered_} nogui“

Note – If you want to replace the nogui parameter server’s User Interface, you need to type in:

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar {server_file_name}

For macOS

The first two steps are almost the same as that for Windows, and you need to install the latest version of Java and locate the folder where you want to install the server. So we are not repeating the first 2 steps here and focusing on the third and beyond.

Step 3 – Now you have downloaded the java file successfully. Next, you need to open the text editor and write the code given below:

#!/bin/bash/
cd "$(dir_name "$0")"
exec java 
-Xms1G -Xmx1G -jar {server_file_name_as_entered} nogui

The text file needs to be stored in the exact location where the server files are stored. Also, the file needs to have a specific name called “start.command”. You need to grant permission to the terminal to enable the new start.command to run the file. After you type in the command, press chmod a+x after space, now drag and drop the start.command file in the terminal and click on enter.

Step 4 – Same as that of Windows, you need to enable port forwarder by adding your IP address if you want your server to have global access.

Step 5 – Now double click the start.command file, which was created in the third step, and you will see that a terminal window is opened. If you see an error, don’t worry. It’s normal. Once the server gets active, you will be able to send in the invites for the people to join your server.

For Linux

Step 1 – First, you need to install the latest version of Java in your Linux system using the command:

apt-cache search OpenJDK

From this command, you will have the list of available OpenJDK packages which can install Java on your system. To update the list of available packages from the remote repositories, enter the following command:

apt-get update

Install the selected version of the package using the apt-get install sdk version.

You need to press “Y” when the system asks you to authorize permission to install the software. Once everything is done, check the java version by using the command:

java -version

Step 2 – Create the location for storing the Minecraft server files. You can create it manually, or you can use the command line to make one. In the command line, write mkdir Minecraft.

Step 3 – In this step, you need to download the Minecraft server from the internet. Run we get – -O minecraft_server.jar

Now you need to install the screen so your server will run even when you are not connected to it. Use the command yum install screen.

Step 4 – Start your Minecraft server for the first time using Java -Xmx512M -Xms512M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui command. Also, the -Xmx and -Xms is memory allocation, and you can change it according to your need. To stop your server, enter command stop.

Edit your server properties and set enable-query = true.

Save your server properties and restart the server. Now you have to enter your IP address into the Minecraft Server Status Checker to see if it is publicly accessible.

Conclusion

There you go, these were all the steps that you need to need to install a private Minecraft server on your system. No matter what your operating system will be, if you follow these steps, you can install the server on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

As we wrap up, we have one thing to say, it’s okay to let your children play online games and especially creative games Minecraft, but you need to be aware of the friends they are making online as nobody wants their child to be bullied online and a private Minecraft server protects your child from all these troubles. Now go and set up your server and then start creating your own world of Minecraft.

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