How to set up a Minecraft server
Set up a Minecraft Java server on berrybyte from the first boot to the first successful join. Choose Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or a modpack, confirm the version, read Console, and configure the basics.
Your Minecraft server appears in the berrybyte dashboard after checkout and installation. Open it, confirm the software that will create the world, then follow Console until the server reaches its ready message. This guide begins at that first server page. The account and payment flow lives in Create your first server.
Pick the server software
The software choice decides which plugins or mods can load. It also fixes the Minecraft version that every player needs.
| Software | Best fit | What players install |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | Mojang gameplay with the official server | The matching Java release |
| Paper | Survival servers, plugins, and performance controls | The matching Java release |
| Fabric | Lightweight or Fabric-specific mods | Fabric Loader and the same client mods |
| Forge | Forge mod collections | Forge and the same client mods |
| NeoForge | Current NeoForge mod collections | NeoForge and the same client mods |
| Modpacks | A published pack from Modrinth, CurseForge, or FTB | The identical pack and pack version |
Paper accepts Bukkit, Spigot, and Paper plugins. Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge
load mods built for their own loader. A plugin jar belongs in plugins/; a
loader mod belongs in mods/. Paper's
getting started guide covers
its Java and startup requirements.
Choose Paper for a typical private or community Java server that needs plugins. Choose the loader named by the mod author when the server needs mods. Use the Modpacks picker for a complete published pack.
On berrybyte, open Overview → Configuration → Software → Change. The same picker is available under Settings → Game Settings → Server software. Choose the loader, Minecraft version, and build offered for it. A published pack uses Overview → Modpack → Change; the full process is in Install a Minecraft modpack.
Choose a stable version
Minecraft Java 26.2 is the current stable release on September 14, 2026. Mojang has a 26.3 release candidate in testing, with the final game drop expected shortly. Use the stable channel for a production world until your loader, plugins, and mods publish compatible builds. Mojang's 26.2 release notes and 26.3 release candidate notes show each channel's status.
Loading a world on a newer Minecraft release upgrades its data. A later downgrade is unsupported and can damage that world. Create a backup before changing the version, loader, or modpack.
Complete the first boot
Open the server
Select the new server in the berrybyte dashboard. Setup may still show as installing while the selected jar, loader, or pack downloads.
Start it
Press Start on Overview or in the server sidebar. Keep Console
open. The first boot creates server.properties, world data, and loader
config files.
Handle the EULA
The berrybyte installer records acceptance for a normal install. If
startup stops with the EULA message, read the
Minecraft EULA, then use the dashboard's
Accept Minecraft EULA dialog. It writes eula=true to eula.txt and
starts the server.
Wait for readiness
Look for a line ending with Done and For help, type "help", or the
ready message supplied by the loader. World generation and large packs
can keep Console busy for several minutes.
minecraft-first-boot-ready.pngSelf-hosted administrators download the official Java server from
Minecraft's server page,
run its jar with a compatible Java runtime, read the EULA, edit eula.txt,
then run it again. A public home server also needs firewall and router rules for
its listening port. berrybyte supplies the allocation and network route.
Set the basics
Open Settings → Game Settings. The Minecraft profile groups common
server.properties values by purpose. These are useful before players arrive:
- MOTD sets the text shown in the multiplayer list.
- Difficulty and Game mode shape the new player experience.
- Whitelist controls private access. Java 26.3 changes the generated default for a new configuration, so read the value shown for this server.
- View distance and Simulation distance affect CPU, memory, and the amount of terrain sent to players.
- Level seed affects a world only when that world is first generated.
Save the page. A running server shows Restart required because
server.properties is read during startup. An offline server picks up the
changes on its next start. The canonical
server.properties reference
describes the complete file. Advanced values remain available under
Files → server.properties.
The allocated address and port come from berrybyte. Keep server-ip and
server-port under host control. Changing those fields by hand can make the
process listen on the wrong allocation.
If you plan a large public map, choose the world settings before generation. After the first successful join, Chunky can generate a planned area during a quiet window. The Aikar's flags guide explains the full memory allocation shown by many Paper and Fabric servers.
Join for the first time
Copy the full address
Open Overview → Server address and press Copy. Keep the port shown
after the colon, since hosted allocations do not always use 25565.
Launch the matching client
Open the same Java release as the server. A modded server also needs the same loader, mods, or complete pack on the player's launcher.
Add the server
In Java Edition, choose Multiplayer → Add Server or Direct Connection. Paste the full address into its single address field.
Verify the world
Join, move away from spawn, and watch Console for your username. Confirm that chat, movement, and expected plugins or mods work before inviting the group.
See How to join a Minecraft server for custom domains and client steps. Use the ordered connection checklist when the first attempt fails.
Java and Bedrock crossplay
This setup creates a Java Edition server. Bedrock clients speak a different network protocol. On Paper and similar plugin servers, install Geyser from Overview → Plugins → Manage plugins. Floodgate can authenticate Bedrock accounts when your community needs that path. Keep the Java listener and Geyser's Bedrock listener distinct, then give each player the address for their edition.
Geyser translates gameplay between editions, while the world remains a Java world. Moving a save between formats is a separate operation covered in Convert a Minecraft world.
Change software later
Create a full backup and stop the server. Open Server software, choose the new target, and read the reset warning in the picker. Let installation finish before editing files or pressing Start. Watch Console closely on the first boot.
Vanilla to Paper is a supported migration path documented by PaperMC. Modded blocks and items need their original mods, so a Forge or Fabric world can lose data when opened by software that lacks them. Plugin configurations also need matching plugin builds. Restore the backup if the startup log reports incompatible world data or missing registries.
For a fresh hosted setup with the software picker and managed allocation, see Minecraft server hosting.
Frequently asked questions
Which Minecraft server software should I choose?
Vanilla gives the standard Mojang server. Paper supports plugins and adds performance controls. Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge run mods, while the Modpacks option installs a complete pack with its required loader and version.
What Minecraft version should a new server use?
Use the latest stable release supported by your software and plugins. Java 26.2 is current on this page's update date. Java 26.3 is close to release, so check compatibility and create a backup before moving an existing world.
How do I accept the Minecraft EULA on berrybyte?
The berrybyte installer records EULA acceptance during setup. If eula.txt is removed and startup reaches the EULA check, the dashboard opens an Accept Minecraft EULA dialog and starts the server after you accept.
When is my Minecraft server ready to join?
Watch Console for the Done line or the loader's equivalent ready message. A process can be running while the world or a large modpack is still loading.
Can Bedrock players join this server?
berrybyte hosts Minecraft Java Edition. Install Geyser on Paper or another supported plugin server to translate Bedrock connections, then configure the Bedrock listener and share its port.