termux-tutorials/tutorials/installing-minecraft-java-server.md

Minecraft is so popular that it feels like after installing Termux, the temptation to get a Minecraft server up and running is natural. Whether you're going to host your server on a phone, or you are just inaugurating your phone server and want to see it in action, this guide should cover your use case. Although older versions can be lightweight, be aware that newer versions of Minecraft server demand a beefy amount of computation and RAM.

Requirements

Minecraft Java Edition is really portable, you'll just need:

• Minecraft server JAR file of the version you want.
• Java installed on the server.

Also for newer versions you'll need a good amount of RAM and CPU power.

Choosing a version/loader

The vanilla Minecraft server lacks optimizations, which are usually present in plugin/modloaders, you should usually avoid using that.

Name	Type	Performance	Notes
Vanilla	No mods/plugins	Lacks optimizations
Purpur	Plugins	Optimizations over PaperMC	Compatible with PaperMC but has more features
PaperMC	Plugins	Standard optimizations	Compatible with Bukkit
Bukkit/CraftBukkit	Plugins	Better than vanilla, worse than other plugin loaders	Foundation of Minecraft plugins
Project Poseidon	Plugins	Better than CraftBukkit	A fork of CraftBukkit for beta 1.7.3, adds a lot of features. Works with existing CraftBukkit plugins.
UberBukkit	Plugins	Probably the same as Poseidon	A fork of Project Poseidon, adds backward compatibility
Fabric	Mods	Good, also good as replacement for vanilla
Forge	Mods	Good, may even beat Fabric depending of your scenario, but can be too heavy for less modded servers	Foundation of Minecraft modding

You don't need to chose a permanent server software right away, feel free to test one, then if you feel like trying other, keep an eye in the interchangeable ones.

Once you made your choice, it's time to download them from their official website.

Installing Java

Java 17 and 21 are available as packages, install them, respectively, with the commands pkg install openjdk-17 or pkg install openjdk-21.

If you need Java 8, you can use the installation script from MasterDevX.

In the case you don't know what version you need, just install the latest.

Running the server

Place the server JAR file inside a dedicated folder, it will create it's folder structure in the directory you start the server, possibly messing up the organization of an non dedicated folder.

Start the server with the command java -Xmx 1024M -Xms 512M -jar server.jar , replace server.jar with your actual file name, the Xmx and Xms arguments control the server maximum and the initial RAM allocation. The initial RAM allocation still needs to be an amount enough for the server to run, otherwise the server will crash before it can allocate more.

On the first run, the server will probably ask you to change server.properties, that's because you need to accept the Minecraft server End User License Agreement (EULA). We'll use the trip to also configure the server in the same file, you can generate one preconfigured with this generator. If you want to proceed without configuring the server, just set eula=true.

Installing mods and plugins

It's really simple, if you're using a plugin loader, put plugins JAR files inside the folder named plugins, for modloaders put the JARs inside mods. Each loader/plugin/mod may have it's own config file, please refer to their documentation.

Joining the server

You can get your current IP address using the command ip addr or ifconfig, both may need superuser rights. You can also see your IP in the network properties in Android's settings app. Once you got your IP (usually looks like 192.168.18.1) you can enter it in a Minecraft Java client connected on the same network (usually wi-fi) as the server.

Have fun!