Hosting Minecraft on a VPS (Virtual Private Server) offers several benefits. A VPS provides a stable and dedicated environment for the server, free from the limitations and risks associated with hosting on a personal computer. This setup ensures a dedicated IP address, guaranteed resources, and full control over the server, resulting in a more reliable and efficient Minecraft experience.

Note: Ubuntu 22.04 is used in the guide below.

How to Install Minecraft on a VPS Server (Java)

1. Log in to the VPS server.

2. Run the following commands to install Java JRE.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install [OpenJDK version]

The required OpenJDK version depends on the Minecraft version and may vary in availability across different Ubuntu versions.

3. Input y when prompted.

4. Install screen.

sudo apt install screen -y

5. Create a non-privileged user for the Minecraft server.

sudo useradd -r -U -d /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/ -s /usr/sbin/nologin [Username

Note: Do not use root or a user with privileges to prevent security vulnerabilities and unauthorized access.

6. Make the Minecraft folder.

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/java

7. Grant folder permissions to the user created in step 5.

sudo chown -R [Username]: /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/

8. Switch to the user.

sudo su - [Username] -s /bin/bash

9. Enter the Minecraft folder.

cd /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/java

10. Download the server.jar. Links can be retrieved from MCVersions.net.

wget [server.jar link]

11. Create a screen for the Minecraft server.

screen -S [Screen name]

12. Boot the Minecraft server. 

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui

13. Once it stops, accept the EULA.

sed -i 's/\bfalse\b/TRUE/' eula.txt

14. Run the Minecraft server. Modify the Xmx and Xms RAM parameters as desired.

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui

How to Install Minecraft on a VPS Server (Bedrock)

1. Log in to the VPS server.

2. Install screen.

sudo apt install screen -y

3. Navigate to the temp folder.

cd /tmp

4. Download the linux version of the server.jar. Links can be retrieved from the Minecraft wiki.

wget [server link]

5. Extract the .zip file.

apt-get install unzip
sudo unzip -d /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/bedrock [.zip filename]

6. Create a non-privileged user for the Minecraft server.

sudo useradd -r -U -d /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/ -s /usr/sbin/nologin [Username]

Note: Do not use root or a user with privileges to prevent security vulnerabilities and unauthorized access.

7. Make the Minecraft folder.

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/bedrock

8. Grant folder permissions to the user created in step 5.

sudo chown -R [Username]: /usr/local/games/minecraft_server/

9. Switch to the user.

sudo su - [Username] -s /bin/bash

10. Enter the Minecraft folder.

cd bedrock

11. Create a text file named launch_mc_bedrock_server.sh.

nano launch_mc_bedrock_server.sh

12. Input the following content:

#!/bin/bash
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server

13. Press CTRL + S to save, then CTRL + X to exit the file.

14. Convert the file into an executable.

chmod +x launch_mc_bedrock_server.sh

15. Create a screen for the Minecraft server.

screen -S [Screen name]

16. Launch the Minecraft server. 

./launch_mc_bedrock_server.sh