How to make a Minecraft server on a Linux VPS, step by step

How to make a Minecraft server (the short version)

Rent a Linux VPS, install Java, and download the Paper server into its own folder. Run it once to generate the files, set eula=true in eula.txt, then edit server.properties. Open TCP port 25565 in the firewall and start the server under systemd so it stays running. Friends connect to your server's public IP. The rest of this guide does each step in full.

What you need before you start

• A Linux VPS with full root. We use Ubuntu 24.04 below; Debian 12 and AlmaLinux 9.6 work the same way with their own package names. Running a server from a home PC means port forwarding and, on many connections, CGNAT that blocks it entirely. A VPS has its own public dedicated IPv4, so neither problem comes up.
• Enough RAM for your server type — see the tier guidance below.
• An SSH client (the ssh command on macOS and Linux, or any client on Windows) to reach the VPS.
• The latest Minecraft: Java Edition on every player's PC, matching the server version.

Everything here is the manual, do-it-yourself path, and it is worth knowing even if you later let the server run on managed hardware. If you want the hardware story first, see Ryzen VPS and the Gaming VPS overview.

Step 1: Choose a VPS and why single-thread speed matters

A Minecraft server advances the world in a main loop called a tick, 20 times per second, and that loop runs mostly on one core. When a tick takes too long, every player feels the lag no matter how many cores the machine has. That is why a processor built for high clock speeds, like AMD Ryzen, is a genuine advantage for a game server: each tick finishes sooner. Gen4 NVMe SSD storage keeps chunk loading and world saves from stalling the loop.

So for a smooth server, prioritize per-core speed over raw core count, and pick a location close to your players to keep ping low.

Step 2: Install Java

Connect to the VPS over SSH, then install a headless Java runtime. Current Minecraft versions (1.20.5 and newer, including 1.21) need Java 21:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y openjdk-21-jre-headless
java -version

java -version should report 21. If your distribution's repository does not carry the version you need, install Temurin from the Adoptium apt repository instead (see the sources at the end). For Minecraft 1.18 to 1.20.4 install openjdk-17-jre-headless; only very old versions need Java 8.

Step 3: Create a user and download Paper

Do not run the server as root. Make a dedicated system user and a folder for the server:

sudo adduser --system --group --home /home/minecraft minecraft
sudo -u minecraft mkdir -p /home/minecraft/server
cd /home/minecraft/server

Now download the Paper server jar. Paper is a performance-focused, open-source build of the Minecraft server that supports Bukkit and Spigot plugins. Open papermc.io/downloads/paper, copy the download link for your Minecraft version, and fetch it into the folder:

# Paste the download URL you copied from papermc.io for your version:
sudo -u minecraft wget -O server.jar "PASTE_PAPER_DOWNLOAD_URL_HERE"

Want plain Vanilla instead? Download the official server.jar from minecraft.net (source 1). For a modpack, you will download a Fabric or Forge server instead of Paper; the remaining steps are the same, and modpacks need more RAM (see Step 8).

Step 4: Accept the EULA

Run the server once. It stops immediately and writes an eula.txt file:

sudo -u minecraft java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar --nogui

You will see a message that you need to agree to the Minecraft End User License Agreement. Open it (source 2), then set the value to true:

sudo -u minecraft sed -i 's/eula=false/eula=true/' /home/minecraft/server/eula.txt

Step 5: Configure server.properties

The first run also generated server.properties. Edit it to set up your world. The lines that matter most:

server-port=25565
motd=My RyzenRDP Minecraft server
max-players=20
gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
online-mode=true
view-distance=10
simulation-distance=8
white-list=false
level-name=world

Keep online-mode=true so the server authenticates each player against Mojang. If connections lag on a busy server, lower view-distance and simulation-distance before anything else, as both multiply the work the server does per tick. Set white-list=true (and add names with the whitelist command) for a private server.

Step 6: Open the port in the firewall

The Minecraft Java server listens on TCP 25565. Allow SSH first so you never lock yourself out, then allow Minecraft:

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

Because the VPS has its own dedicated IPv4, that is all the networking you need: no router rules, no port forwarding, no CGNAT. Friends connect straight to your public IP. DDoS protection is included at every RyzenRDP location, which matters because public Minecraft servers do draw attacks.

Step 7: Keep it running with systemd

Running the jar by hand stops the moment you close SSH. A systemd service keeps the server on, starts it at boot, and restarts it after a crash. Create the unit file:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service

[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Paper server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
User=minecraft
WorkingDirectory=/home/minecraft/server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xms3G -Xmx3G -jar server.jar --nogui
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Set -Xmx to roughly 1 to 2 GB below the VPS's total RAM (for example -Xmx3G on a 4 GB plan, -Xmx6G on 8 GB) so the operating system keeps breathing room. Then enable and start it:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now minecraft
sudo systemctl status minecraft

Read the live log any time with journalctl -u minecraft -f. To send server commands, run the console with a terminal multiplexer such as screen or tmux, or add a plugin that exposes a web or RCON console.

Step 8: Connect and invite your friends

In Minecraft: Java Edition, choose Multiplayer, then Add Server, and enter your VPS's public IP address. Because you kept the default port, the IP alone is enough; if you changed server-port, use your-ip:port. Share the same address with your friends and they connect from their own PCs.

How much RAM and which tier

Size the server by players and, above all, by whether you run mods. Shared vCPU scales the number of players and plugins you can run; per-core clock speed keeps the tick fast. These are starting points, not hard limits:

Never size right to the edge: leave about 1 to 2 GB of RAM for the operating system, and give modpacks extra. See every tier and price on the pricing page.

Choose a location close to your players

Ping depends on distance, so pick the location nearest most of your players: Dallas or Houston are central for the United States, Los Angeles suits the West Coast, Germany and the Netherlands suit Europe, and Singapore suits Asia and Oceania.

Common first errors and how to fix them

• "You need to agree to the EULA in order to run the server." You missed Step 4. Set eula=true in eula.txt and start again.
• "Failed to bind to port" / "address already in use." The server is already running, or another process holds 25565. Check with sudo ss -tlnp | grep 25565, stop the other process, or change server-port.
• UnsupportedClassVersionError at startup. The installed Java is older than the version your Minecraft build needs. Install Java 21 for current versions and confirm with java -version.
• Friends cannot connect, but the server is up. Check, in order: the service is running (systemctl status minecraft), the firewall allows 25565/tcp, your friends use the correct public IP, and nobody is blocked by the whitelist. If you set online-mode=false, set it back to true.
• "Can't keep up! Is the server overloaded?" The tick is taking too long: too many players, mods or too high a view distance for the CPU. Lower view-distance and simulation-distance, raise -Xmx, or move to a higher tier with faster single-thread performance.
• The server is killed or logs OutOfMemoryError. -Xmx is set higher than the VPS has free. Lower it so the operating system keeps 1 to 2 GB.

Running your Minecraft server on a RyzenRDP VPS

Everything above runs on any Linux VPS with full root. A RyzenRDP VPS provisions within minutes on high-clock AMD Ryzen cores, which is exactly what a Minecraft tick loop wants, with Gen4 NVMe SSD for fast chunk loading, a 1 Gbps port, and one dedicated IPv4 so your friends connect straight to your address, no port forwarding. Pick a location near your players, size the right tier, and you have a stable, always-on home for your world. Plans start at $14.99/mo, and you can run a 24-hour trial for $4, credited to your first month.

Where to go next

• Run a Minecraft server on a VPS — the full rundown, including modpacks, backups and the VPS order path.
• Ryzen VPS — why high clock speed suits game servers, with every tier.
• Gaming VPS — hosting other game servers alongside Minecraft.