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How to: Create Your Own Minecraft Universe: A Guide to Hosting on a Linux VPS

Ever wanted to build a private Minecraft world for you and your friends, free from the rules and lag of public servers? The ultimate way to do this is by launching your own game server. It's easier than you think and gives you complete control over your gameplay. This guide will walk you through setting up a dedicated Minecraft server using the powerful and free LinuxGSM tool on your own VPS hosting.
Step 1: Preparing Your Virtual Server
First things first, you need a solid foundation. This means getting a virtual server running a Linux distribution like Debian or Ubuntu. Once you have your server's IP address and login details, connect to it using SSH.
Before we install anything, it's crucial to get your server up to date. Run these commands to update your system's package list and apply any pending upgrades:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
With your system current, you're ready for the next step.
Step 2: Install Dependencies & Create a Secure User
LinuxGSM has a few software requirements to function correctly. You can install them all with a single command.
sudo apt install curl wget file tar bzip2 gzip unzip bsdmainutils python3 util-linux ca-certificates binutils bc jq tmux netcat lib32gcc-s1 lib32stdc++6 steamcmd
For security reasons, you should never run a game server as the 'root' user. Let's create a dedicated user for our Minecraft server. We'll call it "mcserver".
sudo adduser mcserver
Follow the prompts to set a password. After the user is created, switch to it:
su - mcserver
Step 3: Download and Run LinuxGSM
Now, as the 'mcserver' user, we'll download the LinuxGSM script.
wget -O linuxgsm.sh https://linuxgsm.sh && chmod +x linuxgsm.sh && bash linuxgsm.sh mcserver
This script will download the rest of the necessary files and get the framework in place.
Step 4: Install the Minecraft Server
With LinuxGSM ready, installing the actual Minecraft server is incredibly simple. Just run the installer command:
./mcserver install
The script will handle downloading the latest server files from Mojang. It will likely ask you to agree to the Minecraft EULA. Make sure to read it and accept it to continue.
Step 5: Open the Port and Launch!
For other players to connect to your server, you need to open the default Minecraft port (25565) in your server's firewall.
sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp
Now you're ready for the magic moment! Start your server with this command:
./mcserver start
You can check the server's status and see live details by running:
./mcserver details
To connect, simply launch Minecraft, go to Multiplayer, click "Add Server," and enter your server's IP address.
Managing Your Server
LinuxGSM makes server management a breeze. Here are the essential commands:
- Stop the server:
./mcserver stop - Restart the server:
./mcserver restart - Update the server:
./mcserver update
Bonus Tip: Use a Custom Domain
Telling your friends to connect to a long string of numbers isn't ideal. For a more professional and memorable server address, you can use a custom domain name (like gaming4lifelikeamaniac.com). This involves a simple domain registration and then pointing that domain (or a subdomain like myserver.gaming4lifelikeamaniac.com) to your server's IP address. It's a small touch that makes a big difference.
Enjoy your new, private Minecraft world!


Comments
A stench of AI… It is putrid and vinegary.
I could be cold sometimes... but artificial... that one I haven't heard in a while.
//LE:
Hmm.. It seems I am 47% AI: https://i.imgur.com/knmgpUn.png
Curious how the wget command line is also AI... Guess one-line commands are not very human?!
//LE2:
Or... am I human after all?
https://i.imgur.com/zwL7OaS.png
The performance of a Minecraft server is strongly related to the single-core performance. I tried hosting it on a Mac Mini with Apple M4 silicon, and it even outperforms some x86 CPUs. Does this script support arm64 platforms?
As far as I know, it does not.
So are you or not?
https://i.imgur.com/7oigya6.png
https://i.imgur.com/k2Pa4wU.png
https://i.imgur.com/QWNb9sG.png
Depends on which AI detection tool you're using
Yes, because none of them work.
Well... if they say I am, then I am for sure. They can't be wrong.
A bit of a nitpick: given this is targeted at a “beginner” audience, and the only Debian/Ubuntu-specific command (apt) is easily convertible to yum/dnf, a small RHEL* section would have been useful IMO.
(+
linuxgsmcouldn’t care less about the distro you use)Edit: Missed the call to
ufw. Ok, maybe it needs a bit more than 1-2 lines for RHEL- systems.Opinion on AI usage
Note: This is NOT an accusation, nor does it serve as definitive confirmation of AI usage.
In fairness, the claim isn’t entirely unreasonable. Some of your blog’s images contain hands w/ 6 fingers lol (your robot/mascot), while others have 5, and others have shadows that are woonky.
Also, on an unrelated note, the language selector on Mobile Safari seems to be broken. Doesn’t do anything regardless of whether you use /en or not + wouldn’t the /en page have a button to s
AI or not, these kinds of "tutorials" have no place on the Internet
Some time ago it is what DigitalOcean did and I think it served them as advertisement well
You may be a linux master, but not everyone is.
I was going towards deb-based mostly because the majority of newbie users choose Ubuntu as their distro, for the ease of use.
dumb game.
"Not-linux-masters" who just want a Minecraft server don't need a VPS
Maybe they want it to be 24/7 online, not to go offline when they poweroff their laptop.