How to Host a Minecraft Server on Raspberry Pi: A Comprehensive Guide for Devs

Greetings, Dev! If you’re looking to host a Minecraft server on a Raspberry Pi, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll take you through the steps you need to follow to set up your own Minecraft server on a Raspberry Pi. Whether you’re looking to play with friends or want to run your own server for a community, we’ve got you covered.

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, there are a few things you’ll need:

• A Raspberry Pi (we recommend using a Raspberry Pi 4)
• An SD card with a capacity of at least 32GB
• A power supply for your Raspberry Pi
• An ethernet cable to connect your Raspberry Pi to your network
• A monitor, keyboard, and mouse to set up your Raspberry Pi (optional)
• A Minecraft account

Step 1: Set Up Your Raspberry Pi

The first step in hosting a Minecraft server on your Raspberry Pi is to set up the Raspberry Pi itself. If you’ve already done this, you can skip to step 2. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Download the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS.
2. Flash the Raspberry Pi OS image onto your SD card using a tool like Etcher.
3. Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi and boot it up.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your Raspberry Pi.
5. Connect your Raspberry Pi to your network via ethernet.

Step 2: Install Java

In order to run a Minecraft server, you’ll need to install Java on your Raspberry Pi. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open up a terminal window on your Raspberry Pi.
2. Type the following command to update your package list:

sudo apt update

3. Type the following command to install Java:

sudo apt install default-jre

4. Verify that Java is installed by typing the following command:

java -version

Step 3: Download and Install the Minecraft Server

Now that you have Java installed, it’s time to download and install the Minecraft server. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open up a terminal window on your Raspberry Pi.
2. Type the following command to create a new directory for your Minecraft server:

mkdir minecraft-server

3. Type the following command to navigate into the new directory:

cd minecraft-server

4. Download the latest version of the Minecraft server by typing the following command:

wget https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/0ed50caf352dc1cedf4594f4dbd1461914ebf5ec/server.jar

5. Start the Minecraft server by typing the following command:

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui

Step 4: Configure Your Minecraft Server

Now that your Minecraft server is up and running, it’s time to configure it. Here are a few things you’ll want to consider:

• Server.properties: This file contains all of your server settings. You can edit this file to change things like the server name, game mode, difficulty level, and more.
• Ops.txt: This file contains a list of players who have operator (OP) privileges on your server. These players have access to administrative commands like /kick and /ban.
• Whitelist.json: This file contains a list of players who are allowed to join your server. You can add players to the whitelist by typing /whitelist add [playername].

Step 5: Connect to Your Minecraft Server

Now that your server is up and running, it’s time to connect to it. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open up Minecraft and click on “Multiplayer”.
2. Click “Add Server”.
3. Enter a name for your server.
4. Enter your Raspberry Pi’s IP address in the “Server Name” field.
5. Click “Done”.
6. Click on the name of your server to connect to it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Hosting a Minecraft server on a Raspberry Pi can be a fun and rewarding project. With just a few steps, you can set up your own server and start playing with friends or running a community. If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to ask the Minecraft community or consult our FAQ section. Happy gaming!