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

Hey there, Dev! Are you looking to host your own Minecraft server on your Mac? You’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get your server up and running. From setting up your Mac to installing the server software, we’ll cover it all. So grab a cup of coffee and let’s get started!

Part 1: Setting Up Your Mac

The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure your Mac is up to the task of running a Minecraft server. Here are the recommended system requirements:

Operating System	macOS 10.12 or later
CPU	Intel Core i5 or better
RAM	4GB or more
Storage	At least 1GB free space

If your Mac meets these requirements, you’re ready to move on to the next step.

Step 1: Install Java

Before you can install the Minecraft server software, you’ll need to install Java. Minecraft requires Java 8 or later to run. You can download the latest version of Java from the official Oracle website.

Once you’ve downloaded the Java installer, double-click it and follow the prompts to install Java on your Mac.

Step 2: Open Terminal

Next, you’ll need to open Terminal, which is the command-line interface for macOS. You can find Terminal in the Utilities folder within your Applications folder.

If you’re not familiar with using Terminal, don’t worry. We’ll walk you through each step.

Step 3: Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a popular package manager for macOS. You’ll need to install Homebrew in order to install some of the other software we’ll need later on.

To install Homebrew, enter the following command in Terminal:

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

This command will download and install Homebrew on your Mac.

Step 4: Install Git

Git is a version control system that we’ll use to download the Minecraft server software. To install Git, enter the following command in Terminal:

brew install git

Step 5: Create a New User Account

It’s a good practice to create a new user account specifically for running your Minecraft server. This will help keep your server separate from your personal files and settings.

To create a new user account, go to System Preferences > Users & Groups and click the + button in the bottom left corner. Follow the prompts to create a new user account.

Part 2: Installing the Minecraft Server Software

Now that your Mac is set up and ready to go, it’s time to install the Minecraft server software. Here’s how:

Step 1: Download the Minecraft Server Software

First, we’ll need to download the Minecraft server software. You can find the latest version of the server software on the official Minecraft website.

Download the server software to your Downloads folder.

Step 2: Create a Server Directory

Next, we’ll create a directory to store the server software and other files related to your Minecraft server. Open Terminal and enter the following command:

mkdir ~/minecraft_server

This will create a new directory called minecraft_server in your user home directory.

Step 3: Move the Server Software to the Server Directory

Now we’ll move the server software to the minecraft_server directory we just created. Open Terminal and enter the following command:

mv ~/Downloads/server.jar ~/minecraft_server

This will move the server.jar file from your Downloads folder to the minecraft_server directory.

Step 4: Configure the Server

Before we start the server, we need to configure it. Open Terminal and navigate to the minecraft_server directory:

cd ~/minecraft_server

Then, open the server.properties file in a text editor:

nano server.properties

In this file, you can configure various settings for your server, such as the server name, game mode, difficulty level, and more. Here are some of the most important settings:

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Setting	Description
server-name	The name of your server (displayed in the Minecraft client)
gamemode	The game mode for your server (survival, creative, adventure, or spectator)
difficulty	The difficulty level for your server (peaceful, easy, normal, or hard)
max-players	The maximum number of players that can join your server
online-mode	Whether your server should authenticate user accounts with Minecraft.net (set to true or false)

Once you’ve configured your server settings, save the file and exit the text editor.

Step 5: Start the Server

Finally, it’s time to start the server! To do so, enter the following command in Terminal:

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar server.jar nogui

This command will start the Minecraft server in a terminal window. You should see some output in the window as the server starts up.

Congratulations! Your Minecraft server is now up and running.

Part 3: Connecting to Your Server

Now that your server is running, you need to connect to it in order to play Minecraft. Here’s how:

Step 1: Find Your Server IP Address

The first thing you’ll need to do is find the IP address of your server. To do so, open Terminal and enter the following command:

ifconfig

This will show you information about your network interfaces. Look for the interface with the IP address 192.168.x.x (where x.x can be any number). This is the IP address of your Mac on your local network.

Next, go to whatismyip.com on another device (such as your smartphone) and note the IP address shown on the page. This is your public IP address.

Step 2: Add Your Server to Minecraft

Open Minecraft on the device you want to use to connect to your server. Click the Multiplayer button, then click Add Server.

In the Server Name field, enter a name for your server. In the Server Address field, enter your public IP address followed by :25565 (the default Minecraft server port). For example, if your public IP address is 123.45.67.89, you would enter:

123.45.67.89:25565

Click Done to save your server information.

Step 3: Connect to Your Server

Now that you’ve added your server to Minecraft, you can connect to it by clicking the Play button and selecting your server from the list of available servers.

You’re now ready to play Minecraft on your own server with your friends!

FAQ

Q: Can I run a Minecraft server on a Macbook Air?

A: It’s possible, but not ideal. The MacBook Air’s CPU and RAM may struggle to keep up with a Minecraft server, especially if you have multiple players connecting to your server. We recommend using a more powerful Mac if possible.

Q: Do I need a static IP address for my server?

A: No, you don’t necessarily need a static IP address. However, if your IP address changes frequently (such as if you have a dynamic IP address from your ISP), you’ll need to update your server’s IP address in Minecraft each time it changes.

Q: Can I customize my server further?

A: Yes, there are many plugins and mods available for Minecraft servers that can add new features and gameplay mechanics. However, installing and managing plugins and mods can be more advanced, so we recommend researching and testing any plugins or mods thoroughly before using them on your server.

Q: How do I update my server software?

A: To update your server software, simply download the latest version from the official Minecraft website and replace the old server.jar file in your minecraft_server directory with the new one. Be sure to backup any important files before updating.

Q: Can I run multiple Minecraft servers on my Mac?

A: Yes, you can run multiple servers on your Mac by creating multiple directories for each server and configuring the server.properties file in each directory separately. However, keep in mind that each server will use resources like CPU and RAM, so running too many servers on a single Mac may cause performance issues.