Your own Minecraft server gives you full control: your own rules, free choice of modpacks, no slot limits, and world data that belongs to you. This guide sets up a Paper server on Ubuntu. Paper is the most performant server variant with full plugin compatibility, and the right choice for almost any community.
20 minBeginnerTested on Ubuntu 24.04 + Java 21Updated 2026-07-10
In short
Install Java 21, download the Paper jar into a folder, accept the EULA, assign enough RAM with -Xmx, open port 25565 in the firewall, and keep the server running in a tmux session.
The Minecraft server runs in a loop, the so-called tick, which updates the whole world 20 times per second. This tick hangs almost entirely on a single core. That is why clock speed per core helps you more than many slow cores, and it is exactly where our EPYC Turin cores (Zen 5) shine. Chunks load from fast NVMe SSD instead of stalling the server.
A ComputeBox VPS gives you gives you powerful EPYC Turin cores, full root access, and hosting in Germany. The Bremen plans ship with plenty of traffic, which matters on a busy server, and the low pings from Hamburg and Bremen directly benefit players across the DACH region. For a small to mid-size server, the Bremen Mini plan with 8 GB of RAM is more than enough.
Current Minecraft versions (1.21 and newer) need Java 21. Install the JDK from the Ubuntu package sources:
Then check the version:
The output should start with openjdk version "21.
The Java version has to match
Every Minecraft version has a matching Java version. 1.21 runs on Java 21. If you run a newer version that requires more, install the matching JDK. A Java version that is too old refuses to start.
Start the server once so it generates the configuration files:
The first start stops with a note about the EULA. That is normal. Accept Mojang's terms of use by setting the value to true in the generated eula.txt file:
The values after -Xms and -Xmx set how much RAM the server uses. Set both equal so Java's memory management runs smoothly. On an 8 GB server, 6 GB is a good value that leaves the system room:
At startup you see Done in the log, after which the server is ready. Type stop in the console to shut it down cleanly.
Minecraft runs best on fast cores. EPYC Turin plus NVMe SSD and 8 GB RAM from €6.49/month.
Your friends now connect via your server's IP address. If the multiplayer list shows a different port, append it with a colon, for example 91.108.80.108:25565.
If you drop the SSH connection, the server would end. With tmux it keeps running, and you keep access to the console:
Start the server in this session. With Ctrl + B, then D, you detach without stopping anything. To return to the console:
Auto-start and backups
If you want the server to come up on its own after a VPS reboot, set up a systemd service. And back up your world folder regularly, see Set up VPS backups. A lost world hurts more than any config.
For 5 to 10 players on Vanilla or Paper, 4 to 6 GB is enough. With many plugins or 20-plus players, plan for 6 to 8 GB. Modpacks are hungrier and often want 8 GB and up. Note: RAM prevents crashes, but for smooth gameplay single-core performance is what counts.
Which Java version do I need?
Current Minecraft versions from 1.20.5 run on Java 21. Older versions get by with Java 17 or 8. When in doubt, install the Java version that matches your server version.
Paper, Vanilla, or Fabric, which do I pick?
Vanilla is the official server without optimizations. Paper is much more performant and plugin-compatible, ideal for survival and community servers. Fabric and Forge are for modified game content. For most people, Paper is the best choice.
