# Install the Minecraft server on an Arm-based virtual machine

## In this learning path

- [Introduction](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/)
- [Create and configure an Arm-based virtual machine instance on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/oci-instance-start/)
- [Install the Minecraft server on an Arm-based virtual machine](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/minecraft-server-install/)
- [Connect to the server from the Minecraft client](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/minecraft-client-connect/)
- [Next Steps](https://learn.arm.com/learning-paths/servers-and-cloud-computing/minecraft-on-oci/_next-steps/)

## Install the Java Runtime Environment
Before you install the Minecraft server, install necessary dependencies. For Minecraft 26 or earlier, you’ll need to install Java 25.

After connecting to your VM instance over SSH, install Java 25:
```
sudo dnf install java-25-openjdk.aarch64 -y
```

## Create a persistent terminal session for the server
The Minecraft server runs in the foreground of your terminal session. If you close your SSH connection, the server process will stop. To keep the server running after you disconnect, use `tmux` to create a persistent terminal session.

Install `tmux` on the VM instance:
```
sudo dnf install tmux -y
```

Start a new `tmux` session named `minecraft`:
```
tmux new -s minecraft
```

You’re now inside a `tmux` session. Any commands you run here will continue running even after you disconnect from SSH. You’ll start the Minecraft server inside this session.

When you need to disconnect, press `Ctrl+B` then `D` to detach from the session. The server continues running in the background.

To reattach to the session later (for example, after reconnecting to the instance via SSH), run:
```
tmux attach -t minecraft
```

## Download and install the Minecraft server
For the latest version of the Minecraft server, see [the Minecraft website](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server).

Copy the `minecraft_server.x.x.x.jar` URL from that page. Then, run the following command on the instance to download `server.jar` from the Mojang website:
```
wget <paste URL to server.jar here>
```

You’ll have a `server.jar` file on your OCI instance. To make it easier to keep track of different server versions, rename the `server.jar` file to something more meaningful.

For example:
```
mv server.jar minecraft_server.26.2.jar
```

## Start the Minecraft server
To start the Minecraft server, run the command:
```
java -Xmx8G -Xms8G -jar minecraft_server.26.2.jar nogui
```

This runs the server without a graphical user interface and allocates 8 GB of memory to it.

The first time you do this, the startup will fail and a file called `eula.txt` is created in the local folder.

Before starting the server again, accept the End User License Agreement.

Open `eula.txt` and change `eula=false` to `eula=true`, or run:
```
sed -i 's/eula=false/eula=true/' eula.txt
```

After accepting terms of use, you’ll be able to run the server successfully with the same command as earlier.

The output is similar to:
```
[00:40:50] [Server thread/INFO]: Starting minecraft server version 26.2
[00:40:50] [Server thread/INFO]: Loading properties
[00:40:50] [Server thread/INFO]: Default game type: SURVIVAL
[00:40:50] [Server thread/INFO]: Generating keypair
[00:40:51] [Server thread/INFO]: Starting Minecraft server on *:25565
[00:40:51] [Server thread/INFO]: Preparing level "world"
[00:40:51] [Server thread/INFO]: Selecting global world spawn...
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Loading 0 persistent chunks...
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Preparing spawn area: 100%
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Time elapsed: 13099 ms
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Done (13.448s)! For help, type "help"
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Saving chunks for level 'ServerLevel[world]'/minecraft:overworld
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Saving chunks for level 'ServerLevel[world]'/minecraft:the_nether
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: Saving chunks for level 'ServerLevel[world]'/minecraft:the_end
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: ThreadedAnvilChunkStorage (world): All chunks are saved
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: ThreadedAnvilChunkStorage (DIM-1): All chunks are saved
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: ThreadedAnvilChunkStorage (DIM1): All chunks are saved
[00:41:04] [Server thread/INFO]: ThreadedAnvilChunkStorage: All dimensions are saved
```

## What you’ve accomplished and what’s next
You’ve now installed the open-source Java Runtime Environment on your instance, downloaded the Minecraft server files, accepted the End User License Agreement, and started the game server.

Next, you’ll connect a Minecraft client to the server.