One command. Full Minecraft server. No BS. Under a minute.
A single-file Python CLI that goes from a base Linux install to a running, public-facing Minecraft server: packages, Java, firewall, systemd, everything configured properly, and most importantly, done securely.
Download and run:
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tnacomtr/deploymcserver/main/deployserver.py
sudo python3 deployserver.pyOr with wget:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tnacomtr/deploymcserver/main/deployserver.py
sudo python3 deployserver.pyMy Personal Motivation I've been deploying Minecraft servers for the last 6 years. Setting up and configuring everything took a lot of time. I wanted to massively slash this time since lately I'm switching between VPS providers and I started seeing the impact of manually doing the configuration part myself. So I built a Python script that configures the server to be secure first, then installs and deploys the actual server component in under a minute (benchmarked on fresh Linux installs) and gets it ready to play. There is also the fact that Aternos servers are genuinely unplayable and some people don't bother with self-hosting just because of how long it takes and how hard it seems. With this script it's very effortless. The script is also intentionally modular, so in the future I (or the community via Pull Requests) can add new distros, server types, and fixes over time.
What does this script do? Installs a production-ready Minecraft server on Linux in under a minute. It handles packages, Java, firewall, systemd service, RCON, and optional daily backups automatically.
What distros are supported?
Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and any debian-family derivative. Fedora, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, RHEL, and any rhel/fedora-family derivative.
I want to host a server. Which Linux distro should I pick?
Go with Debian. It has an entire reputation for being rock-solid. I run all my servers on Debian; they go very strong even when I don't actively log in to maintain them. unattended-upgrades (installed by this script) handles all security updates silently in the background, without ever getting in your way.
Do I need to install anything before running it?
Just Python 3.10+ and curl or wget. The script handles everything else.
What server types are supported? Vanilla, Paper, Leaf, and Forge. You can also provide your own direct JAR download URL.
- Detect your distro - Fedora/RHEL or Debian/Ubuntu, handled automatically via
/etc/os-release - Install dependencies - see package list below
- Create a system user - isolated
minecraftuser under/opt/ - Pick your server - choose from Vanilla, Paper, Leaf, or Forge; versions pulled live from official APIs
- Install the right Java - resolved from the Mojang manifest, installed automatically
- Deploy everything - folder structure, JAR download,
eula.txt,server.properties,start.sh - Wire up systemd - service enabled and started on boot
- Open the firewall - SSH (22) and Minecraft (25565) via
firewalldorufw - Configure RCON - random password generated, wired into
server.properties, saved to~/mcrcon_password.txt - Optional daily backups -
tar.gzarchive to~/minecraft_backups/, last 3 kept
Debian / Ubuntu / Mint:
tmux htop iotop-c nethogs fail2ban unattended-upgrades curl wget git rsync jq zip unzip + Java + mcrcon
Fedora / AlmaLinux / RHEL:
tmux htop iotop-c nethogs fail2ban dnf-automatic curl wget git rsync jq zip unzip + epel-release (RHEL derivatives only) + Java + mcrcon
| Family | Tested on |
|---|---|
| Fedora / RHEL | Fedora 44, AlmaLinux 10 |
| Debian / Ubuntu | Debian 12, Linux Mint 22 |
Any other mutable derivative of the above (Rocky Linux, Pop!_OS, etc.) should work via ID_LIKE detection.
Can I run this on Windows or macOS? No. The script is Linux-only. WSL2 is not supported. If you want to host locally on Windows or macOS, use a VM running a supported Linux distro, or rent a cheap Linux VPS from providers like Hetzner (recommended), DigitalOcean, or Vultr.
Does this work on immutable distros like Fedora Silverblue or Bazzite? No. Immutable distros use fundamentally different package management and filesystem layouts that are incompatible with this script. Use a standard mutable Fedora, Debian, or RHEL-based install instead.
| Type | Version source |
|---|---|
| Vanilla | Mojang launcher manifest |
| Paper | api.papermc.io |
| Leaf | api.leafmc.one |
| Forge | Maven (minecraftforge.net) |
Version lists are always fetched live. If a version just dropped and isn't in the list yet, type it directly, the script will attempt it.
- Linux (mutable, systemd-based)
- Python 3.10+
- Root / sudo
- Internet access (for package installs + JAR download)
- No third-party Python packages. stdlib only
What is RCON? A protocol that lets you open the server's console to execute commands, such as "/op" or "/give @s dirt".
How do I connect with RCON?
mcrcon -H localhost -P 25575 -p <your-password>The exact command is printed at the end of installation and saved to ~/mcrcon_password.txt.
Where is the RCON password stored?
Printed on screen at the end of installation and saved to ~/mcrcon_password.txt; the home directory of the user who ran sudo, not the minecraft system user.
How do backups work?
A daily cron job runs at 03:00 and creates a .tar.gz archive of the server directory. The last 3 backups are kept, older ones are deleted automatically.
Where are backups saved?
~/minecraft_backups/ - the home directory of the user who ran sudo.
How do I change the number of backups kept?
Edit the backup script at /usr/local/bin/minecraft-backup-<service-name>.sh and change MAX_BACKUPS=3.
This tool makes zero outbound calls except to fetch packages and download the server JAR from official sources. No analytics, no phone-home, no machine IDs.
Want to remove the server? The repo includes a cleanup script that reverses everything (stops services, deletes the system user, removes cron jobs, and closes the firewall).
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tnacomtr/deploymcserver/main/uninstall.py
sudo python3 uninstall.pyOR
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tnacomtr/deploymcserver/main/uninstall.py
sudo python3 uninstall.pyIs it safe to run a public Minecraft server with this setup? Reasonably so. The server runs as a dedicated unprivileged system user, the firewall only exposes port 25565, fail2ban is installed for SSH protection, and unattended-upgrades/dnf-automatic handles security patches automatically.
What about Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228)?
Minecraft 1.18.1 and later are patched. If you install a version older than 1.18.1 you should add -Dlog4j2.formatMsgNoLookups=true to your JVM flags in start.sh. This is especially relevant for older Forge installs.
Why does it need sudo? It installs packages, creates a system user, writes systemd unit files, and configures the firewall. all of which require root.
Can I run it as root directly?
Yes, but you'll get a warning. Using a regular user with sudo is recommended so backup files and RCON credentials are saved to your home directory rather than /root.
The script says my distro is unsupported. What do I do?
Check /etc/os-release and look at the ID and ID_LIKE fields. If your distro is a Debian or RHEL derivative that isn't being detected, open an issue on GitHub with those values.
How does the script know which Java version to install? It queries the Mojang version manifest, which specifies the required Java major version for every Minecraft release. For very old versions that predate this field, it falls back to Java 8.
What if the Java version I need isn't in the repos?
On Fedora/RHEL the script dynamically queries dnf for any available java-*-openjdk-headless package that satisfies the required version, so it adapts to whatever is available. On Debian 13+, Java 8 is no longer in the official APT repos. you'll need to install it manually for very old server versions.
Where is the server installed?
/opt/<minecraft-user>/servers/<ServerType>-<version>/
Can I install multiple servers?
Yes. Run the script again. it detects if a folder already exists and appends -1, -2 etc. automatically.
How do I start/stop the server?
sudo systemctl start minecraft-<type>-<version>
sudo systemctl stop minecraft-<type>-<version>How do I view server logs?
sudo journalctl -u minecraft-<type>-<version> -fWhat ports does the script open?
22/tcp- SSH (opened before enabling the firewall so you don't lock yourself out)25565/tcp- Minecraft
What firewall backend does it use?
ufw on Debian/Ubuntu/Mint. firewalld on Fedora/AlmaLinux/RHEL.
The WAN IP shown at the end is wrong.
The script fetches your public IP from api.ipify.org. If the result is wrong, your VPS provider may be behind a NAT. Use the IP from your provider's control panel instead.
Found a bug or something not working on your distro? Open an issue on GitHub with:
- Your distro and version (
cat /etc/os-release) - The error message or unexpected behavior
- What you were trying to do
PRs are welcome. If you want to add support for a new distro, server type, or feature; go for it. The codebase is intentionally modular so adding a new distro is just a new class, and a new server type is the same.
Inspired by mcserver_installer by realTM.
The original shell script and mcurlgrabber.py served as the reference and starting point for this rewrite.
MIT: see LICENSE.