How to Set Up a Minecraft Server on Raspberry Pi

Want to play Minecraft on your own terms? Set up your own server, create your own worlds, perhaps create them with friends and family?

This is great, but true: all this can be done on Raspberry Pi .

My son is a huge Minecraft fan and always wants me to play alongside him. This is not easy to do while he is playing on his tablet. Since he is only young, letting him online seems out of place.

The solution is simple: set up a Minecraft server on your Raspberry Pi. It’s easy to set up!

What will you need

To build a Minecraft server on your Raspberry Pi, you will need:

Raspberry Pi 3 (or later) and power cable. We assume that your Pi is in business.
Ethernet cable (preferably for a wireless network).
8 GB microSD card or more.

While older Pi models can be used for this, the results are not as good. These instructions for Raspberry Pi 3 and 4 will give you the best Minecraft server possible.

All of the above, when used with a remote SSH connection, will allow you to set up the Pi as a Minecraft server. If SSH is not an option, you will also need:

USB keyboard
USB mouse (or combination)
1 x HDMI cable
Monitor or other compatible display

Connect these peripherals before turning on your Raspberry Pi.

You will also, of course, need a copy of Minecraft on your computer. Note that the Raspberry Pi’s system specs mean you can’t accommodate too many people. For a Pi 3, of course, don’t try to fit more than 10.

What is Minecrafter for?

Minecraft is hosted on a Raspberry Pi server

Several versions of Minecraft are available.

Creating this server will give you a world that you can access from any device running Minecraft except, curiously, the MinecraftPi. Therefore, versions of Minecraft for Windows PC, game console, Android and iOS tablets, and Amazon Fire tablets and devices will work with this server.

This way, if you have multiple devices on the local network, they can all access the Minecraft server.

In short, you’ll need the main open-world Minecraft game from Mojang.

Step 1: Install Raspbian and Set Up Your Pi

Start with a fresh copy of Raspbian. You will find the latest version at www.raspberrypi.org/downloads . Follow our guide to install the Raspberry Pi operating system for full steps. If this seems too complicated, try the NOOBS installer. instead of this.

Prefer to stick with your existing copy of Raspbian? Just upgrade to the latest version and upgrade your packages:

sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade

Then set up the Raspbian environment to run the Minecraft server. Did you set it up with a monitor and keyboard? If so, just open the Raspberry Pi Configuration tool from the Settings menu on your desktop.

If you are using SSH use sudo raspi-config, to open the text setting tool.

Here, make the following changes:

Go to Extra options > Memory sharing and change the setting to 16 MB . This will free up more memory resources for the server.
Then go to Boot Options > Desktop / CLI and select Console . (There is no need to do this on Raspbian Lite.)
If you are trying to do this with a Raspberry Pi 1 or 2, look for Overclock in the main menu and set it to high . (Raspberry Pi 3 and 4 users can skip this step.)
Enable SSH in Advanced Options > SSH .
Finally, go to Advanced > Expand Filesystem .

After making these changes, go to Finish and restart Raspbian when prompted. After that, log in again and find the device’s IP address with:

 sudo hostname -I

Or:

 ifconfig

Make a note of the IP address before continuing.

Step 2: Install the Minecraft Server

The Nukkit server software is used to install Minecraft on the Raspberry Pi. Designed specifically for Minecraft: Pocket Edition, Nukkit can be easily installed on the Pi using the command line.

Start by installing Java. This is required to run Nukkit:

 sudo apt install oracle-java8-jdk

Then create a new directory (labeled «nukkit»), then open it:

 mkdir nukkit cd nukkit

After that, download the Nukkit server software. Be sure to enter this exactly — it’s easier to copy and paste into an SSH session.

 wget -O nukkit.jar http://ci.mengcraft.com:8080/job/nukkit/lastSuccessfulBuild/artifact/target/nukkit-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar

(You can find the most recent builds on the project page.)

Once downloaded, launch Nukkit:

 sudo java -jar nukkit.jar

This prompts Nukkit to set up a server. When prompted, select your language (we used eng), then watch how the Minecraft server is generated.

Step 3Set Up Your Minecraft Server

Once you know that the server is set up correctly, it’s time to set it up. Nukkit includes two configuration files: nukkit.yml and server.properties.

To edit them, simply open them in your preferred text editor. On Raspbian, nano comes pre-installed, so use

 sudo nano nukkit.yml

 sudo nano server.properties

Various changes are recommended. Whatever you change here, keep in mind that the Pi is a frugal device that can’t handle too much processing.

Set up your Minecraft server

A list of server properties can be found in the Minecraft wiki, but some of them need to be edited right away. Start with:

 max-players=10

Older Raspberry Pi models will struggle with more than 10. You can be fine with 5-6 players. Several other options are available for customization that you may be interested in, such as:

 pvp=on

This is for player versus player actions. There is also a difficulty setting:

 difficulty=1

Here the simplest parameter is 0.

When you’re done press Ctrl + X to save and exit, then run:

 sudo java -jar nukkit.jar

This will restart the Minecraft server software.

Step 4Connect to Raspberry Pi Minecraft Server

Your Minecraft server must be connected to a local network. Check it with the ping command from another device using the IP address you noted down earlier. If the ping returns a response from the Raspberry Pi, then you can continue.

All you have to do is launch Minecraft on your computer or tablet, then click Play>Servers . Here add a server by entering information about the new server, giving it a name, and adding an IP address. The port number must match the one specified in the server properties. If not, change it!

Connect to your Raspberry Pi Minecraft server

Your server must be listed as an option to connect. Just select a server to start playing.