How to set up a Bukkit Minecraft Server + Plugin tutorials

Overview

This guide will cover setting up a server, managing, and modifying it for both VPS's and local machine servers, however it will be tailored more towards VPS owners looking to start official servers. In addition to setting up the basic server, I will offer my endless support for plugins, new and old, but I'll explain that process more later. Now let's get started!

Useful Tools For VPS Owners

First off, I must state that these are not required, but offer many extendability and ease of data management options for VPS owners.

PuTTy - A Free Telnet/SSH Client
WinSCP - Free SFTP, SCP and FTP client for Windows

I strongly recommend WinSCP for VPS owners. It adds the ability to eliminate "wget" and "nano file.fileextension" by adding the function to edit text in the text editor of your choice as well as transfer files over from your computer to the server.

General Info

For those of you who are reading this guide, hearing me talking about Bukkit and having no clue what in the heck I am talking about this section of the guide will tell you. Bukkit is a server mod, the successor to Hey0's Mod a previous discontinued server mod. Bukkit allows for the use of plugins to modify gameplay beyond that plain old cut trees, build a house style you experience when playing the game for your first time. There are hundred of plugins out there, their abilities range from protecting blocks, griefer rollback, economic functionality, and countless mechanical functions. I will, of course cover the basic essential plugins that you will need, also ones I strongly suggest, later on in the tutorial.

Other things to note: Bukkit WILL break on every update that Notch releases for Minecraft.

Bukkit's Website - http://bukkit.org/

Obtaining and Running the Bukkit Server Mod

First off, you're going to want to go to this link http://ci.bukkit.org/job/dev-CraftBukkit...APSHOT.jar(DO NOT EXECUTE THIS FILE) and download the latest recommended build of Bukkit. After that, create a folder anywhere and put the Bukkit server mod inside. Then you are going to want to go to this link http://wiki.bukkit.org/Setting_up_a_server find your OS and follow the instructions it gives. After following the instructions for your OS the server should start, and files should generate inside the folder you created. Now you've done that you can either run in and have a jolly old time on your vanilla Minecraft server, or you can go ahead with this guide and get some plugins in there. If you want to continue, you should stop the server.

Now you should have noticed a file called server.properties that generated in the folder you created for Bukkit, you can open it, and edit the settings to your liking.

Getting Plugins

Plugins can be found here http://plugins.bukkit.org/#ti=&ta=all&au= and I wouldn't recommend downloading them from anywhere else. Before you get lost in the hundreds of plugins available, I'll start you off with the basics: Permissions, WorldEdit, and WorldGuard.

Go ahead and download all of those but don't place them anywhere just yet. To install any plugin you're going to want to download it and place it in the plugins folder that generated upon starting your server. Then to complete the installation start your server. Be sure to note the functions of the plugin, a plugin that manages heavy amounts of data, such as LogBlock or BigBrother which log block placement and destruction, may cause noticeable lag if not properly configured.

Now to get started, drop Permissions.jar into the plugins folder and follow the installation notes here http://forums.bukkit.org/threads/admn-de...818.18430/. Permissions, if you hadn't noticed already, allows for user management of commands through and advanced permissions system with inheritance and the like. If you have further questions about this request help with the form below.

Now for WorldEdit and WorldGuard. These ones are much more easy to install, just drop WorldEdit.jar and WorldGuard.jar into your server and start it. As for what they do, WorldEdit allows for cuboid based selections and map editing, while WorldGuard adds protection functionality into WorldEdit, allowing you to protect your map against fires, greifers, etc.

Configuring Plugins

Configuring is plugins is easy in general, some can be a tad tricky, however. First off, you're going to want to go to the folder in which your server is located, going to the plugins folder, then clicking folder of the name of the plugin you want to configure. In that folder there should be in most cases a config.yml or another file similar to it. Click it and you may edit the settings freely. Most configuration files are simply changing true to false, on to off, or setting a simple integer. But with more advanced plugins comes more advanced options such as MySQL data management etc. You'll need to set that information according to your database. MySQL, H2SQL, or SqLite are ALWAYS better than flatfile. Flatfile stresses your server and can be a leading cause for crashes if you have to many flatfile plugins.

Always remember to keep the format of the file the same way you found it!

Managing and Maintaining Your Server

Now as mentioned above, every Minecraft update will break Bukkit. Don't panic (as mentioned in a post from Bukkit Developers

Spoiler (Click to View)

Bukkit works diligently to update their mod after each update so you will just have to be patient. In the mean time, you can downgrade your client to play on your server.

With each Bukkit update comes the potential to break your plugins. Bukkit updates their server mod frequently, even when there is no Minecraft updates. It's recommended that you update your build of Bukkit as well as your plugins to the latest recommended builds available.

Also, you're going to also start to notice a pesky log file, appropriately named server.log slowly but surely gaining size in the folder you put your Bukkit in. This log contains all chat logs and error logs from when your server has been started. If it grows to big, you can always stop your server, delete it, and restart your server to have it generate again.

Finally, your going to always want to check that every one of your plugins' data handling is the best it can be. If the only option is has is flatfile, and you think it's lagging your server, remove it. I'm not saying you can't use flatfile, but I strongly recommend using any type of database management over it. Also if you find your server to be lagging, remove some plugins, because a lot of plugins can cause a lot of lag.

Plugins

I know theres confusion with some plugins out there so I'm offering my help, instead of creating a new thread at every plugin problem you have you can come here and request help from me. However, you will have to post you need help with it below and agree to the fact that I have a life, and may not be able to help you with every problem you have.

If you just want a general overview of a plugin just request it and I will write a small guide on using it below.

Permissions

Warning, lengthy guide on Permissions plugin! (Click to Hide)

Installation

First off, download Permissions from the plugin page of Bukkit.org and be sure to download the full zip file. Then extract it to your desktop and go to your server directory(where your server is located). Next drag and drop in the Permissions.jar and PermissionsSql.jar into the plugins folder. After you have done that navigate into it and create a folder named "Permissions". Once that is done take the RE-NAME-ME folder that was in the Permissions-bin.zip file and rename it to the name of your world. After that, start and stop your server to complete installation.

Usage

Permissions uses the .yml file extension, so be sure to keep the format of the files the same way you found it. After you started and stopped the server head to the Permissions folder that you created inside the plugins folder. You will see a bunch of other files that you can ignore for now. We're going to focus on the files inside the "world" folder so navigate into there. You should see "groups.yml" and "users.yml". To start, open "groups.yml" and read the commented lines(with the #'s at the beginning). That should explain most of what you need to know on how to edit the file, but I will explain each part of the format for making a group.

Quote:Default:           # This represents the name of your group
default: true     # This is whether this is the default group. That means that this will be the group a new user is set into upon first joining your server.
info:                # You can ignore this, but be sure to add it into a group when you're creating a new one.
prefix: ''           # This is used for setting the prefix of the group. It will appear ahead of a player's name.
suffix: ''           # This is used for setting the suffix of the group. It will appear behind the player's name.
build: false       # This setting tells whether the users in this group are allowed to build.
inheritance:      # This setting is for group inheritance. If you put a group under it, this group will inherit all of the permissions that the group has.
permissions:     # This is for setting nodes and will be explained in detail below.

Nodes

Permissions uses "nodes" to handle their permissions for who can and cannot use commands or plugin features. A node looks like this: WorldGuard.superpickaxe. Players in the group with that node will be able to use WorldGuard's super pickaxe command. Now you can't just go around making your own nodes up. When you install a plugin be sure to look if it supports permissions. If it does, the nodes available for the commands should be listed on the page somewhere. If it doesn't, then the commands usually default to "OP only" (You can set yourself OP by typing OP <username> in the console, without the <>'s). To make a group that has all permissions and can use every command you only need to use one node, and it is '*' exactly how you see it.

Users File

Navigate over to the users file and I will briefly explain how to set users into groups. It's quite simple actually and can easily be done. I will explain the format just as I did for the groups file above.

Quote: QuackzMcDuck:   # The Minecraft username of the player.
groups:              # Ignore this, although it is needed.
- Admins             # The group you want the player to be in.

So using the above format, the use QuackzMcDuck(me) would be in the Admins group.

If you have any more questions, comments, or concerns please don't hesitate to ask. I hope you enjoyed it.