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Launch a Minecraft: Java Edition dedicated server with the command java [JVM options] -jar server.jar [server options]. Java memory and garbage-collection settings go before -jar; Minecraft server flags go after the JAR filename. For a headless machine, the usual command is java -jar server.jar --nogui.
This guide explains the supported startup flags, how they interact with server.properties, how to write reliable Linux and Windows startup scripts, and which maintenance options require backups and a maintenance window.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchHow the Minecraft server command is parsed
The Java server has two argument layers. The Java runtime parses options first, then the server JAR parses its own options:
java [JVM options] -jar server.jar [Minecraft server options]For example:
java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar --noguiHere, -Xms2G and -Xmx2G configure the Java heap. The --nogui argument is read by Minecraft. Putting a Minecraft flag before -jar, or a JVM option after the JAR name, can produce an “unrecognized option” error or cause the setting to be ignored.
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Run commands from the directory containing the server JAR, or use the JAR’s complete path. The filename is not required to be literally server.jar; replace it with the name of the file you downloaded.
Before you start
Install a compatible Java runtime
Use the Java version required by the exact Minecraft: Java Edition server release you downloaded. A server may refuse to start, terminate with a class-version error, or behave unpredictably when run with an incompatible runtime. Check the release’s official server documentation rather than assuming that the Java version installed for another application is suitable.
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On a first launch, the server creates files such as eula.txt and server.properties. You must review the Minecraft End User License Agreement and change the EULA setting as required before running a server for players. The initialization-only option described below can create these files without starting the game server, which is useful for automated provisioning.
Use a dedicated directory
Keep the JAR, world folders, logs, eula.txt, and server.properties together in a directory owned by the account that will run the server. This prevents a service manager from creating worlds in an unexpected working directory.
Core startup flags
| Flag | What it does | Scope and cautions |
|---|---|---|
--help |
Prints the server options available to that JAR. | Use it to verify support before adding a flag to a script; it does not start the server. |
--nogui |
Starts without the graphical server window. | Best for headless machines, containers, SSH sessions, and service hosts. |
--port <number> |
Selects the listening port for that launch. | It is a run-time override. Persistent settings and router forwarding are separate tasks. |
--world <name> |
Selects the world directory to load. | The directory must exist under the configured save root, or be created as part of normal world generation. |
--universe <path> |
Selects the root directory containing world saves. | Use an absolute or correctly resolved path in service scripts to avoid loading the wrong save. |
--initSettings |
Creates or initializes server.properties and eula.txt without starting the game server. |
Useful in provisioning scripts; edit the generated files before the normal launch. |
--demo |
Enables demo behavior. | Use only when the server is intentionally being configured for that mode. |
--bonusChest |
Enables a bonus chest when a world is generated for the first time. | It affects initial world generation, not an already-created world. |
--nojline |
Disables JLine console handling. | Documented in Paper’s command-line reference; verify that your exact server implementation supports it. |
--jfrProfile |
Starts Java Flight Recorder profiling according to the server reference. | Treat it as a diagnostic option and confirm support in the exact server version before enabling it routinely. |
--forceUpgrade |
Optimizes world data by upgrading level data to a newer format. | It changes world files and can remove compatibility with older level formats. Back up first. |
recreateRegionFiles |
Rewrites chunks independently of whether they were upgraded. | Introduced in the 24w04a release notes; useful when regenerating region files after changing the region-file-compression property. |
--eraseCache |
Erases cached light and biome data. | The data must be regenerated, so startup can take longer and files will be modified. |
Flag spelling and availability can differ between Mojang server versions and server implementations. Run java -jar server.jar --help with the exact JAR you intend to operate, then compare the output with that release’s documentation.
Essential launch examples
Headless launch with a fixed heap
java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar server.jar --noguiThis sets both the initial and maximum Java heap to 2 GiB and suppresses the graphical window. The values are examples, not universal requirements; leave enough memory for the operating system and other services.
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Named world on a non-default port
java -Xmx4G -jar server.jar --world survival --port 25566 --noguiThe server loads the survival world and uses port 25566 for this process. Clients must connect to that port, and any firewall or router rule must match it.
Initialize files without starting gameplay
java -jar server.jar --initSettingsAfter this command exits, inspect and edit eula.txt and server.properties, then launch normally. This pattern is convenient for image-building and first-boot scripts because configuration generation is separate from service startup.
Use a separate save root
java -Xmx4G -jar server.jar --universe /srv/minecraft/saves --world creative --noguiUse a path that the service account can read and write. An absolute path avoids ambiguity when a service manager chooses a different working directory.
JVM options versus Minecraft options
-Xms and -Xmx are Java options. They control heap allocation and must appear before -jar. Other JVM system properties and garbage-collection options follow the same rule:
java -Xms4G -Xmx8G -Dsome.property=value -jar server.jar --noguiDo not write java -jar server.jar -Xmx8G --nogui; the server’s argument parser is not the place to set Java heap size. If a service wrapper has a separate field for JVM arguments, put memory and system-property options there and keep server flags in the application-arguments field.
Choosing heap values
-Xms: the heap size requested at startup.-Xmx: the maximum heap the JVM may use.- Operating-system headroom: reserve memory for the OS, file cache, backups, monitoring, and any other services.
- Evidence: the command syntax does not establish a universally correct allocation; size the heap from your player load and observed logs rather than copying a number blindly.
Headless operation and console behavior
--nogui removes the graphical server window while leaving the normal server console available. It is the appropriate choice for SSH sessions, virtual machines, containers, and system services. Mojang’s download guidance describes omitting the “nogui” part when a graphical interface is wanted; therefore a command without --nogui may open the GUI when the runtime environment supports it.
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In an interactive console, stop the server with the stop command rather than killing the Java process. A graceful stop lets the server save world data and close files. A service manager should send a termination signal and allow a sufficient stop timeout before considering a forced kill.
If console input is garbled or a wrapper cannot handle JLine, test --nojline only when the exact implementation documents it. Do not add implementation-specific flags to a vanilla script without checking --help.
Changing the port and persistent network settings
One-run override
Use --port <number> when a particular launch must listen on a different port:
java -jar server.jar --port 25566 --noguiThis is a command-line choice for that run. It does not replace the persistent configuration file or automatically change network equipment.
Persistent configuration
server.properties is read by the server and stores settings intended to persist across restarts. The official help documentation identifies query.port as the port to forward and gives 25565 as its default. When changing network behavior, check the relevant property, the server’s actual listening port, the host firewall, and the router’s forwarding rule as four separate items.
After editing server.properties, stop and restart the server so the new values are loaded. Keep a copy of the working file before making several changes at once.
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Other useful properties
The persistent file also includes settings such as gamemode, spawn-protection, allow-nether, difficulty, pvp, max-players, level-seed, and motd. These are configuration properties, not replacements for JVM arguments, and they generally belong in server.properties rather than in the startup command.
World selection and world-maintenance flags
Selecting a world safely
--world <name> chooses a world directory, while --universe <path> chooses the save root. Together they let one JAR serve different worlds from separate directories:
java -jar server.jar --universe /srv/minecraft --world event-2026 --noguiConfirm the path before starting. A typo can make the server generate a new world, which may look like data loss even though the original save is still elsewhere.
What --forceUpgrade changes
--forceUpgrade optimizes world data by upgrading level data to a newer format. The optimization path also upgrades entity and point-of-interest data where applicable. Once processed, the world may not remain compatible with older level formats.
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Make and verify a complete backup of the world directory and related configuration.
- Test the backup by opening it on a separate copy, not the production save.
- Run the upgrade during a maintenance window with sufficient disk space.
- Review logs and world loading before allowing players back in.
Do not treat this as a routine performance switch. Rollback means restoring the tested backup, not merely removing the flag and starting again.
recreateRegionFiles and --eraseCache
The 24w04a release notes describe recreateRegionFiles as rewriting chunks regardless of whether they were upgraded. It can regenerate region files after changing the region-file-compression property. --eraseCache removes cached light and biome data, which the server then regenerates. Both operations can increase startup time and modify many files, so use the same backup, disk-space, and maintenance-window process as an upgrade.
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Writing a dependable Linux startup script
A small shell script makes the working directory, heap values, and server flags explicit:
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set -euo pipefail
cd /srv/minecraft
exec java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar --noguicd ensures relative paths resolve inside the server directory. exec makes the Java process the script’s main process, which helps service managers deliver signals correctly. Make the file executable with your operating system’s normal permissions tool and run it as a dedicated, non-root account whenever possible.
Adding a selected world and port
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
cd /srv/minecraft
exec java -Xmx4G -jar server.jar --world survival --port 25566 --noguiKeep the command’s arguments in the script that owns that service. If you operate several worlds, use separate working directories or explicitly set --universe and --world for each instance.
Writing a Windows batch startup script
In a batch file, change to the server directory before launching Java:
@echo off
cd /d C:MinecraftServer
java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar --nogui
pauseThe /d switch also changes drives. The final pause keeps the window open after an error so you can read it; omit it when a service manager owns the process. Quote paths containing spaces, for example cd /d "C:Game ServersSurvival".
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Diagnosing common startup failures
“Unrecognized option” or the process exits immediately
- Run
java -jar server.jar --helpwith the same JAR. - Move
-Xms,-Xmx, and other JVM options before-jar. - Move
--nogui,--port, and other server flags after the JAR filename. - Remove flags documented only for another implementation or release.
The wrong world loads or a new world appears
- Print or inspect the service’s working directory.
- Verify the spelling and case of
--world. - Verify that
--universepoints to the save root containing that world. - Stop the process and locate the original save before generating more data.
Players cannot connect after changing the port
- Confirm the server log reports the intended listening port.
- Check the host firewall for that port and protocol.
- Update the router forwarding rule; the official help page documents 25565 as the default query port.
- Have clients specify the non-default port in the address.
- Check that no second server is already using the selected port.
The server starts with a window on a machine intended to be headless
Add --nogui after the JAR name. If a service wrapper still opens a window, inspect the wrapper’s command and ensure it is not launching a separate GUI command.
Startup becomes much slower after maintenance
--forceUpgrade, recreateRegionFiles, and --eraseCache can rewrite data or trigger regeneration. Read the log, allow the maintenance operation to finish, and do not interrupt it unless you are following a tested recovery procedure.
Quick Recap
A practical flag-selection checklist
- Need a graphical window? Omit
--nogui; otherwise include it. - Need a different heap? Set
-Xmsand-Xmxbefore-jar. - Need a one-run port or world? Use
--portor--worldafter the JAR name. - Need settings to survive restarts? Edit
server.propertiesand restart. - Provisioning a new instance? Run
--initSettings, then revieweula.txtand properties before normal startup. - Changing world data? Back up, test the backup, schedule maintenance, and verify the exact release’s documentation.
- Unsure whether a flag exists? Run
--helpagainst the exact downloaded JAR.
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