How to Set Up a Minecraft Server on a VPS (Forge, Fabric, Paper)

This guide explains how to set up a Minecraft server on a VPS using three popular server types: Forge, Fabric, and Paper. Instructions assume you have basic Linux command-line experience and root or sudo access to your VPS.

Prerequisites

• A VPS with at least 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, and SSD storage (for modded servers, more resources may be needed).
• A 64-bit Linux distribution (Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 11 recommended).
  

Step 0: Connect to Your VPS from Windows

Before installing a Minecraft server, you need to connect to your VPS. If you're using Windows, you have two main options:

Option 1: Using Windows Terminal / PowerShell

• Press Win + S and type “Terminal” or “PowerShell”
  – Then click Windows Terminal or PowerShell to open it.
• Use the following command to connect (replace with your actual address and port):

Connects to the server via SSH

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP -p PORT

ssh [email protected] -p 22

• When prompted, enter the password you received by email.
  (See the message from VirtFusion — the password is next to Password:)
  

Option 2: Using PuTTY (if you prefer a GUI)

• Download PuTTY from: https://www.putty.org/
  

• Open PuTTY
  

• In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter your VPS IP
  

• Set the Port (default is 22, change if needed)
  

• Click Open
  

• When the terminal appears, log in with:
  

• Username: root
  
• Password: (from the VirtFusion email)

Step 1: Install Required Packages

17 Java:

Update package list and upgrade existing packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y 

Install Java 17 and required utilities:

sudo apt install wget curl unzip screen openjdk-17-jre-headless -y

or 

21 Java:

Install Java 21 and required utilities:

sudo apt install wget curl unzip screen openjdk-21-jre-headless -y

Verify Java installation:

Check installed Java version:

java -version

Step 2: Create a Server Directory

Create main server directory:

mkdir ~/server

Navigate into the server directory:

cd ~/server

Use a separate folder for each server type (e.g., ~/server/forge/, ~/server/fabric/, etc.).

Section 1: Installing Paper Server

1. Download Paper

Visit https://papermc.io/downloads/all?project=paper to find the latest version or use the API:

Create a directory for Paper server:

mkdir paper

Navigate into the Paper directory:

cd paper

Download Paper server jar:

wget https://api.papermc.io/v2/projects/paper/versions/1.20.1/builds/103/downloads/paper-1.20.1-103.jar -O paper.jar

2. Accept EULA

echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

3. Start the Server

Start Paper server with 2 minimum and 4GB maximum limit of RAM, no GUI:

java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar paper.jar nogui

Use screen to run it in background:

screen -S paper

java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar paper.jar nogui

To detach: Ctrl+A, then D.
To reattach: screen -r paper.

4. Done!

Section 2: Installing Forge Server

1. Download Forge Installer

Visit https://files.minecraftforge.net/ to get the installer for your version. Example:

Create a directory for Forge server:

mkdir forge

Navigate into the Forge directory:

cd forge

Install Forge server files:

wget https://maven.minecraftforge.net/net/minecraftforge/forge/1.20.1-47.2.0/forge-1.20.1-47.2.0-installer.jar

2. Run Installer (Server Mode)

Start Forge server with 2 minimum and 4GB maximum limit of RAM, no GUI:

java -jar forge-1.20.1-47.2.0-installer.jar --installServer

3. Accept EULA

echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

4. Start Server

screen -S forge

java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar forge-1.20.1-47.2.0.jar nogui

Section 3: Installing Fabric Server

1. Download Fabric Installer

Go to https://fabricmc.net/use/ and download the server installer:

Create a directory for Fabric server:

mkdir fabric

Navigate into the Fabric directory:

cd fabric

Download Fabric installer jar:

wget https://maven.fabricmc.net/net/fabricmc/fabric-installer/1.0.0/fabric-installer-1.0.0.jar

2. Run Installer (Server Mode)

Install Fabric server for version 1.20.1:

java -jar fabric-installer-1.0.0.jar server -mcversion 1.20.1 -downloadMinecraft

3. Accept EULA

echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

4. Start Server

screen -S fabric

java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar fabric-server-launch.jar nogui

Notes

• Replace 1.20.1 with the Minecraft version you are targeting.
• For modded servers (Forge/Fabric), put .jar mods in the mods/ folder.
• For plugins (Paper), place .jar files in the plugins/ folder.
• Always test with minimal mods/plugins first to verify compatibility.
• Monitor resource usage with tools like htop or top.
• To find the wget link, you simply need to copy the download link by right-clicking on the download icon on the site
  

Conclusion

You can now run a Minecraft server on your VPS using Forge, Fabric, or Paper. Each server type has its own advantages:

• Paper: Fastest and best for plugins.
• Forge: Best for complex mods.
• Fabric: Lightweight, newer modding ecosystem.
  

Choose based on your intended use case.