New Server Bootstrap

New Server Bootstrap

Stand up a working base server, then layer the gamemode stack on top.

Current facts (verified 2026-06-07): Minecraft is 26.1.x. Latest Paper is 26.1.2 build 69. Paper 26.1+ requires Java 25. Velocity is 3.5.0-SNAPSHOT (needs Java 21+). Always re-query the API for the live latest build at setup time.

Steps

1. Scope. Single server or a network? Gamemode? Host (self-hosted, Pterodactyl/Pelican,

other)? Player count? → recommend Paper by default (see Folia note below).

1. **Download the latest Paper build — use the Fill v3 API (the old v2 API stopped builds

2025-12-31).** Do NOT hand-construct download URLs; read the URL from the API response. Helper: ``bash node "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/new-server-bootstrap/scripts/fetch-paper.mjs" 26.1.2 # prints the resolved STABLE build + download URL (and --download to fetch it) ` Manually: GET https://fill.papermc.io/v3/projects/paper/versions/{MC}/builds, pick the newest channel: STABLE, download downloads."server:default".url. A descriptive User-Agent` is required by the API.

1. Install Java 25 (Paper 26.1+ will not start on older Java). Verify java -version.
2. EULA + first run. Run once: java -jar paper.jar --nogui → it writes eula.txt and stops.

Set eula=true (or pass -Dcom.mojang.eula.agree=true). Restart → it generates server.properties + the world and comes online.

1. Startup script. Use the template assets/startup.sh.tmpl (Java 25 + Aikar's/G1 flags +

--nogui). Keep Xms == Xmx with host headroom (leave ~1–1.5 GB; on a panel keep Xmx below the container limit — see pterodactyl-ops). Aikar's flags are PaperMC's documented default; only consider Generational ZGC as a Java-25 alternative, never mixed.

1. server.properties starter values — see assets/the table below. Set online-mode,

view-distance, simulation-distance, max-players, motd, difficulty, gamemode.

1. Network? If multiple servers, set up Velocity (assets/velocity.example.toml): first

run generates velocity.toml + forwarding.secret; set player-info-forwarding-mode = "modern", put the secret into each backend's paper-global.yml (assets/paper-global.example.yml), set each backend online-mode=false, and firewall backend ports. Full detail: proxy-network.

1. Gamemode stack → hand off to gamemode-stacks for the archetype's plugins.
2. Review → run audit-config on the finished tree; tune with performance-tuning.

server.properties starter values

| Key | Default | Sane starter | |---|---|---| | online-mode | true | true standalone; false only behind a proxy (never expose such a backend) | | view-distance | 10 | 8–10 (6–8 high-pop) | | simulation-distance | 10 | 6–8 (biggest TPS lever; keep ≤ view-distance) | | max-players | 20 | your real cap | | difficulty | easy | normal for most SMP | | gamemode | survival | per server type | | spawn-protection | 16 | 0 if unneeded | | enable-rcon | false | keep false; if enabled, strong password + firewall (confirm first) |

Folia vs Paper

Default to Paper. Choose Folia only with ≥16 physical cores, high concurrent players spread across regions (skyblock/SMP-style), and a plugin list where every plugin declares folia-supported: true. Most stacks are not Folia-ready.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: Teddy563
• Source: Teddy563/mcwrench
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://mcwrench.teddy.bar

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.