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      Want to Play Minecraft With Friends Across Devices? Set Up a Bedrock Edition Server With DreamHost


      One of the best things about Minecraft is the ability to collaborate with other gamers. If your Minecraft friends all use different devices and platforms, however, collaborating can be problematic. Consequently, you might be wondering how you can set up your own server and permit players on multiple devices to join in. 

      Fortunately, Mojang has created a solution. The Bedrock Edition of its popular game enables gamers on a wide variety of devices to play on the same server. Additionally, here at DreamHost, we have several hosting solutions to suit your Minecraft gaming needs. 

      In this article, we’ll go over what you need to know about the Bedrock Edition. We’ll also discuss the benefits of managing your own game server. Then we’ll walk you through the six steps you’ll need to set up Minecraft on your own server. Let’s get started!

      Get DreamHost’s Most Powerful Hosting

      Our dedicated hosting plans are the ideal solution for Minecraft servers that require fast speeds and consistent uptime.

      What You Need to Know About the Minecraft Bedrock Edition

      Minecraft’s popularity has remained high over the years. New developments that bring the game to more and more devices have helped it gain broad appeal. In fact, 91 million people were actively playing the game each month in 2018.  

      When it comes to understanding the different Minecraft editions, the most important thing to keep in mind is who you can connect and play with when using each version. When you’re playing the game in the original Java version, you’ll only be able to communicate and play with other Java users.

      “The Minecraft Java Edition.”

      This means there may be some players you can’t connect with if they are using other versions or devices. The Bedrock Edition, on the other hand, enables players to unite in the game world, regardless of the devices they’re using. This means an Xbox gamer can join a PC gamer and a Nintendo Switch player in the same Minecraft game world.  One important caveat: at this time, there’s no Bedrock release for Mac, meaning the Java client for Mac won’t be able to connect to a Bedrock server.

      The Benefits of Hosting Your Own Bedrock Edition Server

      If you’re an avid Minecraft gamer, and you want more flexibility and control over your game world, the Bedrock Edition should be right up your alley. There are several benefits to setting up your own server, including: 

      • Cross-platform play. When you host the Bedrock Edition on a dedicated server, you’ll be able to play with friends across all platforms and multiple devices. 
      • User control. With a dedicated server, you’ll also have full control over who joins the game, which can be a valuable safety mechanism with multi-generational players. 
      • Customized settings. The Bedrock Edition gives you a lot more customization options than the Java edition, including a new character creation option

      We’ll cover controls and customizations in more detail later on. It’s also worth noting that another one of the benefits of Minecraft is the vast user community and wealth of online knowledge bases you can access about the game.

      Why You Should Consider a Dedicated Server for Your Minecraft Setup 

      If you’re familiar with WordPress, you know there are two options for creating a website with the platform. You can use the WordPress.com servers, or you can purchase server space and host your own copy of the open-source software.

      Minecraft is similar, in that you can use its Realms option and pay to host a private server at an extra monthly fee. Just as with WordPress, there are limitations to this option, which you can avoid if you use your own dedicated server.

      Here at DreamHost, we offer an excellent solution if you’re looking for more control. Our dedicated server plans are fully-managed and have the speed, security, and memory you need to host Minecraft Bedrock.

      “DreamHost dedicated hosting plans.”

       

      Of course, we’re all about giving you options. If a dedicated plan is not what you need right now, you can also explore setting up a Minecraft server with our DreamCompute cloud hosting instead.

      How to Set Up a Minecraft Bedrock Edition Server With DreamHost (In 6 Steps)

      Setting up a dedicated server for Minecraft requires some knowledge of server programming. You’ll need to use Terminal to execute commands and create a few files in a plain-text editor. Let’s walk through how this process works in six steps.

      Step 1: Create an Admin User on Your Server

      The first thing you’ll need to do is create a user with administrator rights on your dedicated DreamHost server. To do that, you’ll access your DreamHost Panel.

      Once logged in, you can navigate to Dedicated Servers > Admin Users. There, you can see any existing users and create new ones.

      “The Admin Users page.”

      Next, click on Add a New Admin User. This will take you to a form where you’ll need to designate a username and password.

      “The Add New Admin User form.”

      Once you complete the necessary information, select Add Admin User. It may take a few minutes for this information to appear on the User Admins page.

      To fully access your server and complete the steps necessary to install the Minecraft Bedrock Edition, you’ll also need to set up your user admin as a Secure Socket Shell (SSH) user in your DreamHost user panel.

      You’ll then access your server using a terminal client so you can run command lines, rather than merely transferring files as you would with a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) application. This process can work differently on a Mac than it does on a Windows machine

      Step 2: Download the Server Software

      To get the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft working on your server, you’ll need to install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) — you can use our command line instructions below. This is what enables Minecraft to run on your server since the game is essentially a Java application. Java is also the programming language that allows the game to be played on multiple platforms.

      Of course, you’ll also need the Minecraft Bedrock Edition server software itself.

      “The server software download page.”

      Once you download the appropriate server software for your system, you’ll be able to access detailed user guides to use as you configure your server. It’s important to note that the server software is free to download, but you will need to have an active Minecraft account and a copy of the game in order to run it from your server.

      You can run the following command to install JRE  server software: 

      apt-get update && apt-get -y install 
      wget screen openjdk-8-jdk-headless  

      Extract (unzip) the downloaded Bedrock  .zip file.

      Upload (via SFTP) the extracted folder to the admin user’s home directory.

      You might find similar command lines in other tutorials online, but these snippets have been adjusted explicitly for your DreamHost server. You’ll just need to replace “your-admin-user” with the username you set up in the previous step.

      You should refer to your software documentation for further instructions if needed. Additionally, there are specific instructions for Linux users that may require slightly different commands.

      It’s also important to note that while Bedrock enables multi-platform gameplay, all users will need to make sure they are running the same version of the game as the version installed on the server. 

      Step 3: Configure Your Server Properties

      Now that you have the right software installed and can launch your server, you’ll need to begin configuring the properties of the game server. You can do this by opening the server.properties file in a plain text editor or code editor. This file should have come packaged with your server software.  

      Your server documentation will contain a list of allowable syntax options. This is where you’ll customize your game on the server. There is an extensive list of options specific to the Bedrock Edition. For example, you can configure properties for: 

      • gamemode: By default, this is always set to “survival” mode, but you can configure it to survival (0), creative (1), or adventure (2).  
      • difficulty: Your options for setting the difficulty level are peaceful (0), easy (1), normal (2), and hard (3), and it will be set to “easy” by default.
      • max-players: You can set any number you want for this, although higher numbers may have an impact on the server’s performance.
      • allow-cheats: This can be set to “true” or “false”, and is used to control the ability of all players on the server to use cheat commands. 

      You’ll need to restart your server once you’ve made changes to the properties file, in order for them to take effect. 

      Step 4: Develop and Save Your Player Whitelist

      If players are having trouble accessing and playing the game on your server, you may need to create a whitelist file. This will add specific gamer information for your server to recognize. The file can contain the following command line:

      [
          {
              "ignoresPlayerLimit": false,
              "name": "YOURGAMERTAGHERE"
          }
      ]

      This snippet is specifically designed for Xbox Live Gamertags. You’ll also need to enable the whitelist option in your server.properties file. Once you’re done adding information to the file, you’ll want to save it to the same directory as your server software’s executable files. 

      Step 5: Create a Player Permissions File

      Next, it’s a good idea to create a file that controls all of your player permissions. This will keep your game world safe and secure.

      You’ll first want to create a new file in a code or plain-text editor and call it permissions.json. Then, save this to the same location as your server software’s executable files. Just make sure you don’t save the file with a .txt extension, but use .json instead.

      To complete this file, you’ll need to review the server software documentation for all allowable syntax. This is where you’ll list the Xbox User Identification (XUID) for each player, and define their permissions. Each player is assigned a XUID when they join the server, which will be listed in the whitelist.json file and displayed in the server console when a player joins the game. 

      Step 6: Start Your Server

      Once you’ve configured your Minecraft settings, you can start your server and begin building! To do that, you’ll need to use Terminal again, along with the following command: 

      LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server

      Or, using screen to prevent server halting when disconnecting from the shell:

      LD_LIBRARY_PATH=.
      screen -S minecraft ./bedrock_server

      Then hit Enter, and you should be good to go. If you encounter any issues when starting the server, however, you can contact DreamHost support for help.

      Conclusion

      Setting up the Bedrock Edition on one of our dedicated servers gives you the flexibility to invite gamers on a wide variety of platforms to your Minecraft worlds. This gives you more options than the original Java edition of the game permits.  

      Here at DreamHost, we have dedicated server options to suit all your gaming needs. Check out our pricing options and server features and start building new worlds with Minecraft!   



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      Deploy a Minecraft Server with One-Click Apps


      Updated by Linode

      Contributed by

      Linode

      Minecraft One-Click App

      With over 100 million users around the world, Minecraft is the most popular online game of all time. You and other players are free to build and explore in a 3D generated world made up of millions of mineable blocks. Collect resources by leveling mountains, taming forests, and venturing out to sea. Choose a home from the varied list of biomes like ice worlds, flower plains, and jungles. Build ancient castles or modern mega cities, and fill them with redstone circuit contraptions and villagers. Fight off nightly invasions of Skeletons, Zombies, and explosive Creepers, or adventure to the End and the Nether to summon the fabled End Dragon and the chaotic Wither. If that is not enough, Minecraft is also highly moddable and customizable. You decide the rules when hosting your own Minecraft server for you and your friends to play together in this highly addictive game.

      Deploy a Minecraft Server One-Click App

      One-Click Apps allow you to easily deploy software on a Linode using the Linode Cloud Manager. To access Linode’s One-Click Apps:

      1. Log in to your Linode Cloud Manager account.

      2. From the Linode dashboard, click on the Create button in the top left-hand side of the screen and select Linode from the dropdown menu.

      3. The Linode creation page will appear. Select the One-Click tab.

      4. Under the Select App section, select the app you would like to deploy:

        Select a One-Click App to deploy

      5. Once you have selected the app, proceed to the app’s Options section and provide values for the required fields.

      The Minecraft Options section of this guide provides details on all available configuration options for this app.

      Minecraft Options

      You can configure your Minecraft Server App by providing values for the following fields:

      Field          Description
      SSH KeyYour SSH public key. The public key will be stored in the /root/.ssh/authorized_keys file on your Linode, and you will be able to use it to login as root over SSH. Advanced Configuration.
      World NameThe world name and it’s corresponding file name. Advanced Configuration.
      Message of the DayText that is displayed whenever a player logs on to the server. Advanced Configuration.
      Flight EnabledAllows flight if there is a mod installed that supports flying. This configuration has no effect on creative mode flight. Advanced Configuration.
      Nether World EnabledEnables the Nether world. Advanced Configuration.
      Player Achievements EnabledWhenever a player unlocks an achievement, it is broadcast to all logged in players. Advanced Configuration.
      Maximum PlayersMaximum amount of players allowed on the server. Advanced Configuration.
      Player Idle Timeout LimitIf not set to disabled, the amount of time in minutes a player can be idle before being kicked off of the server. Advanced Configuration.
      Difficulty LevelThe game difficulty. Advanced Configuration.
      Hardcore Mode EnabledIf set to true, the difficulty will be set to Hard. Additionally, on death the player won’t respawn and will be limited to spectator mode. Advanced Configuration.
      PvP EnabledEnables player versus player combat on the server. Advanced Configuration.
      Force Game Mode EnabledForces players to join the server’s default game mode. false allows players to join with their previous game mode. true forces the default game mode.
      World TypeType of world to generate. Default = standard, flat = featureless and flat, largebiomes = larger biomes, amplified = larger height limit. Advanced Configuration.
      World SeedA random value used by Minecraft’s world generation algorithm to create a unique world. For example: qazwsx123. See Minecraft’s Gamepedia entry on seeds for more information. Advanced Configuration.
      Spawn Animals EnabledDetermines if animals (sheep, chickens, squid, etc.) will spawn. Advanced Configuration.
      Spawn Monsters EnabledDetermines if monsters (creepers, skeletons, spiders, etc.) will spawn. Advanced Configuration.
      Spawn NPCs EnabledDetermines if villagers will spawn. Advanced Configuration.
      Game ModeThe game mode of the server. Survival is the default game mode, creative allows for flight and unlimited resources, adventure prevents players from destroying blocks, and spectator will grant the ability to fly, but will prevent any player interaction on the server. Advanced Configuration.
      Structure Generation EnabledEnables the ability to generate structures like villages and mineshafts. Advanced Configuration.
      Maximum Build HeightMaximum height at which players can place blocks. World generation may exceed this limit. Advanced Configuration.
      Maximum World SizeMaximum radius of the world, in blocks. Advanced Configuration.
      View DistanceThe distance a player can see, measured in chunks (16 block cubes). For example, 10 will enable the user to see 10 chunks in any direction.
      Command Block EnabledEnables the placement of command blocks through the /give command. Advanced Configuration.
      Querying EnabledEnables GameSpy4. Used to obtain information about the server. Advanced Configuration.
      Enable RCONEnable remote access (RCON) to the Minecraft server to run commands. Advanced Configuration.
      RCON PasswordThe RCON password. Advanced Configuration.
      RCON PortThe port used for RCON. Advanced Configuration.
      Maximum Tick TimeThe maximum amount of milliseconds a single tick can take before the server considers itself frozen or crashed and will shut down. Advanced Configuration.
      Network Compression ThresholdThe threshold at which bytes are compressed. Advanced Configuration.
      Op-permission LevelSets the permission level for operators (ops) when using the /op command. Advanced Configuration.
      Port NumberThe server’s listening port number. Advanced Configuration.
      Snooper EnabledDetermines if the server sends stats to https://snoop.minecraft.net. Advanced Configuration.
      Use Native Transport EnabledImprove server performance by optimizing sent and received packets. Advanced Configuration.

      Linode Options

      After providing the app specific options, provide configurations for your Linode server:

      ConfigurationDescription
      Select an ImageDebian 9 is currently the only image supported by Minecraft One-Click Apps, and it is pre-selected on the Linode creation page. Required.
      RegionThe region where you would like your Linode to reside. In general, it’s best to choose a location that’s closest to you. For more information on choosing a DC, review the How to Choose a Data Center guide. You can also generate MTR reports for a deeper look at the network routes between you and each of our data centers. Required.
      Linode PlanYour Linode’s hardware resources. Your MineCraft App should be sized based on the amount of traffic you expect to see on your server. We recommend 1GB of RAM for every 15 players maximum on your server. For example, If you are expecting a small group of players (between 1-15), you should be okay with a Nanode. Up to 30 players, a 2GB Linode, and so on. Required.
      Linode LabelThe name for your Linode, which must be unique between all of the Linodes on your account. This name will be how you identify your server in the Cloud Manager’s Dashboard. Required.
      Root PasswordThe primary administrative password for your Linode instance. This password must be provided when you log in to your Linode via SSH. It must be at least 6 characters long and contain characters from two of the following categories: lowercase and uppercase case letters, numbers, and punctuation characters. Your root password can be used to perform any action on your server, so make it long, complex, and unique. Required.

      When you’ve provided all required Linode Options, click on the Create button. MineCraft should install between 5-10 minutes after your Linode has successfully provisioned.

      Getting Started after Deployment

      Ensure that you have installed Minecraft on your personal computer and created a Minecraft user account before getting started with this section.

      After Minecraft has finished installing on your Linode, you will be able to access your Minecraft server by copying your Linode’s IPv4 address and entering it in the Multiplayer menu on your personal computer’s Minecraft installation. To find your Linode’s IPv4 address:

      1. Click on the Linodes link in the sidebar. You will see a list of all your Linodes.

      2. Find the Linode you just created when deploying your app and select it.

      3. Navigate to the Networking tab.

      4. Under the IPv4 heading, you will find your IPv4 address listed under the Address column. Copy your IPv4 address.

      5. Open Minecraft on your computer and click on Multiplayer, then click Add Server.

      6. Enter a name for your server in the Server Name box. This name will show up on the Play Multiplayer server selection screen.

      7. Paste your IP address in the Server Address field and click Done:

        Paste your IP address in the Server Address field.

      8. Once your server is ready to play on, the status indicator will show a series of green bars.

        A Minecraft server that is ready to accept connections

        If there is a red X over the status bars, or it says old, then your Linode has not finished installing Minecraft. Wait a few minutes, then hit Refresh.

      Software Included

      The Minecraft One-Click App will install the following required software on your Linode:

      SoftwareDescription
      Minecraft 1.13Game server.
      LinuxGSMA command line tool for the deployment and management of Linux game servers.
      UFWFirewall utility. Port 25575 will allow outgoing and incoming traffic.
      Fail2banFail2Ban is an intrusion prevention software framework that protects computer servers from brute-force attacks.

      More Information

      You may wish to consult the following resources for additional information on this topic. While these are provided in the hope that they will be useful, please note that we cannot vouch for the accuracy or timeliness of externally hosted materials.

      Find answers, ask questions, and help others.

      This guide is published under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license.



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