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Crafty Minecraft Server

Unraid dedicated server hosting for Minecraft using Crafty Controller

Crafty Minecraft Server Setup

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Credits​

RoleContributor
Writer / ProducerIBRACORP
Video Recording and VoiceIBRACORP
ContributorCrafty Community
Testing / ProofreadingIBRACORP Community

Feature List​

Crafty Minecraft Server Controller Features:

  • Web-based Minecraft server management interface
  • Support for vanilla, Paper, Forge, and modded servers
  • Multiple Java version compatibility
  • Real-time server monitoring and logs
  • Player management and operator controls
  • Automated backups and scheduling
  • Plugin and mod management
  • Resource usage monitoring

Prerequisites​

System Requirements:

  • CPU: 4+ cores (2.0GHz or higher)
  • RAM: 4GB minimum (8GB+ recommended for modded servers)
  • Storage: 10GB available space minimum
  • Network: Stable internet connection with port forwarding
  • Java: Compatible Java version for chosen Minecraft version

Installation​

Unraid Docker Template​

Crafty Controller / Community Applications / Gaming

Installation Steps:

  1. Head to the Community Applications store in Unraid
  2. Search for and click to install Crafty Controller from the community applications
  3. If you are using a custom Docker network, select it in the 'Network Type' field
  4. Configure the container ports:
    • WebUI Port: 8443 (HTTPS) or 8000 (HTTP)
    • Minecraft Port: 25565 (default)
  5. Configure Container:
    • Set PUID and PGID to match your user
    • Configure TZ to your timezone
    • Set volume mappings for server data
  6. Click Apply and wait for the container to pull down and start
  7. Access the WebUI at https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8443

Docker Compose​

version: '3.8'
services:
  crafty:
    image: registry.gitlab.com/crafty-controller/crafty-4:latest
    container_name: crafty-minecraft
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    ports:
      - "8443:8443"  # HTTPS WebUI
      - "8000:8000"  # HTTP WebUI
      - "25565:25565" # Minecraft Server
    volumes:
      - ./crafty-data:/crafty/app/config
      - ./minecraft-servers:/crafty/servers
      - ./minecraft-backups:/crafty/backups
      - ./minecraft-logs:/crafty/logs

Installation Steps:

  1. Save the above configuration as docker-compose.yml
  2. Customize the timezone and user IDs as needed
  3. Start the container: 
    docker compose up -d
  4. Access the WebUI at https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8443

Configuration​

Initial Setup Process:

  1. Navigate to the Crafty WebUI at https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8443
  2. Complete the initial setup wizard
  3. Create admin account with secure credentials
  4. Configure SSL certificates (optional but recommended)
  5. Set up your first Minecraft server through the interface

Server Creation:

  1. Click "Create New Server" in the Crafty interface
  2. Choose your server type:
    • Vanilla: Official Minecraft server
    • Paper: Optimized server with plugin support
    • Forge: Modded server support
    • Fabric: Lightweight modding platform
  3. Configure server settings and download server JAR

Server Configuration​

Java Version Selection​

Java Compatibility Matrix:

Minecraft VersionRecommended JavaPath
1.8 - 1.16Java 8/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.8.0-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/java
1.17 - 1.17.1Java 16+/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.16.0-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/java
1.18+Java 17+/usr/lib/jvm/java-1.17.0-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/java

Basic Server Settings​

Server Configuration (server.properties):

# Server identity
server-name=My Minecraft Server
motd=Welcome to My Server!
max-players=20

# Network settings
server-ip=0.0.0.0
server-port=25565
online-mode=true

# World settings
level-name=world
level-seed=
gamemode=survival
difficulty=normal
hardcore=false

# Performance settings
view-distance=10
simulation-distance=10
max-tick-time=60000

Memory Allocation​

Recommended RAM Settings:

Server TypePlayersMinimum RAMRecommended RAM
Vanilla1-102GB4GB
Vanilla10-204GB6GB
Paper1-203GB5GB
Modded (Light)1-104GB8GB
Modded (Heavy)1-108GB16GB

JVM Arguments:

# For 4GB allocation
-Xms4G -Xmx4G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC

# For 8GB allocation
-Xms8G -Xmx8G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC

Player Management​

Setting Up Operators​

  1. Via Crafty WebUI:

    • Navigate to "Players" section
    • Add player username to "Operators" list
    • Set permission level (1-4)

  2. Via Server Console:

    op USERNAME
    deop USERNAME

Player Commands​

Essential Operator Commands:

# Player management
/kick PLAYER reason
/ban PLAYER reason
/pardon PLAYER
/whitelist add PLAYER
/whitelist remove PLAYER

# World management
/gamemode creative PLAYER
/tp PLAYER1 PLAYER2
/give PLAYER ITEM AMOUNT

# Server management
/save-all
/stop
/reload

Plugin Management​

Installing Plugins (Paper/Spigot)​

  1. Via Crafty Interface:

    • Navigate to "Files" section
    • Upload plugins to /plugins/ directory
    • Restart server to load plugins

  2. Popular Plugins:

    • EssentialsX - Core commands and utilities
    • WorldGuard - World protection and regions
    • LuckPerms - Advanced permissions management
    • Vault - Economy API
    • PlaceholderAPI - Plugin compatibility

Mod Management (Forge/Fabric)​

  1. Forge Mods:

    • Place .jar files in /mods/ directory
    • Ensure client-server compatibility
    • Check mod dependencies

  2. Fabric Mods:

    • Install Fabric API as base dependency
    • Add compatible mods to /mods/ directory
    • Verify Minecraft version compatibility

Backup Configuration​

Automated Backups​

Backup Settings in Crafty:

  1. Navigate to "Schedules" section
  2. Create new scheduled task
  3. Configure backup frequency:
    • Daily: For active servers
    • Weekly: For stable servers
    • Manual: Before major changes

Backup Commands:

# Manual backup via console
/save-all flush
# Copy world folder to backup location

Backup Management​

Best Practices:

  • Keep 7 daily backups minimum
  • Store backups on separate storage device
  • Test backup restoration regularly
  • Backup before server updates or major changes

Performance Optimization​

Server-Side Optimizations​

server.properties Tweaks:

# Reduce entity processing
entity-broadcast-range-percentage=80
simulation-distance=6
view-distance=8

# Network optimization
network-compression-threshold=256
max-tick-time=60000

# Performance settings
spawn-protection=0
use-native-transport=true

Paper Configuration (paper.yml):

# Anti-cheat optimizations
settings:
  async-chunks:
    enable: true
    threads: 4

world-settings:
  default:
    # Mob optimization
    despawn-ranges:
      monster: 56
      creature: 32
      ambient: 32

    # Chunk optimization
    max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick: 6
    optimize-explosions: true

Plugin Optimizations​

Performance Monitoring Plugins:

  • Spark - Performance profiler
  • Plan - Analytics and statistics
  • LagAssist - Automatic lag reduction

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Server Won't Start:

  • Check Java version compatibility
  • Verify sufficient RAM allocation
  • Review server logs for errors
  • Ensure EULA is accepted

Players Can't Connect:

  • Confirm port forwarding for 25565
  • Check firewall settings
  • Verify server IP configuration (server-ip=0.0.0.0)
  • Ensure server is running and accessible

Performance Issues:

  • Monitor RAM usage in Crafty interface
  • Reduce view distance and simulation distance
  • Limit entity counts with plugins
  • Check for problematic plugins or mods

Crafty WebUI Issues:

  • Clear browser cache and cookies
  • Check SSL certificate configuration
  • Verify container port mappings
  • Review Crafty logs for errors

Log Analysis​

Server Logs Location:

  • Crafty Logs: /crafty/logs/
  • Server Logs: /crafty/servers/SERVER_NAME/logs/
  • Crash Reports: /crafty/servers/SERVER_NAME/crash-reports/

Log Commands:

# View Crafty logs
docker logs crafty-minecraft

# View server logs
tail -f ./minecraft-servers/SERVER_NAME/logs/latest.log

# Follow logs in real-time
docker logs -f crafty-minecraft

Advanced Configuration​

Multiple Server Setup​

  1. Create Additional Servers:

    • Use unique ports for each server
    • Configure separate world directories
    • Allocate appropriate resources per server

  2. Port Management:

    # Server 1: 25565
    # Server 2: 25566
    # Server 3: 25567

Network Configuration​

Advanced Networking:

# Proxy support (for large networks)
bungeecord=true
prevent-proxy-connections=false

# IP forwarding (for proxied servers)
server-ip=127.0.0.1
online-mode=false

Special Thanks​

  • Crafty Controller Team for their excellent server management platform
  • To our fantastic Discord community and our Admins DiscDuck and Hawks for their input and documentation (as always)

Please support the developers and creators involved in this work to help show them some love. ❤️

Final Words​

We hope you enjoyed this guide. It was conceptualized, written, and implemented by our Admin Sycotix.

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