Minecraft Java Edition Server Setup Tutorial (Ubuntu)

Preface

Setting up a server on Linux is also quite simple, and it uses less memory, so it's recommended. Below, I'll use Ubuntu 18.04.1 for the demonstration.

You can play without a premium account.

Bedrock Edition uses the UDP protocol, default port 19132.

Java Edition uses the TCP protocol, default port 25565.

Launchers (include all versions)

PCL2 Launcher: https://afdian.net/p/0164034c016c11ebafcb52540025c377
HMCL Launcher: https://hmcl.huangyuhui.net/
Official Launcher: https://www.minecraft.net/zh-hans/download/alternative

The most important part of a Minecraft server is the server core. Cores generally fall into these categories:

Vanilla Minecraft Core
Plugin-Only Core
Mod-Only Core
Hybrid Core (Plugins & Mods)

Plugins are extra components that help server admins with management tasks. They don't need to be installed on the client.

Compared to plugins, mods need to be added on both the server and the client to work. If you only add them on the server, clients won't be able to join. If you only add them on the client, you can join the server, but the mods won't have any effect (excluding client-side helper mods like minimaps, item tooltips, X-ray, etc. – here we're talking about gameplay-affecting mods).

Currently, the mainstream Java Edition server cores are: (There are also some I haven't looked into, so I won't list them.)

Core Name	Description	Link
Vanilla Server	The official server, i.e., a pure/vanilla server. Cannot add plugins. Can add mods after installing Forge. Limited customization options.	https://mcversions.net
Bukkit, CraftBukkit	A relatively old plugin server. Does not support mods, but can use Bukkit plugins. It can use CraftBukkit plugins, but has poor compatibility with Spigot plugins. It can only use CraftBukkit plugins and some Spigot plugins.	https://getbukkit.org/download/craftbukkit
Spigot	Spigot optimizes Bukkit. Supports Bukkit plugins, but not mods. Good stability.	https://getbukkit.org/download/spigot
Paper	Paper optimizes Spigot. Supports CraftBukkit and Spigot plugins, but not mods. Comes with TPS optimization. Versions before 1.9.x had built-in anti-cheat, which was removed after 1.9.x.	https://papermc.io/
MCPC+	Can install mods and Bukkit plugins. Optimization is lackluster. Only supports Java 7, max version 1.7.10.	https://sourceforge.net/projects/cauldron-unofficial/files/oldreleases/version1/
KCauldron (KC)	Can install mods and Bukkit plugins. Better optimized than MCPC+, Cauldron, and Thermos; uses less memory. However, max supported version is only 1.7.10.	https://sourceforge.net/projects/kcauldron/
Thermos	An optimized version of KCauldron. More stable than the original Cauldron. Can add mods and Bukkit plugins. Max supported version 1.7.10.	https://cyberdynecc.github.io/Thermos/install
Contigo	The successor to Thermos, with many optimizations: server lag optimization, multi-threaded processing, lower latency, better world protection. (Items called by Forge don't pass through Bukkit plugins!)	https://github.com/djoveryde/Contigo
Uranium	An optimized version of KC. Multi-threaded processing for higher efficiency. Supports Bukkit plugins and Forge mods. Max supported version 1.7.10.	https://www.uraniummc.cc/
CatServer	A legendary core developed by a Chinese developer. Supports Forge mods and Bukkit/Spigot plugins, with multi-threading optimizations. Version 1.12.2.	https://catmc.org/
Mohist	Can use both mods and plugins. Supports some Paper plugins. Doesn't require a powerful server to run, and comes with multi-threading. Many plugins aren't supported, and some mods aren't supported either.	https://mohistmc.com/
Arclight	Can use both mods and plugins. The server's network environment isn't great, so downloading necessary libraries can be a pain.	https://github.com/IzzelAliz/Arclight/releases
Magma	A 1.12.2 server based on Forge and CraftBukkit. Uses Forge mods and Bukkit plugins. Future support for 1.14 & 1.15 planned.	https://magmafoundation.org/
Sponge Forge	Has its own plugin system. Can use mods and Sponge plugins together on versions 1.8 and above.	https://www.spongepowered.org/
Sponge Vanilla	Supports Sponge plugins, not Forge mods. Low memory usage and low system requirements.	https://www.spongepowered.org/
Glowstone	A fully open-source server. Supports Bukkit plugins. Version 1.12.2.	https://www.glowstone.net/

Java Download (Mirror Sites):

For users in China, it's recommended to use mirror sites (I suggest 编程宝库, as I find it quite comprehensive).

编程宝库: http://www.codebaoku.com/jdk/jdk-index.html
injdk: https://www.injdk.cn/
Tsinghua University Mirror: https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/Adoptium
Huawei Mirror: https://repo.huaweicloud.com/java/jdk/

MC versions and their corresponding Java versions:

1.7.X —— JDK 8
1.8.X —— JDK 8/11
1.12.X —— JDK 8/11
1.16.X —— JDK 16/11
1.17.X —— JDK 16 or higher
1.18.X —— JDK 17

Ubuntu can install JDK directly from the apt repository.

Below, I'll use CatServer for the server setup demonstration:

CatServer was the first core I used to set up a server, and I think it's pretty good. Although CatServer has a bit of a dark history, it doesn't affect my usage at all. As we all know, the two most prosperous mod versions are 1.7.10 and 1.12.2. The newer version has richer content, so I directly chose CatServer (Note: Every version and every core has its own reason for existing. Don't badmouth other server cores to praise your own choice).

Simple Tutorial:

Install JDK 8 with a command, download CatServer with a command, start with a command.

Detailed Tutorial:

Prepare the server:

You need to prepare the server yourself (Linux systems like Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS all work). I recommend using a server because it runs 24/7 and is stable. Use the officially recommended Ubuntu for the server. I'm using Ubuntu 18.04.1 here.

Open the port:

Choose the protocol based on your server type (e.g., Java Edition uses TCP). The default port for Java Edition is 25565. Some Ubuntu systems have the firewall enabled. You can either turn it off completely or just open the specific port (I'll explain how below).

The default login account is ubuntu.

Check the current firewall status. inactive means it's off, active means it's on. [For CentOS: firewall-cmd --state]

Shell

sudo ufw status

Disable the firewall (skip if it's not enabled). [For CentOS: systemctl stop firewalld]

Shell

sudo ufw disable

Check which JDK versions are available in the apt repository. [For CentOS: yum search java|grep jdk]

Shell

apt-cache search java|grep jdk

Install the Java environment. You'll need to type y to confirm. [For CentOS: yum install java-1.8.0-openjdk]
Shell
```
sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk
```
Please check the Repost Notes section at the end for Java version recommendations.Installing OpenJDK 8 is not recommended here.
Verify that JDK was installed successfully.
Shell
```
java -version
```
Create an empty directory (cat is just the directory name; you can name it anything).
Shell
```
mkdir /home/ubuntu/cat
```
Enter the directory.
Shell
```
cd /home/ubuntu/cat
```
Download the server package. Go to the CatServer official website to get the download link. [For CentOS: yum -y install wget]
Shell
```
wget https://luohuayu.coding.net/p/CatServerRes/d/CatServerRes/git/raw/master/serverjar/CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar
```
Run it once to download the necessary files.
Shell
```
java -jar CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar
```
Skip this step for CatServer
. For the official server package, the first run will generate an eula.txt file.

Type vim eula.txt, then press the i key to enter edit mode, and change false to true in eula=false.

Then press the esc key.

Then type :wq and press Enter (don't forget the colon).

Type stop and press Enter to stop the server.
Disable online-mode verification. In the server.properties file, change true to false in online-mode=true.

I have some basic Linux knowledge, so I prefer modifying files directly via commands (it's fast and efficient). Of course, you can also choose to install a panel like BaoTa for visual file management, which is suitable for beginners.

First, let's cover modifying directly via commands. You can use the tab key for auto-completion.
Shell
```
vim /home/ubuntu/cat/server.properties
```
Press the i or ins key to enter edit mode. Move the cursor to online-mode=true and change true to false.

Then press the esc key.

Then type :wq and press Enter (don't forget the colon).

Next, create a screen session (cat is the window name; you can name it anything). [For CentOS: yum install screen]
Shell
```
screen -S cat
```
Start the server. If you see the following information, the server started successfully.
Shell
```
java -jar CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar
```

Then you can execute admin commands, like op {player_id} to give a player admin privileges (the player needs to be online).

Next, connect to the world to test it. Enter your public IP; the port is the default 25565 (you can leave the port blank unless you changed it to something else).

Press Ctrl+A+D to detach from the screen window. Then check if screen is working properly.
Shell
```
screen -ls
```

OK, no problem. Now you can close your SSH connection software.

Configuration:

Server.properties configuration file. Official documentation: https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Server.properties

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CatServer folder structure

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More Screen Settings

If you want to resume the server console to execute Minecraft commands in the background, just type:

Shell

screen -r cat

If you want to shut down the server, you can execute the following command to kill the screen session named cat from outside the screen:

Shell

screen -S cat -X quit

More Ubuntu Firewall Settings

Enable the firewall. You'll need to type y to confirm.
Shell
```
sudo ufw enable
```
Allow a port through the firewall.
Shell
```
sudo ufw allow/deny 19132
```

// Allow / Deny access to port 19132. You can append /tcp or /udp to the port to specify the protocol.

After allowing the port, reload the firewall for the changes to take effect.
Shell
```
sudo ufw reload
```

Installing 1Panel

Official website: https://1panel.cn/

Ubuntu installation command:

Shell

curl -sSL https://resource.fit2cloud.com/1panel/package/quick_start.sh -o quick_start.sh && sudo bash quick_start.sh

Repost Notes

Due to Minecraft updates, many people will choose to set up servers on the latest version. Therefore, it's recommended to install OpenJDK 17.

Shell

sudo apt-get install openjdk-17-jdk

If your server has less than 2 cores and 2GB of RAM, it's not recommended to set up a server, as it's likely to run out of memory and fail to start.

Preface

Setting up a server on Linux is also quite simple, and it uses less memory, so it's recommended. Below, I'll use Ubuntu 18.04.1 for the demonstration.

You can play without a premium account.

Bedrock Edition uses the UDP protocol, default port 19132.

Java Edition uses the TCP protocol, default port 25565.

Launchers (include all versions)

PCL2 Launcher: https://afdian.net/p/0164034c016c11ebafcb52540025c377
HMCL Launcher: https://hmcl.huangyuhui.net/
Official Launcher: https://www.minecraft.net/zh-hans/download/alternative

The most important part of a Minecraft server is the server core. Cores generally fall into these categories:

Vanilla Minecraft Core
Plugin-Only Core
Mod-Only Core
Hybrid Core (Plugins & Mods)

Plugins are extra components that help server admins with management tasks. They don't need to be installed on the client.

Currently, the mainstream Java Edition server cores are: (There are also some I haven't looked into, so I won't list them.)

Core Name	Description	Link
Vanilla Server	The official server, i.e., a pure/vanilla server. Cannot add plugins. Can add mods after installing Forge. Limited customization options.	https://mcversions.net
Bukkit, CraftBukkit	A relatively old plugin server. Does not support mods, but can use Bukkit plugins. It can use CraftBukkit plugins, but has poor compatibility with Spigot plugins. It can only use CraftBukkit plugins and some Spigot plugins.	https://getbukkit.org/download/craftbukkit
Spigot	Spigot optimizes Bukkit. Supports Bukkit plugins, but not mods. Good stability.	https://getbukkit.org/download/spigot
Paper	Paper optimizes Spigot. Supports CraftBukkit and Spigot plugins, but not mods. Comes with TPS optimization. Versions before 1.9.x had built-in anti-cheat, which was removed after 1.9.x.	https://papermc.io/
MCPC+	Can install mods and Bukkit plugins. Optimization is lackluster. Only supports Java 7, max version 1.7.10.	https://sourceforge.net/projects/cauldron-unofficial/files/oldreleases/version1/
KCauldron (KC)	Can install mods and Bukkit plugins. Better optimized than MCPC+, Cauldron, and Thermos; uses less memory. However, max supported version is only 1.7.10.	https://sourceforge.net/projects/kcauldron/
Thermos	An optimized version of KCauldron. More stable than the original Cauldron. Can add mods and Bukkit plugins. Max supported version 1.7.10.	https://cyberdynecc.github.io/Thermos/install
Contigo	The successor to Thermos, with many optimizations: server lag optimization, multi-threaded processing, lower latency, better world protection. (Items called by Forge don't pass through Bukkit plugins!)	https://github.com/djoveryde/Contigo
Uranium	An optimized version of KC. Multi-threaded processing for higher efficiency. Supports Bukkit plugins and Forge mods. Max supported version 1.7.10.	https://www.uraniummc.cc/
CatServer	A legendary core developed by a Chinese developer. Supports Forge mods and Bukkit/Spigot plugins, with multi-threading optimizations. Version 1.12.2.	https://catmc.org/
Mohist	Can use both mods and plugins. Supports some Paper plugins. Doesn't require a powerful server to run, and comes with multi-threading. Many plugins aren't supported, and some mods aren't supported either.	https://mohistmc.com/
Arclight	Can use both mods and plugins. The server's network environment isn't great, so downloading necessary libraries can be a pain.	https://github.com/IzzelAliz/Arclight/releases
Magma	A 1.12.2 server based on Forge and CraftBukkit. Uses Forge mods and Bukkit plugins. Future support for 1.14 & 1.15 planned.	https://magmafoundation.org/
Sponge Forge	Has its own plugin system. Can use mods and Sponge plugins together on versions 1.8 and above.	https://www.spongepowered.org/
Sponge Vanilla	Supports Sponge plugins, not Forge mods. Low memory usage and low system requirements.	https://www.spongepowered.org/
Glowstone	A fully open-source server. Supports Bukkit plugins. Version 1.12.2.	https://www.glowstone.net/

Java Download (Mirror Sites):

For users in China, it's recommended to use mirror sites (I suggest 编程宝库, as I find it quite comprehensive).

编程宝库: http://www.codebaoku.com/jdk/jdk-index.html
injdk: https://www.injdk.cn/
Tsinghua University Mirror: https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/Adoptium
Huawei Mirror: https://repo.huaweicloud.com/java/jdk/

MC versions and their corresponding Java versions:

1.7.X —— JDK 8
1.8.X —— JDK 8/11
1.12.X —— JDK 8/11
1.16.X —— JDK 16/11
1.17.X —— JDK 16 or higher
1.18.X —— JDK 17

Ubuntu can install JDK directly from the apt repository.

Below, I'll use CatServer for the server setup demonstration:

Simple Tutorial:

Install JDK 8 with a command, download CatServer with a command, start with a command.

Detailed Tutorial:

Prepare the server:

Open the port:

The default login account is ubuntu.

Check the current firewall status. inactive means it's off, active means it's on. [For CentOS: firewall-cmd --state]

Shell

sudo ufw status

Disable the firewall (skip if it's not enabled). [For CentOS: systemctl stop firewalld]

Shell

sudo ufw disable

Check which JDK versions are available in the apt repository. [For CentOS: yum search java|grep jdk]

Shell

apt-cache search java|grep jdk

Install the Java environment. You'll need to type y to confirm. [For CentOS: yum install java-1.8.0-openjdk]
Shell
```
sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk
```
Please check the Repost Notes section at the end for Java version recommendations.Installing OpenJDK 8 is not recommended here.
Verify that JDK was installed successfully.
Shell
```
java -version
```
Create an empty directory (cat is just the directory name; you can name it anything).
Shell
```
mkdir /home/ubuntu/cat
```
Enter the directory.
Shell
```
cd /home/ubuntu/cat
```
Download the server package. Go to the CatServer official website to get the download link. [For CentOS: yum -y install wget]
Shell
```
wget https://luohuayu.coding.net/p/CatServerRes/d/CatServerRes/git/raw/master/serverjar/CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar
```
Run it once to download the necessary files.
Shell
```
java -jar CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar
```
Skip this step for CatServer
. For the official server package, the first run will generate an eula.txt file.

Type vim eula.txt, then press the i key to enter edit mode, and change false to true in eula=false.

Then press the esc key.

Then type :wq and press Enter (don't forget the colon).

Type stop and press Enter to stop the server.
Disable online-mode verification. In the server.properties file, change true to false in online-mode=true.

First, let's cover modifying directly via commands. You can use the tab key for auto-completion.
Shell
```
vim /home/ubuntu/cat/server.properties
```
Press the i or ins key to enter edit mode. Move the cursor to online-mode=true and change true to false.

Then press the esc key.

Then type :wq and press Enter (don't forget the colon).

Next, create a screen session (cat is the window name; you can name it anything). [For CentOS: yum install screen]
Shell
```
screen -S cat
```
Start the server. If you see the following information, the server started successfully.
Shell
```
java -jar CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar
```

Then you can execute admin commands, like op {player_id} to give a player admin privileges (the player needs to be online).

Next, connect to the world to test it. Enter your public IP; the port is the default 25565 (you can leave the port blank unless you changed it to something else).

Press Ctrl+A+D to detach from the screen window. Then check if screen is working properly.
Shell
```
screen -ls
```

OK, no problem. Now you can close your SSH connection software.

Configuration:

Server.properties configuration file. Official documentation: https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Server.properties

Shell

generator-settings= # Used to customize the generation of superflat worlds.
op-permission-level=4 # Sets the permission level for OPs. #1 – OP can bypass spawn protection. #2 – OP can use /clear, /gamemode, /tp, etc., and can edit command blocks. #3 – OP can use /ban, /deop, /kick, and /op commands. #4 – OP can use the /stop command.
allow-nether=true # Whether the Nether is enabled. (If disabled, the Nether won't generate.)
level-name=world # The name of the main world.
enable-query=false # Whether to enable the GameSpy4 protocol server listener, used to get server info. It's recommended not to change this.
allow-flight=false # Allows players to fly in survival mode if they have a mod that adds flight.
prevent-proxy-connections=false # If enabled, players will be kicked if the ISP/AS of the server's connection to Mojang's authentication servers differs.
server-port=25565 # The server's port number.
max-world-size=29999984 # Sets the maximum radius of the world border, in blocks. The world border can be set larger via successfully executed commands, but won't exceed this maximum block limit. If the set max-world-size exceeds the default value, it will have no effect.
level-type=DEFAULT # Determines the type of map generated. #DEFAULT – Standard world. #FLAT – Superflat world. #LARGEBIOMES – Preset world, but all biomes are larger (only available in snapshot 12w19a, or version 1.3 and later). #AMPLIFIED – Preset world, but world generation height is increased (only available in snapshot 13w36a, or version 1.7.2 and later). #CUSTOMIZED – Since snapshot 14w21b, servers also support customized terrain. To use it, paste the code into generator-settings.
enable-rcon=false # Whether to allow remote access to the server console.
force-gamemode=false # Forces players to the default game mode when they join the server.
level-seed= # The world seed.
server-ip= # Binds the server to a specific IP. It's recommended to leave this blank. Leave it blank or enter the domain you want the server to bind to.
network-compression-threshold=256 # By default, packets of n-1 bytes are sent normally. Packets of n bytes or larger are compressed. So, a lower value means more packets are compressed, but if the compressed packets are too small, it's not worth it. #-1 – Disables packet compression permanently. #0 – Compresses all packets. #(Recommended range: 64-1500)
max-build-height=256 # The maximum height players can build up to in the game.
spawn-npcs=true # Determines whether villagers spawn.
white-list=false # The server's whitelist. OPs don't need to be on the whitelist.
spawn-animals=true # Whether animals can spawn.
snooper-enabled=true # If enabled, the server will periodically send statistics data to http://snoop.minecraft.net.
hardcore=false # Hardcore mode. (If enabled, players are banned from the server upon death.)
resource-pack-sha1= # The SHA-1 value of the resource pack. Must be lowercase hexadecimal.
online-mode=false # Whether online-mode verification is enabled.
resource-pack= # A URI pointing to a resource pack. Players can choose whether to use it.
pvp=true # Whether PvP is allowed.
difficulty=1 # Sets the game difficulty. (peaceful (0)= Peaceful, easy (1)= Easy, normal (2)= Normal, hard (3)= Hard)
enable-command-block=false # Whether command blocks are enabled.
player-idle-timeout=0 # Kicks players from the server after they've been AFK for the specified time. Set to 0 to not kick AFK players.
gamemode=0 # Sets the player's game mode. (survival (0)= Survival, creative (1)= Creative, adventure (2)= Adventure, spectator (3)= Spectator)
max-players=20 # Maximum number of players.
max-tick-time=60000 # Sets the maximum number of milliseconds a single tick can take.
spawn-monsters=true # Whether monsters spawn.
view-distance=10 # Sets the number of chunks sent to the client. (Range: 3-15) # Decreasing this value can effectively reduce lag.
generate-structures=true # Defines whether structures (like villages) are generated when the world is created.
motd=A Minecraft Server # The server information displayed in the multiplayer server list on the player's client, shown below the name. Chinese characters need to be encoded.

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CatServer folder structure

Shell

CatServer folder structure
├─config // Some mod settings
├─libraries // Some support libraries
├─logs // Folder for server logs
├─mods // Folder for mods
├─plugins // Folder for plugins
    └─bStats // Folder for some plugin configurations
└─world // World folder
    ├─data // World data folder
    │ ├─advancements
    │ └─functions
    ├─DIM-1 // The Nether world #lol
    │ ├─data
    │ │ └─functions
    │ ├─playerdata
    │ └─region
    ├─DIM1
    │ ├─data
    │ │ └─functions
    │ ├─playerdata
    │ └─region
    ├─playerdata // Player data folder
    └─region
├─banned-ips.json // Stores UUIDs and game names of IP-banned players.
├─banned-players.json // Stores UUIDs and game names of ID-banned players.
├─bukkit.yml // A file present in all servers derived from Bukkit. Stores the most basic settings provided by Bukkit.
├─catserver.yml // This is a config file specific to Paper. You generally won't see it in Bukkit or Spigot.
├─CatServer-a8b73e9-universal.jar // The server core.
├─commands.yml // Provides a quick and easy way to force the server to use Mojang's commands (instead of Bukkit's built-in ones) without conflicts.
├─eula.txt // We need to agree to the EULA on the first server start.
├─help.yml // Help information for some plugins appears here. Generally, no modification is needed.
├─ops.json // The game nicknames, UUIDs, etc., of OPs appear here.
├─permissions.yml // The default permission definition YAML file, auto-generated on startup. Its main function is to combine permission nodes into a single file so that permission plugins (and plugins using permissions) can use them throughout the system.
├─server.properties // Basic server settings are here, like setting the port, game difficulty, game mode (survival, creative, etc.).
├─spigot.yml // This is a config file specific to Spigot. You generally won't see it in Bukkit. Because Paper is derived from Spigot, it also appears in Paper servers.
├─usercache.json // A cache file storing some user information.
├─version_history // Some version information for Minecraft and the server core.
├─whitelist.json // The whitelist. (If you enable the whitelist in server.properties, you can add and manage who is allowed or not allowed to enter the server in this file.)

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More Screen Settings

If you want to resume the server console to execute Minecraft commands in the background, just type:

Shell

screen -r cat

If you want to shut down the server, you can execute the following command to kill the screen session named cat from outside the screen:

Shell

screen -S cat -X quit

More Ubuntu Firewall Settings

Enable the firewall. You'll need to type y to confirm.
Shell
```
sudo ufw enable
```
Allow a port through the firewall.
Shell
```
sudo ufw allow/deny 19132
```

// Allow / Deny access to port 19132. You can append /tcp or /udp to the port to specify the protocol.

After allowing the port, reload the firewall for the changes to take effect.
Shell
```
sudo ufw reload
```

Installing 1Panel

Official website: https://1panel.cn/

Ubuntu installation command:

Shell

curl -sSL https://resource.fit2cloud.com/1panel/package/quick_start.sh -o quick_start.sh && sudo bash quick_start.sh

Repost Notes

Due to Minecraft updates, many people will choose to set up servers on the latest version. Therefore, it's recommended to install OpenJDK 17.

Shell

sudo apt-get install openjdk-17-jdk

If your server has less than 2 cores and 2GB of RAM, it's not recommended to set up a server, as it's likely to run out of memory and fail to start.