Discover host facts before asking:
- OS, architecture, CPU/RAM/swap/disk: uname -m, nproc, free -h, df -h.
- Existing Java: java -version.
- Existing server/service: /opt/minecraft, minecraft.service, listening ports, firewall.
- Existing Tailscale/private network if SSH/admin access is already constrained.
Ask only high-impact choices not discoverable from the host:
- When the harness exposes an AskUser/user-input tool such as request_user_input, use it for setup choices. Group related choices into as few prompts as practical, offer recommended defaults first, and keep free-form questions for values such as version, seed, MOTD, icon URL/path, player names, and domain names.
- If no AskUser/user-input tool is available, ask concise plain-text questions instead and proceed with safe defaults when the user already gave enough information.
- Minecraft version.
- Server type: Vanilla, Fabric, Quilt, Forge, NeoForge, Paper, Purpur, Folia.
- Public/private access: whitelist, max player slots (max-players), expected active player count, and view distance preference.
- World identity and server-list presentation:
  - Seed: ask whether to use a random seed or a custom seed before first world creation.
  - Server description/MOTD: ask whether to use the default or a custom description.
  - Server icon/profile picture: ask whether to use none/default or a supplied image URL/file.
- EULA acceptance.
- Mod/plugin goals: performance-only, admin tools, gameplay, full modpack.
- Optional Discord bridge:
  - Ask whether to link Minecraft chat/events to Discord.
  - For Fabric 1.21.10, recommend Discord Integration (dcintegration) for simple chat/event bridging.
  - Offer Discord-MC-Chat only when the user wants heavier customization, multi-server mode, console forwarding, or advanced formatting.
  - Avoid DiscordSRV unless the server type is Paper/Spigot/Purpur, because it is plugin-server oriented.
- Optional quality-of-life rules/displays: hearts in tab, TPS/MSPT in tab footer, deaths below names, phantoms disabled, Enderman grief disabled.
- Optional gameplay datapacks:
  - Ask whether to install BlazeandCave's Advancements Pack.
  - If yes, ask whether cooperative mode should be enabled.
  - Default BACAP configuration: item rewards off, XP rewards off, trophies on, welcome/intro message off, advancement messages on, scoreboard off.
- Optional distant-terrain system:
  - Ask whether the user wants Distant Horizons, Voxy/VoxyServer, or neither.
  - Explain the client/server split: DH needs DH on clients and server for sync; Voxy uses Voxy on clients and VoxyServer on the server.
  - Explain that DH and Voxy LOD data are separate; switching systems should preserve the world if jars/data are moved instead of deleted, but progress does not transfer automatically.
- Backup policy: ask desired frequency, retention, whether to backup with no players online, whether to backup on stop/start, and free-space reserve. If omitted, use a conservative daily or 6-hour full-backup policy with retention and size caps.
Verify all version-specific downloads from official metadata or primary project APIs before installing.
- Use scripts/mcmeta.py for Mojang, Fabric, and Modrinth metadata.
- Browse official docs or project APIs when metadata is missing or stale.
Install as a service:
- Dedicated minecraft user, usually home /opt/minecraft.
- Java runtime matching the Minecraft version.
- /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service.
- server.properties, eula.txt, mods/ or plugins/.
Harden network exposure:
- Public: only game port, normally 25565/tcp.
- Private/admin: SSH over VPN/Tailscale where possible.
- RCON, query, web maps, panels, databases: never expose publicly unless explicitly requested and protected.
Validate:
- Service active, logs show ready/done line, correct port listening.
- Firewall matches intended exposure.
- Whitelist/ops/admin commands work.
- Mods/plugins loaded with no dependency errors.

Server Type Selection

Read exactly one variant reference when implementing:

Vanilla or baseline Mojang jar: references/vanilla.md
Fabric or Quilt modded servers: references/fabric.md
Forge or NeoForge modded servers: references/forge-neoforge.md
Paper, Purpur, or Folia plugin servers: references/paper.md
Operations, backups, Chunky, profiling, RCON: references/operations.md

If the user says “best/perfect server” without choosing a type, recommend:

Fabric for vanilla-compatible performance mods and technical/private servers.
Paper/Purpur for plugin ecosystems and public/community servers.
Forge/NeoForge only when a required modpack needs it.
Vanilla only when absolute Mojang behavior is required.

Defaults

Use these unless the user chooses otherwise:

Path: /opt/minecraft
User/group: minecraft
Service: minecraft.service
Game mode: survival
Difficulty: hard
Sleeping: set playersSleepingPercentage to 33 after first startup unless the user chooses another value
Online auth: online-mode=true
Whitelist: enabled for private/friend servers, disabled only if public launch is explicit
Max players: ask during setup; if omitted, use max-players=20 for small/friend servers
Server description/MOTD: ask; if omitted, use a concise version/type description
Server icon/profile picture: ask; if supplied, convert to server-icon.png, exactly 64x64 PNG, in the server root
Spawn protection: set spawn-protection=0 unless the user explicitly wants protected spawn
RCON: disabled by default; if needed, enable with strong password and firewall deny public 25575/tcp
Query: disabled by default
View distance:
- 8-10 for general public servers
- 12 for small private servers
- 16 for 2-4 players with pregeneration
Simulation distance: 5-6 for most servers, lower than view distance
Memory:
- 4G small vanilla/Paper
- 6-8G small Fabric/modded baseline
- 8-12G moderate modpacks
- Avoid allocating nearly all RAM to Java
JVM: Java 21 for modern 1.20.5+ / 1.21+ servers unless metadata says otherwise
Startup flags: use simple G1GC flags by default; for 6G+ heaps, consider a curated Aikar/flags.sh-style G1GC set inside the systemd ExecStart, but do not replace systemd with a generated shell loop unless the user asks

Safety Rules

Do not run the server as root.
Do not open SSH to the public internet when private admin access exists.
Do not disable online-mode unless the user explicitly understands username spoofing risk.
Do not expose RCON publicly; use localhost, firewall, or VPN.
Do not install C2ME/alpha performance mods by default; profile first.
Do not start a new world before applying a requested seed.
For existing worlds, explain that changing the seed affects future generation only; existing chunks remain unchanged unless explicitly deleted/reset.
When applying a custom server icon/profile picture, download only from the user-provided source, convert/crop to 64x64 PNG, and set ownership so the service user can read it.
For Discord bridges, never expose or print bot tokens. Prefer prompting for bot token, channel ID, and optional admin role IDs only after the mod is installed and its config path is known. Keep bot tokens in the mod config with restrictive file permissions where practical.
Do not apply gameplay-changing quality-of-life rules or datapacks automatically; ask first, then document the exact commands/files used.
Do not delete worlds, mods, configs, or backups without explicit approval.
Stop the service before changing loader jars, mods, plugins, Java, or world-critical configs.

Performance Baseline

For Fabric small private servers, install only compatible stable releases:

fabric-api, lithium, ferrite-core, spark, chunky, krypton, servercore, scalablelux, alternate-current.
Add c2me only after Spark shows chunk generation/loading as the bottleneck and the user accepts alpha/devbuild risk.

For Technical Minecraft/Fabric servers, ask before adding a TMC tooling stack:

Practical baseline: fabric-api, fabric-carpet, lithium, ferrite-core, servux, syncmatica.
Add-on tools when explicitly useful: carpet-extra, carpet-tis-addition.
Performance extras to treat carefully: krypton is generally reasonable; c2me needs explicit user consent and testing on a backup first.
Omit client-only TMC mods from server installs, including Sodium, Litematica, MiniHUD, Tweakeroo, Item Scroller, Mod Menu, and ReplayMod.

For Carpet on Technical Minecraft/Fabric servers:

Audit active rules with local RCON before editing files: carpet <rule> for specific rules and carpet list only for broad discovery. The persistent world file is usually /opt/minecraft/world/carpet.conf.
Treat default Carpet behavior as the safest baseline. Many useful TMC rules are gameplay-changing or permission-changing, so document them explicitly instead of enabling a large preset.
Usually safe to expose to trusted technical players when requested: commandInfo true, commandDistance true, commandLog true, commandProfile true, commandPerimeterInfo true, commandLifeTime true.
Keep powerful or destructive commands restricted unless the user asks otherwise: commandPlayer, commandTick, commandScriptACE, commandManipulate, commandRemoveEntity, tickCommandPermission, and any command that can spawn bots, run scripts, alter time, or edit entities.
Ask before enabling gameplay/technical-rule changes such as accurateBlockPlacement, flippinCactus, hopperCounters, stackableShulkerBoxes, movableBlockEntities, optimizedTNT, TNT/sand dupe fixes, update-suppression simulators, antiCheatDisabled, and piston/redstone behavior changes.
If enabling fake players for a small trusted server, prefer commandPlayer ops or a named permission layer over true on public servers; set a visible fake-player prefix or suffix if the user wants bot names to be obvious in the player list.
After changing Carpet rules, restart or reload as required, then verify each rule with carpet <rule> and include the final world/carpet.conf contents in the setup report.

For Fabric Discord chat bridging:

Default recommendation: Discord Integration (dcintegration) when compatible with the chosen Minecraft/Fabric version.
Setup sequence:
1. Install the compatible server-side jar in mods/.
2. Start once to generate config, then stop before editing secrets.
3. Have the user create a Discord application/bot, enable required bot intents, and invite it with bot + application command scopes.
4. Configure config/Discord-Integration.toml with botToken, botChannel, and optional adminRoleIDs.
5. Restart and test Minecraft-to-Discord and Discord-to-Minecraft chat.
If the user wants transparency/auditing, enable Discord Integration's [commandLog] with a real channel ID instead of "0"; keep low-signal commands such as list, help, and ? ignored unless the user wants absolutely everything.
Account linking is normally enableLinking = true: players run /discord link in-game, then run the generated /link <code> command in Discord before the code expires.
Replace placeholder /discord invite values in [ingameCommand] with the real Discord invite before calling setup complete.
Alternative: Discord-MC-Chat for advanced formatting, multi-server mode, status/player-count display, console forwarding, or more complex webhook behavior.
Treat Discord bot tokens as secrets; never commit, paste back, or log them.

For BlueMap/Xaero player visibility:

BlueMap is the best server-side live map. If exposed publicly, document the web port and firewall posture.
Xaero's Minimap/World Map server-side Fabric jars are optional compatibility/config helpers; they do not by themselves make every remote player globally visible in clients.
For global BlueMap-to-Xaero player visibility, players need the client-side Map Link mod. Configure Map Link with a server entry whose ip exactly matches the address the client uses/detects, for example 145.241.164.73:25565, and whose link points at the BlueMap URL, for example http://host:8101/.
Map Link's direct config fields are maptype, ip, and link; for BlueMap use maptype: "Bluemap". Client config is usually .minecraft/config/maplink.json5.

For distant-terrain systems:

Choose one primary distant-terrain system per server/client setup: Distant Horizons or Voxy/VoxyServer. Do not tell players to run both client-side renderers at the same time.
Distant Horizons: install the compatible server jar when the user wants server-side LOD sync/generation; clients need Distant Horizons installed to use the synced LODs. DH LOD databases live separately from vanilla region files and should not be deleted during experiments.
Voxy/VoxyServer: install VoxyServer on the server and tell players to install Voxy on the client. Do not tell players to install VoxyServer client-side unless the project documentation explicitly changes.
When trialing Voxy after DH, first take a backup, stop the server, move DH jars out of mods/ into an archive directory instead of deleting them, keep existing DH data in place, install VoxyServer and dependencies, start and validate. To roll back, stop the server, remove VoxyServer jars, restore DH jars, and restart.
Verify all Voxy/VoxyServer downloads against current project metadata because version support and dependencies change quickly.

For Paper/Purpur, prefer config tuning and plugins over Fabric mods. Use Spark and Chunky equivalents where compatible.

For all server types:

Pregenerate chunks before inviting players when view distance is high.
After every restart during pregeneration, verify Chunky tasks resumed; if not, send chunky continue <dimension> via local RCON and confirm with chunky progress.
Set a world border near the pregenerated radius.
Use Spark profiles to diagnose TPS/MSPT issues.
Treat entities, farms, chunk I/O, view distance, and bad mods/plugins as likely bottlenecks.
Treat JVM flag generators such as flags.sh as references for GC tuning, not as a substitute for service management, mod/plugin compatibility checks, pregeneration, or profiling.

For optional gameplay datapacks:

BlazeandCave's Advancements Pack is configured in-game with /function blazeandcave:config; use Modrinth metadata for the version compatible with the server's Minecraft version.
Default BACAP setup when selected: item_rewards_off, exp_rewards_off, trophies_on, intro_msg_off, msg_set_on, and clear scoreboard display slots with scoreboard objectives setdisplay list, sidebar, and below_name.
Ask before enabling BACAP cooperative mode. If enabled, run function blazeandcave:config/coop_on; for team-based cooperative mode, use coop_on_team only when the user explicitly wants team-based sharing.

For backups:

Prefer an installed backup mod/tool over ad hoc archives when it exists. Document the exact config path and current defaults before changing them.
Conservative default for Just Enough Backups on small/friend servers: full backups enabled, every 360 minutes, do not pause when no players are online, backup on server stop, no backup on start, 5-minute warning, strict integrity, summary file enabled, 10 GB free-space reserve, retain 14 full backups, and cap total backup size around 50 GB.
Before risky changes, take or verify a recent backup, then report the backup path and restore caveats.

For player onboarding/client exports:

Emit a concise server invite/onboarding note when setup changes affect players: address, Minecraft version, loader, BlueMap URL, whitelist/Discord linking steps, enabled gameplay datapacks, and recommended client mods.
Generate a client mod list grouped as required/recommended/optional/client-only. Be explicit that client-only mods such as Sodium, Litematica, MiniHUD, Tweakeroo, Item Scroller, Mod Menu, and ReplayMod should not be installed on the server.
For Map Link, include the exact server address the client should match and the BlueMap URL.

Command Pattern

Use systemctl, logs, and RCON/admin commands:

sudo systemctl status minecraft --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u minecraft -f
sudo systemctl restart minecraft
ss -tulpn
sudo ufw status numbered

If RCON is enabled, keep credentials in a root/minecraft-readable file such as /opt/minecraft/.rcon-password; prefer local-only command execution and firewall-deny 25575/tcp.

Useful initial world/server commands after first successful startup:

gamerule playersSleepingPercentage 33
scoreboard objectives add health health
scoreboard objectives setdisplay list health
scoreboard objectives modify health rendertype hearts
scoreboard objectives add deaths deathCount
scoreboard objectives setdisplay below_name deaths

Set difficulty=hard and any chosen motd=/level-seed= in server.properties before the first full launch. Minecraft server icons must be named server-icon.png, placed in the server root, and be a 64x64 PNG.

Completion Criteria

Report:

Minecraft version, server type/loader/build, Java version.
Installed mods/plugins and their versions.
Service status and path.
Game/admin ports and firewall exposure.
Key server.properties values, including max-players, view distance, simulation distance, online mode, and whitelist.
Whitelist/ops status.
Pregeneration/backups/profiling state.
Client onboarding/export path or text when generated.
Any known warnings, skipped items, or follow-up commands.

minecraft-server

Minecraft Server

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