January 11, 2026 •7 min read•0 views

Host a modded minecraft server on a vps

Carlo Taleon

@carlo_taleon

Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Cobbleverse on a VPS

I was playing Minecraft with 4-6 friends on an EU-based Aternos server from the Philippines. We needed something beefier, closer to us (like Singapore), and costs way less (I foresaw Exaroton bill costing $21/month). A $5/month VPS costs way less than any "Minecraft hosting" platform out there, especially on a dollar-per-RAM basis.

I think people only shy away from this with the technical setup, but having been a VPS-pilled software engineer with webapps... I thought "How hard would it even be to run a gameserver?"—turns out 100% not hard! (I'd argue even easier than hosting a NextJS app)

And after trying it, it actually performed even better than any minecraft hosting platform I've tried. I would 100% host every minecraft server in the future on a VPS. I wrote this guide for future me as a cheatsheet. I'll springkle in 💡 as tips for stuff you might be unsure of.

Why This Guide?

This guide focuses on:

Written for VPS-pilled people - SSH, systemd, grep, iptables—everything you already know
100% terminal - No FTP clients, no additional software to install anywhere
Zero platform overhead - Only pay for the specs without the middleman. No performance penalty, no baked-in profit margins, just raw VPS power from your provider.
Straightforward cheatsheet for any minecraft hosting setup - I will be polishing and making use of this guide for ANY (even non-modded SMP) minecraft servers in the future.

Note: This guide has been tested on Debian 11/12 with Cobbleverse 1.7.2. Commands may need adjustment for other distributions.

Prerequisites

A VPS with at least 8GB RAM (Debian/Ubuntu recommended)
SSH access to your VPS
Basic terminal knowledge
The Cobbleverse modpack file (.mrpack) – get it here: https://modrinth.com/modpack/cobbleverse/versions
Optional: A domain for easier access

Recommended VPS providers: OVH, Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Linode

Step 1: Set Up Your VPS

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
 
# Install Java 21 (required for Minecraft 1.21.1)
sudo apt install openjdk-21-jre-headless -y
 
# Verify Java installation
java -version
 
# Install Screen to keep server running after disconnect
# 💡 I was new to screen, it runs a new terminal session on its own process
# (for synced/blocking programs i.e. the run.sh so we can still use other commands)
sudo apt install screen -y
 
# Create server directory
mkdir ~/cobbleverse-server # 💡 Any name you want btw
cd ~/cobbleverse-server

Step 2: Download Fabric Server Launcher

💡 It depends on your modpack, but generally they have tools like: fabricmc.net If you're unsure with versions, my train-of-thought here is:

Minecraft version MUST match the modpack's.

Fabric Loader version Just use the latest.

Installer version Just use the latest.

# Download Fabric server launcher for 1.21.1 (Loader 0.17.2 required for Cobbleverse)
curl -OJ https://meta.fabricmc.net/v2/versions/loader/1.21.1/0.17.2/1.0.1/server/jar

Step 3: First Run to Generate Files

# Run once to generate eula.txt and other files
# 💡 Change both 6G values to your desired RAM allocation (e.g., 4G, 8G, 12G)
java -Xmx6G -Xms6G -jar fabric-server-mc.1.21.1-loader.0.17.2-launcher.1.0.1.jar nogui
 
# Accept the EULA (required)
sed -i 's/eula=false/eula=true/g' eula.txt

Step 4: Install the Cobbleverse Modpack

Upload your COBBLEVERSE 1.7.2.mrpack file to the server:

# From your local machine:
scp "COBBLEVERSE 1.7.2.mrpack" user@your-vps-ip:~/cobbleverse-server/

Install the modpack using mrpack-install:

# SSH back into your server
cd ~/cobbleverse-server
 
# Download mrpack-install
wget https://github.com/nothub/mrpack-install/releases/download/v0.16.10/mrpack-install-linux
chmod +x mrpack-install-linux
 
# Install the modpack (this downloads all 150+ mods automatically)
./mrpack-install-linux "COBBLEVERSE 1.7.2.mrpack" --server-dir .
 
# This will take a few minutes. You'll see download progress.
# Done when you see: "Done :) Have a nice day ✌️"
# ^[OB characters in output are normal

Verify installation:

# Should show 150+ mods
ls -1 mods/*.jar | wc -l

Step 5: Create Launch Script

vi start.sh

Add this optimized JVM launch command:

#!/bin/bash
# Optimized JVM flags for modded servers (Aikar's flags)
# Reduces lag spikes and improves garbage collection
java -Xmx6G -Xms6G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch -XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 -XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 -XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem -XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 -Dusing.aikars.flags=https://mcflags.emc.gs -Daikars.new.flags=true -jar fabric-server-mc.1.21.1-loader.0.17.2-launcher.1.0.1.jar nogui
 
# Or use this simpler one-liner if you want to keep it simple
java -Xmx6G -jar fabric-server-mc.1.21.1-loader.0.17.2-launcher.1.0.1.jar nogui

RAM Settings:

-Xmx6G = Maximum RAM (6GB)
-Xms6G = Starting RAM (match Xmx to prevent resizing lag)
For 8GB VPS: Use 6GB to leave room for OS
For 16GB VPS: Use 12-14GB

chmod +x start.sh

Step 6: Configure Firewall (Recommended)

# Install UFW
sudo apt install ufw -y
 
# Allow SSH (important!)
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
 
# Allow Minecraft
sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp
 
# Enable firewall
sudo ufw enable

Step 7: Configure Server Properties (Optional)

vi server.properties

Key settings to consider:

server-port=25565 (default)
max-players=20 (adjust as needed)
view-distance=10 (lower for better performance)
simulation-distance=10
motd=Your Server Name Here

Step 8: Start the Server

# Start a screen session
screen -S minecraft
 
# Run the server
./start.sh
 
# Detach from screen: Ctrl+A, then D
# Reattach later: screen -r minecraft

Step 8.5: Import an Existing World (Optional)

If you have a world backup to import:

# Upload your world.zip from local machine
scp world.zip user@your-vps-ip:~/cobbleverse-server/
 
# SSH into server and extract
cd ~/cobbleverse-server
unzip world.zip
chmod -R u+rwX world/
 
# Make sure server.properties has the correct world name
vi server.properties
# Verify: level-name=world

Start the server and it will load your existing world.

Step 9: Test Your Server

# Get your VPS IP
curl ifconfig.me

Try connecting in Minecraft:

Server Address: YOUR_IP:25565

If this works, your server is running correctly!

Set Up Domain (Cloudflare)

Go to Cloudflare DNS settings
Add an A record:
- Name: minecraft
- IPv4: Your VPS IP
- Proxy: DNS only (gray cloud) ← Critical!
- TTL: Auto

Wait 1-5 minutes for DNS propagation, then connect at: minecraft.yourdomain.com:25565

🎉 You're all set! If you want to go play, you can stop here!

Just read the rest here for extra info...

Server Management

Just some quick commands to remember whenever you're on your VPS and tweaking the server

Restarting the Server

# Reattach to screen
screen -r minecraft
 
# Type in console:
stop
 
# Wait for shutdown, then:
./start.sh
 
# Detach: Ctrl+A, D

Never use Ctrl+C - it can corrupt your world. Always use stop command.

Viewing Logs

# Real-time logs
tail -f logs/latest.log
 
# Search for errors
grep ERROR logs/latest.log

Adding Extra Mods (Optional)

💡 If you play online-mode=false, you would definitely want these mods:

https://modrinth.com/mod/teleport-commands/versions

https://modrinth.com/mod/skinrestorer/versions

To add additional mods after installation:

# From your local machine
scp your-mod.jar user@your-vps-ip:~/cobbleverse-server/mods/
 
# Restart the server
screen -r minecraft
stop
./start.sh
# Ctrl+A, D to detach

Important: Only add mods that are:

Compatible with Minecraft 1.21.1
Built for Fabric
Server-compatible (not client-only)

Auto-Restart on Reboot (Optional)

sudo vi /etc/systemd/system/cobbleverse.service

Add this content (replace YOUR_USERNAME):

[Unit]
Description=Cobbleverse Minecraft Server
After=network.target
 
[Service]
User=YOUR_USERNAME
WorkingDirectory=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/cobbleverse-server
ExecStart=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/cobbleverse-server/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
 
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl enable cobbleverse
sudo systemctl start cobbleverse

Performance Tips

For an 8GB VPS with the Cobbleverse modpack (142MB with all those mods):

6GB RAM for Minecraft is appropriate
Monitor with htop
The modpack includes optimization mods (Lithium, FerriteCore, ModernFix, Sodium) which help server-side performance

Troubleshooting

Server won't start?

cat logs/latest.log

Can't connect?

sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 25565
sudo ufw status

Out of memory?

Reduce RAM allocation in start.sh
Lower view-distance in server.properties
Consider upgrading your VPS

Startup issues with Aikar's flags? Try simple JVM args: java -Xmx6G -Xms6G -jar fabric-server-mc.1.21.1-loader.0.17.2-launcher.1.0.1.jar nogui

Let me know if you need help with any specific step!

Host a modded minecraft server on a vps

#Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Cobbleverse on a VPS

#Why This Guide?

#Prerequisites

#Step 1: Set Up Your VPS

#Step 2: Download Fabric Server Launcher

#Step 3: First Run to Generate Files

#Step 4: Install the Cobbleverse Modpack

#Step 5: Create Launch Script

#Step 6: Configure Firewall (Recommended)

#Step 7: Configure Server Properties (Optional)

#Step 8: Start the Server

#Step 8.5: Import an Existing World (Optional)

#Step 9: Test Your Server

#Set Up Domain (Cloudflare)

#Server Management

#Restarting the Server

#Viewing Logs

#Adding Extra Mods (Optional)

#Auto-Restart on Reboot (Optional)

#Performance Tips

#Troubleshooting