A short practical guide for installing, launching, and managing a vanilla Minecraft Java server on Linux Mint 21.3
Introduction
Running a Minecraft server on Linux Mint is straightforward, but the newest Java Edition releases require attention to one detail: the Java version. Linux Mint 21.3, known as Virginia, is based on Ubuntu Jammy and is supported until April 2027, which makes it a stable choice for a home server. However, its default repositories may not contain the newest Java runtime required by the latest Minecraft server releases (Linux Mint, n.d.).
As of May 21, 2026, Mojang identifies Minecraft Java Edition 26.1.2 as the current stable Java Edition release, published on April 9, 2026. Mojang’s release information provides the current Java Edition version details, while earlier 26.1 technical notes state that Minecraft now requires Java 25 (Mojang, 2026a, 2026b).
Java Edition, Not Bedrock
The standard Linux-hosted server .jar is for Minecraft: Java Edition, not Bedrock Edition. Java Edition is the edition normally used for a vanilla server running from a Java .jar file on Linux. Bedrock Edition is a different platform family used by consoles, mobile devices, and Minecraft for Windows. Java and Bedrock clients do not connect to the same server type without additional proxy or compatibility software (Mojang, 2021).
Install Java 25
Modern Minecraft Java servers require Java 25. Eclipse Temurin is a practical option because Adoptium provides Debian and Ubuntu package repositories. Adoptium’s Linux installation guidance also notes that Linux Mint users should use the Ubuntu codename from the operating system release file when configuring the repository (Eclipse Adoptium, n.d.).
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y wget apt-transport-https gpg
wget -qO - https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/api/gpg/key/public \
| gpg --dearmor \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/adoptium.gpg > /dev/null
echo "deb https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/deb $(awk -F= '/^UBUNTU_CODENAME/{print$2}' /etc/os-release) main" \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/adoptium.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y temurin-25-jdk
Verify the installed Java version:
java -version
The output should show Java 25. If it does not, confirm the Temurin package was installed correctly and check which Java binary is being used.
Create a Server Directory
Create a dedicated location for the Minecraft server files:
sudo mkdir -p /opt/minecraft
sudo chown "$USER":"$USER" /opt/minecraft
cd /opt/minecraft
Download the official server .jar from Mojang’s Minecraft: Java Edition server download page. Mojang’s server download page states that the Java server is run from the command line with Java (Mojang, n.d.).
For Minecraft Java Edition 26.1.2, a command-style download using Mojang’s published server .jar link looks like this:
wget -O server.jar "https://piston-data.mojang.com/v1/objects/97ccd4c0ed3f81bbb7bfacddd1090b0c56f9bc51/server.jar"
For future releases, use the current server .jar link from Mojang rather than reusing an older URL.
First Start and EULA Acceptance
Start the server once:
java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui
The first run creates the configuration files and stops because the end-user license agreement has not been accepted. Edit the EULA file:
nano eula.txt
Change this line:
eula=false
to this:
eula=true
Then start the server again:
java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui
The nogui option is appropriate for a Linux server because it runs Minecraft without the graphical interface. Mojang’s server download page also notes that the graphical interface can be used by omitting nogui, but headless operation is usually cleaner for a server (Mojang, n.d.).
Open the Firewall
Minecraft Java Edition uses TCP port 25565 by default. If UFW is enabled, allow the port:
sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp
sudo ufw status verbose
Find the server IP address with:
ip -o -4 addr show up scope global
Clients on the same network can connect using that server IP address and port 25565.
Run the Server Under systemd
For regular use, manage the Minecraft server with systemd instead of launching it manually. First create a dedicated service account:
sudo useradd --system --home-dir /opt/minecraft --shell /usr/sbin/nologin minecraft
sudo chown -R minecraft:minecraft /opt/minecraft
Create the service file:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service
Add this service definition:
[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Java Server
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=minecraft
Group=minecraft
WorkingDirectory=/opt/minecraft
ExecStart=/usr/lib/jvm/temurin-25-jdk-amd64/bin/java -Xms2G -Xmx4G -jar /opt/minecraft/server.jar nogui
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
SuccessExitStatus=0 143
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Enable and start the service:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now minecraft
Check status and logs:
systemctl status minecraft
journalctl -u minecraft -f
Keep Clients on the Same Version
The Windows client must run the same Minecraft Java version as the server. In the Minecraft Launcher, select Minecraft: Java Edition and choose the matching release. Mojang’s release article for 26.1.2 says to use the Minecraft Launcher and select Latest Release for the current stable release; if the server is running a snapshot, the client must use the same snapshot (Mojang, 2026b).
Troubleshooting the Java Version Error
If the server fails with an UnsupportedClassVersionError, the Java runtime is too old for the server .jar. For Minecraft 26.1 and later, the fix is to run the server with Java 25, not Java 17 or Java 21. Mojang’s 26.1 technical notes state that the game now requires Java 25 and that the included Java distribution is the Microsoft build of OpenJDK 25 (Mojang, 2026a).
Use the explicit Java 25 path in the systemd service to avoid accidentally launching the server with an older /usr/bin/java:
/usr/lib/jvm/temurin-25-jdk-amd64/bin/java -version
Final Recommendation
· Install Java 25 from Eclipse Temurin.
· Download the official Java Edition server .jar from Mojang.
· Run the server once and accept the EULA.
· Open TCP port 25565.
· Run the server as a dedicated minecraft user.
· Manage the server with systemd.
· Keep Windows clients on the same Minecraft Java version as the server.
This approach gives Linux Mint users a reliable vanilla Minecraft Java server that starts at boot, logs through journalctl, and avoids the common Java runtime mismatch that prevents newer server versions from launching.
References
Eclipse Adoptium. (n.d.). Linux (RPM/DEB/APK) installer packages. https://adoptium.net/installation/linux
Linux Mint. (n.d.). All versions. https://linuxmint.com/download_all.php
Mojang. (2021, October 25). The difference between Java and Bedrock Editions. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-or-bedrock-edition
Mojang. (2025, December 2). Minecraft new version numbering system. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-new-version-numbering-system
Mojang. (2026a, March 24). Minecraft Java Edition 26.1. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-26-1
Mojang. (2026b, April 9). Minecraft Java Edition 26.1.2. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-26-1-2
Mojang. (n.d.). Download the Minecraft: Java Edition server. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server
