How to Reliably Run a Minecraft Server on OCI Using Systemd for Auto-Restarts

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In this guide, we will build on the previous tutorial for setting up a modded Minecraft server on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). You will learn how to configure your Minecraft server to run as a systemd service, ensuring it starts automatically at boot and restarts in case of crashes.

Step 1: Verify Your Server Setup

Before proceeding, ensure that:

  1. You have completed the basic setup of a Minecraft server on OCI as outlined in the previous guide.
  2. The Minecraft server files are located in ~/minecraft and can be started with the command: 
    java -Xmx8G -Xms8G -jar forge-*.jar nogui
    Replace 8G with your desired RAM allocation.

Step 2: Create a Systemd Service File

  1. Open a terminal and switch to the root user:

    sudo su

  2. Navigate to the systemd configuration directory:

    cd /etc/systemd/system

  3. Create a new service file for your Minecraft server:

    nano minecraft.service

  4. Add the following configuration to the file:

    [Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=network.target

[Service]
User=ubuntu
WorkingDirectory=/home/ubuntu/minecraft
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xmx8G -Xms8G -jar forge-*.jar nogui
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
StandardOutput=append:/home/ubuntu/minecraft/server.log
StandardError=append:/home/ubuntu/minecraft/server.log

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
    • Replace ubuntu with the username of the user running the server.
    • Adjust the -Xmx and -Xms values to match your server's resources.

  5. Save and exit the file by pressing Ctrl+O, Enter, and Ctrl+X.

Step 3: Reload Systemd and Enable the Service

  1. Reload the systemd daemon to recognize the new service: 
    systemctl daemon-reload
  2. Enable the Minecraft service to start at boot: 
    systemctl enable minecraft.service
  3. Start the Minecraft service: 
    systemctl start minecraft.service
  4. Check the service status to ensure it is running: 
    systemctl status minecraft.service
    You should see output indicating that the service is active and running.

Step 4: Configure Firewall for Automatic Restarts

If you have not already configured the firewall for port 25565 (Minecraft’s default port), ensure the rule is set in your OCI Console:

  1. Go to Networking > Virtual Cloud Networks in the OCI Console.
  2. Select the VCN and then the Subnet.
  3. Under Security Lists, confirm that an ingress rule exists for:
    • Source CIDR: 0.0.0.0/0
    • Destination Port Range: 25565
    • Protocol: TCP

Step 5: Test the Service

  1. Stop the service to simulate a crash: 
    systemctl stop minecraft.service
  2. Wait for a few seconds and verify that the service restarts automatically: 
    systemctl status minecraft.service
  3. You can also check the log file for restart activity: 
    tail -f /home/ubuntu/minecraft/server.log

Step 6: Update and Manage Your Service

  • To Restart the Service Manually:

    systemctl restart minecraft.service

  • To Disable the Service from Starting at Boot:

    systemctl disable minecraft.service

  • To Edit the Service File:

    nano /etc/systemd/system/minecraft.service

    After editing, always reload the systemd daemon:

    systemctl daemon-reload

  • To View Logs:

    journalctl -u minecraft.service

Now your Minecraft server is configured to run as a systemd service. It will automatically start on boot, restart after crashes, and log its output to server.log for easy debugging.

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