How to Deploy a Paper Minecraft Server on Ubuntu 20.04

Paper is a high-performance Minecraft server implementation that extends Spigot with patches for improved tick performance, configurable gameplay mechanics, and an expanded plugin API. It remains compatible with Bukkit and Spigot plugins while correcting mechanics inconsistencies present in the vanilla server.

This article explains how to deploy Paper on an Ubuntu 20.04 server. It covers installing the Eclipse Temurin Java runtime from the Adoptium package repository, downloading a verified Paper build through the PaperMC Fill API, running the server under a dedicated system account managed by systemd, and opening the required firewall port.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need to:

• Have access to an Ubuntu 20.04 server instance as a non-root user with sudo privileges.
• Allocate at least 4 GB of RAM to the instance. Paper reserves a fixed Java heap at startup, and a 4 GB instance supports a 2 GB heap.

Install the Java Runtime

Paper requires Java 25 or later starting with Minecraft 26.1. Eclipse Temurin provides supported OpenJDK builds through the Adoptium package repository at packages.adoptium.net.

1. Update the package index.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt update

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Install the packages required to fetch the repository key and query the Paper API.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt install -y wget gnupg apt-transport-https jq curl

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Create the keyring directory.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

4. Download the Adoptium signing key and convert it to a binary keyring.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ wget -qO - https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/api/gpg/key/public \
       | gpg --dearmor \
       | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/adoptium.gpg > /dev/null

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

5. Grant read access to the keyring so that APT can verify the repository.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/adoptium.gpg

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

6. Add the Adoptium repository and bind it to the keyring.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/adoptium.gpg] https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/deb $(awk -F= '/^VERSION_CODENAME/{print $2}' /etc/os-release) main" \
       | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/adoptium.list

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The awk expression resolves the release codename from /etc/os-release, which returns focal on Ubuntu 20.04. The signed-by option scopes the key to this repository alone, unlike the deprecated apt-key add command, which trusted a key across every configured repository.

7. Refresh the package index to include the new repository.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt update

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

8. Install Temurin 25.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt install -y temurin-25-jdk

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

9. Verify the installed runtime.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ java -version

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The output confirms a Temurin LTS build:

   openjdk version "25.0.4" 2026-07-21 LTS
   OpenJDK Runtime Environment Temurin-25.0.4+7 (build 25.0.4+7-LTS)
   OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Temurin-25.0.4+7 (build 25.0.4+7-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)

Create a Service Account

Running a public-facing game server under a dedicated unprivileged account limits the damage a compromised plugin or exploit can cause. The account requires no login shell because systemd starts the process directly.

1. Create a system user with a home directory and no interactive shell.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo useradd -r -m -U -d /opt/minecraft -s /usr/sbin/nologin minecraft

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Create the server directory and assign ownership to the new account.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo install -d -o minecraft -g minecraft /opt/minecraft/paper

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

Deploy Paper

PaperMC distributes builds through the Fill API at fill.papermc.io. The previous api.papermc.io/v2 endpoint now returns HTTP 410 Gone and cannot supply builds. Every Fill response includes a SHA-256 checksum, which lets you confirm the download before running it.

1. Query the API for the current version identifier.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ PAPER_VERSION=$(curl -s https://fill.papermc.io/v3/projects/paper \
       -H "accept: application/json" \
       | jq -r '.versions | to_entries | map(select(.key|test("^[0-9]"))) | .[0].value[0]')

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Display the resolved version.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ echo "$PAPER_VERSION"

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The output shows the newest release, such as 26.2.

3. Fetch the metadata for the latest build of that version.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ BUILD_META=$(curl -s "https://fill.papermc.io/v3/projects/paper/versions/${PAPER_VERSION}/builds/latest" \
       -H "accept: application/json")

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

4. Extract the download URL and its checksum.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ PAPER_URL=$(echo "$BUILD_META" | jq -r '.downloads["server:default"].url')
   $ PAPER_SHA=$(echo "$BUILD_META" | jq -r '.downloads["server:default"].checksums.sha256')

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   In the above command:

   • PAPER_URL: The signed object URL on fill-data.papermc.io that serves the server JAR.
   • PAPER_SHA: The SHA-256 digest published alongside the build.

5. Download the server JAR.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo curl -fsSL -o /opt/minecraft/paper/paper.jar "$PAPER_URL"

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

6. Verify the download against the published checksum.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ echo "$PAPER_SHA  /opt/minecraft/paper/paper.jar" | sha256sum -c -

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The output reports OK. Stop and download the file again if the check reports a mismatch.

   /opt/minecraft/paper/paper.jar: OK

7. Transfer ownership of the JAR to the service account.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo chown minecraft:minecraft /opt/minecraft/paper/paper.jar

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

Accept the End User License Agreement

Mojang requires explicit acceptance of the Minecraft End User License Agreement before a server accepts connections. The first launch writes a template eula.txt and exits without binding a port.

1. Run the server once to generate the configuration files.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo -u minecraft java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -jar /opt/minecraft/paper/paper.jar --nogui

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The server writes its default files and exits with a notice:

   [21:47:15 WARN]: Failed to load eula.txt
   [21:47:15 INFO]: You need to agree to the EULA in order to run the server. Go to eula.txt for more info.

2. Open the generated agreement file.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo -u minecraft nano /opt/minecraft/paper/eula.txt

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Change the eula value to true after reading the agreement.

   INI

   Copy

   eula=true

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Save and close the file.

Run Paper as a systemd Service

A systemd unit starts Paper at boot, restarts it after a crash, and routes its console output to the journal. Stopping the unit sends SIGINT, which Paper traps to save every loaded world before exiting.

1. Create the unit file.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/paper.service

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Add the following configuration:

   INI

   Copy

   [Unit]
   Description=Paper Minecraft Server
   After=network-online.target
   Wants=network-online.target
   
   [Service]
   Type=simple
   User=minecraft
   Group=minecraft
   WorkingDirectory=/opt/minecraft/paper
   ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xms2G -Xmx2G -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 \
       -jar /opt/minecraft/paper/paper.jar --nogui
   KillSignal=SIGINT
   SuccessExitStatus=0 130 143
   Restart=on-failure
   RestartSec=10s
   PrivateTmp=true
   NoNewPrivileges=true
   ProtectSystem=full
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Save and close the file.

   • ExecStart: Launches Paper with the G1 garbage collector tuned for a fixed heap. Match -Xms and -Xmx to each other, and leave at least 2 GB of system memory outside the heap for the operating system and Java metadata.
   • KillSignal=SIGINT: Delivers the interrupt that Paper handles as a graceful shutdown, saving all dimensions before the process exits.
   • SuccessExitStatus=0 130 143: Treats the exit codes produced by SIGINT (130) and SIGTERM (143) as clean. Without 130, a normal systemctl stop leaves the unit in a failed state.
   • Restart=on-failure: Recovers the server after a crash, but leaves it stopped after a deliberate systemctl stop.
   • ProtectSystem=full: Mounts /usr and /boot read-only for the service, restricting writes to the server directory.

3. Reload the systemd manager configuration.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl daemon-reload

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

4. Enable the service to start at boot.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl enable paper

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

5. Start the service.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl start paper

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

6. Confirm the service is running.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl status paper

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Verify that the output reports Active: active (running).

7. Follow the startup log until the server reports readiness.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo journalctl -u paper -f -o cat

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   World generation on a new server takes roughly 20 to 45 seconds:

   [21:48:21 INFO]: Done (41.618s)! For help, type "help"

   Press Ctrl + C to stop following the log. The server keeps running.

Configure the Firewall

Paper listens on TCP port 25565. Ubuntu ships with ufw inactive, so enable it and permit both SSH and the game port before locking the host down.

1. Allow SSH so that enabling the firewall does not end your session.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ufw allow OpenSSH

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Allow Minecraft client traffic.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ufw allow 25565/tcp

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Enable the firewall.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ufw enable

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The command warns that it may disrupt existing SSH connections and asks for confirmation. Enter y to proceed. The preceding rule keeps your session open.

4. Review the active rules.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ufw status

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The output lists both services:

   Status: active
   
   To                         Action      From
   --                         ------      ----
   OpenSSH                    ALLOW       Anywhere
   25565/tcp                  ALLOW       Anywhere
   OpenSSH (v6)               ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)
   25565/tcp (v6)             ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)

Verify the Server

Confirm that Paper holds the port locally and answers connections from outside the instance.

1. Verify that the Java process is listening.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ss -tlnp | grep 25565

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   The output shows the listening socket owned by java:

   LISTEN 0  4096  *:25565  *:*  users:(("java",pid=26823,fd=129))

2. Test the port from your local machine, replacing SERVER-IP with your instance's public IP address.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ nc -z -w6 SERVER-IP 25565

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Open the Minecraft Java Edition client, select Multiplayer, click Add Server, and enter your instance's public IP address in the Server Address field.

   Note

   The server binds port 25565 only after the log prints Done. A connection attempt during world generation fails even though the service is already active.

Manage the Server

The service exposes standard systemd controls, and the journal retains the full server console history.

1. Stop the server, allowing it to save all worlds.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl stop paper

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Restart the server after changing a configuration file.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl restart paper

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Review recent console output.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo journalctl -u paper -n 100 -o cat

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

To issue in-game commands from a terminal, enable RCON by setting enable-rcon=true, rcon.password, and rcon.port in /opt/minecraft/paper/server.properties, then restart the service. Restrict the RCON port to trusted addresses in ufw, because the protocol transmits its password without encryption.

Conclusion

You have successfully deployed Paper on your Ubuntu 20.04 server using the supported Adoptium repository for Java, a checksum-verified build from the PaperMC Fill API, and a systemd service that runs the server under a dedicated account. Adjust gameplay settings in server.properties, tune Paper-specific behavior in config/paper-global.yml, and add plugins to the plugins directory before restarting the service. For more information, visit the official Paper documentation.