Rank Noob reporting in and requesting help! (New issues 3/24)

[Ragnoff]

Hello folks, I am brand new to Minecraft, and thus to Minecraft servers. I hope to update this post when I have questions or to report what I am doing and get feedback. I promise any question I have I have made at least a good faith try to find the answer for first! As a noob both to servers and Minecraft, I think sometimes I may not recognize the answer when I saw it.

Why is a Minecraft Noob jumping into running a server? Good question!

I am running a homes server. My 11 son has loved Minecraft since he discovered it, and this is a big deal to me. He has Aspergers, and has been playing on some public servers, but I wanted a server where I could play with him and we would have just the 2 of us, I would also not mind having something separate for him and a few of his friends from his class to play. I must admit as a long time computer geek myself I have been having fun with Minecraft as well, something I had not anticipated from my son's initial description of the game! He told me Tekkit was his favorite mod/setting, and after reading a bit I paid for my subscription ( he had his for a while now), downloaded the basic Tekkit launcher, and the Tekkit Lite server... After a bit of work and tinkering I got the server running, the port set up, and the other computers could log in! Success!

I will put links here to jump to the current report/question, and edit to keep this up to date!

Thank in advance for the help and suggestions. Suggestions are PARTICULARLY welcome as I think I likely don't know what I need to ask....

---- this part edits as I make changes ----

Current Server Specs: Windows 7 machine, AMD Athlon II x4core (~3.0 GHz), 6 gigs RAM, connected to the wireless router by cable (the client machines connect via wireless network) . I am using the basic starting setting for the server that are standard when the Tekkit Lite server & mods are downloaded. Startup command for the server is:

java -Xmx3G -Xms2G -jar TekkitLite.jar nogui

Anything else I should report here?

---- Links to posts with Q's and reports ----

1) Starting Questions! (next post)

2) Multiple worlds/different permissions on the same server? Problems and pondering

3) Understanding server types – or maybe I just don't!

[Ragnoff]

Okay I have several starting questions.

1) I am using all the mods that came with the download, which I think is everything listed in tech it light! I'm running them as they come. Now at the moment it's only my son and I, and later will be my son, up to a half dozen of his friends and myself. As I started to read to the guides lots of people talked about the need to limit different parts of different mods - and I realize we are about to go through a time of change as mod maker start adjusting to the new version of mine craft that was recently released - but are there mods from the basic Tekkit Lite pack that I should definitely exclude or limit? At the moment I'm not really worried about griefierst, John Q public or anything along those lines, just to have the two of us explore. I actually don't even have either of a set up as an op (at least I don't think I do) to were both coming in at whatever default permissions we have.

2) I ran the test to be sure that the port and the server were visible from outside, so I know when we get to the point we can invite my son's friends will be able to see the server. We'd rather have them in a different world than one my son and I use. If I understand correctly from my reading multiple worlds is very possible but that's a separate modification? (I don't recognize all the names of mods off the top my h had so possibly one of the mods included in Tekkit Lite already allows this possibility). Is this something I should worry about setting up sooner rather than later? Should I limit the size of the worlds (after all there's not going to be that many of us) in order to increase performance/reduce impact on the computer hosting the servers?

3) I am getting a few server errors, and we had a few crashes when connecting to the server from the other computers in the house. The first error I get is that when the server first starts I get a notice that several worlds are leaking. Trying to read on this blog it seemed like it comes up and nobody seems particularly concerned about it for new server. Since this was the default install of the tech it server and it happened the very first time I'm not entirely sure what – if anything – needs to be done about it.

4) The next error I get is the one where it says Help, I cannot keep up (or something to that effect) and asks if there's been a change in the clock time. My reading suggests this is what happens when the server doesn't accomplish everything within one tick and I'm wondering if the full set of mods that come with Tekkit Lite is too much and is causing this error. Occasionally it has happened when nobody is logged on the server at all! Again, is this something I need to be worried about or concerned with?

5) Finally we occasionally have a situation where whoever's playing gets dumped off and the server looks like it's unavailable, although after we refresh once or twice we can see the server and log back in with no problems. The other night I must've been kicked off five times in about 14 minutes. It was very late and I was going to bed for the night anyway so I just shut the server down and then restarted in the morning. Is there something I should check to see why this is happening? It seems like with only two of us we shouldn't be being kicked, but I know the wireless networks always ad a monkey in the works.

Thanks for reading all of this, in a day or two I will post the blog part, those posts will usually start "Through the eyes of the mine craft noob …"

[zeus5966]

First off I applaud you for jumping right into administrating a server. Especially jumping right into Tekkit! It can be daunting at times.

Now to answer some questions.

1) At the moment, you probably don't need to remove any mods. If it's just you and your son, you likely won't run into any problems, as the settings are tweaks mostly already. If you start getting players abusing different mods, then I would advise you to change the settings of the mods to remove the items the players are abusing.

2) If you want a world where only you and your son can explore and have fun on, search Multicraft. It allows multiple worlds relatively easy, but you really want to search Google or Youtube for some tutorials on setting it up.

3) Define leaking? It would be great if you tell us the actual error you're getting. I'm not sure what this would be.

4) This is a benign, yet annoying error that comes up even on the most powerful of servers. Just ignore it, and if it bothers you too much, go into the bukkit.yml file. Theres a line that says something to the fact of "warn-on-overload" and set that to false. It should get rid of all those pesky errors.

5) Is the computer that you use to run the server connected to the internet wirelessly? Or is it a wired connection? If it is wireless, I recommend you connect it to the internet via Ethernet cable. It is possible your router can't keep up with the amount of data being transferred from client to server.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them.

[Ragnoff]

Thank you for responding!

1) okay, I'll leave this alone for now.

2) I will look up Multicraft, I have spent all day trying to understand Multiverse-Core or using Mystcraft for this purpose, and I think I may be more confused than when I started. Now I have a little knowledge, and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

3) that's the message in the server at start up, world (hex string) may be leaking. On chat today they said that this is a side effect of one of the mods, possibly Mystcraft, that is included in the server.

4) okay, that's I was being into thing from my reading I will just ignore this.

5) My main desktop which is my most powerful computer in the house, is wired to the router and is hosting. The computers we're playing on are usually connecting wireless to the network.

[Ragnoff]

Okay, I don't think I'm going to do the multicraft, that seems to be setting up and running several completely separate servers through a single interface. I don't think my computer will handle more than one server, no matter what we used to set it up.

So this leaves me exploring three options for creating a situation where there are separate worlds for my son and his friends, and my son and I to play. All of these involve setting up some sort of first world that we log into that is limited, and then I send people off to additional worlds to do their playing/building

--------------------------------

Option one – mystcraft. I think I finally have this partially working in that I think I finally figured out how to spawn some additional worlds. I was told there are a couple mods that can be used to try to set up portal/houses that I lock and give people specific access to. The connections between this overworld and the individual ages would then be accessed through there. Advantages – this is already part of tekkit lite! Problems – trying to learn enough about mystcraft to set up the additional worlds! There is still only one netherworld, so there would be interaction between the worlds through their connection to the nether. Finding the mod that allows me to lock them out of the places I don't want them to go, and finding a mod like world border that works with the tekkit lite server. Although several people claim to have done it, there also doesn't seem to be any easy way to bring any of our existing work in. Ages can be freely transported into other servers, but I have not been able to successfully bring in overworld from one server in as an age in what would end up being the nexus server.

Suggestions gratefully welcomed related to option one!

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Option two and three both involve multiverse.

Option two– multi-verse (MV) with MCPC.

Advantages are that existing over worlds are easily brought in, and I believe additional nether worlds as well. Further advantages that we can create additional worlds without the amount of work that it currently involves to set up a new age in Mystcraft.

Major disadvantage – multi-verse does not natively work with tekkit lite! THis is where MCPC comes in. After starting a new server with MCPC I set up the server, imported worlds, and everything seemed great until I went to the worlds.

When I teleported to one of the imported worlds, or to a newly created world, this happens after a minute or two:

And then it looks like this:

I was on a couple IRC channels the last day or two and have not been able to find someone who can help me understand why this is the case. Solving this would make this solution the preferred solution. Using MCPC I know there are other mods such as world border I can use to limit the nexus world.

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Option Three is MV with BUkkitforge -

Same advantages as option two, my problem here seems to be versions. Treecapacitator will currently only work with build bukkitforge 252 or earlier, this took me a while to figure out as at first my server would not even launch. When using that build, trying to create or import a world in MV throws another server error, and it just says FAILED in game. Server log is here. http://privatepaste.com/8abf86d689

I did check that both MV and bukkitforge were compatible with the 1.4.7 minecraft build that the Tekkit Lite server uses, so the problem is not there. I simply ran out of time investigating this, so I don't know what caused the exception. Later I can go through that process again.

To some extent the puzzle solver in me would like to know the problem with each solution is that would give me more options later, practically getting any one of these to work would be great.

[Ysharma]

If you want 1 server only for your son, this is an easy solution:

1. Make sure you are on the same wifi network

2. Start a single-player world

3. Hit escape, press open to lan, then hit start.

4. Have your son click multiplayer, then connect to the lan server.

[Ragnoff]

We want one server that has several options. A world for just my son, world my son and I to share, world for just me (so I can learn without a son messing it up) and eventually a world he can share with one or more of his friends. Perhaps several worlds of that nature for different groups.

But I like the LAN idea for a few options, thanks for suggesting!

[Ysharma]

For a world just for you play tekkit singleplayer, if you want a world just for you and your son do as I said and create a singleplayer world that can be opened up to LAN. Both of this require 0 effort. When your sons friends play will they be at your house with his laptop or will they be at their homes?

[Ragnoff]

At their homes, I think the reason I was initially thinking of a server because we have one more powerful desktop that I've reserved for certain work, although it certainly could run the server in the background. We have several laptops the different family members use at different times. If I set up my single player on one of those laptops I would only be able to continue the world if I had the laptop that I started the world on. The problem with the lan idea is what if I have my laptop with me or I'm logged in in my single world while my son wants to work on the joint world? I suppose I could set up a persistent shared world on the desktop, but I would have to buy another subscription to mine craft so that my son and I can login to that from our laptops (I can't be logged into places).

The solutions you suggested certainly work, but limit some of our options for when and where each of us can play. I am actually using the LAN suggestion at the moment mostly I put my character in the bottom of the house and left them there, I am currently working on the main desktop, I was just trying to create something a bit more functional and flexible. I was also trying to use this as a learning tool to learn more about the servers and managing the server down the road.

[Ysharma]

You could set up a server just for his friends, but multiverse doesnt seem to work too great with tekkit. What do you need help with as far as server'ing goes?

[Ragnoff]

That was mostly it, trying to create the multiple portals or a base over world with portals to different areas for different combinations of people. I did set up a basic tekkit server that works fine for he and I to play on.

Before I have his friends come in I want to know how to protect different structures if they have access to everything or to give them each separate areas where only they can build, this is probably important with all young teenagers, but especially with Asperger's kids that occasionally explode at one another for very little reason or provocation, but regret their actions and our friends hours/days later.

I'm trying to teach myself mystcraft to create separate ages that are stable and interesting right now. I might try to use that instead of multiverse to create the different play areas.

[Ysharma]

I know of a mod that you can install onto the server that will fix this without needing mystcraft. Let me try to dig it up. But first I have to attend a lunch meeting so I will be back soon.

[Ragnoff]

Ok, thank you

[theprolo]

I'll see if I can clear a few things up here, and maybe give you a few ideas.

For Mystcraft ages, they're pretty customizeable but, unless something's changed recently, you can't go to the nether from them. I'm sure there are plugins which you could add which would allow you to create a portal from one though. I'm not sure if it's possible to make a second Nether using Mystcraft, but with all the new options added it's possible.

Several plugins can protect land, such as worldguard, factions and towny. There's plenty of choice for this one, so you can probably just do a search on the Bukkit website and find a list of plugins and take your pick. If they're likely to destroy stuff then regret it, you may want to consider a rollback plugin too, which can allow the admin to reset an area to what it was before (for example, if someone's house "accidentally"

burned down, you could simply restore it to what it was an hour ago).

I'm not too sure about running multiple worlds like normal with plugins, but that seems to be what Multiverse is specialised in. There may be alternatives, but I don't know them. If Mystcraft fails, it's probably the safest bet if you can get it to work.

[Ragnoff]

Thank you theprolo. I think my biggest challenge with these plug-in suggestions is getting Bukket based mods to work.

This might be a good place for an aside or I explained my understanding of the server types, which I'm sure is at best incomplete.

So class, here is student Ragnoff's report on to what I know about servers types, [platforms and styles!

We have base vanilla servers, I'm not using these and I don't exactly know a great deal about them.

We then have two different systems, Forge and Bukkit, which modified the way the base jar file work in order to make it easy to add plug-ins. In some ways these are plug-in manager and modification manager systems. They could be seen as distinct types of server/minecraft builds, different from each other and from vanilla. They do NOT play well together! Because people like mods built for each system there are people who are making attempts to use one type of mod in the other type of base server.

Now we get to Tekkit, which is its own launcher and platform, designed to help make it easy to bundle mods. TekkitLite is one I am starting from. I think it is based on Forge, although I'm going to say I'm wrong with this, but it seemed to have the most problem with mods made for Bukkit.

Then we have MCPC which some of the folks in the chat channel suggested I use, they said would make it much easier to use some kind of mods, and probably told me what kind but I don't think I understood the conversation well enough then to pick that out. This seems to work more easily with Bukkit, although I do not think it is CraftBukkit but some sort of split from that. Some bucket mods, such as multi-verse, didn't seem to work very well with this option. If someone can give us a better layman's understanding of this to me I would greatly appreciate it.

Then we have bukkitforge, which I think is an attempt to allow Forge-based systems (like Tekkit?) To be able to use Bukket based mods. This particular mod has a lot of versions for builds, and seems like there is some difficulty getting it to run on tekkit servers. I was pointed at a sticky here to look at try to make that work and I could not get the server to start until I went back to build 252, more recent build seem to have a problem with another basic mod in Tekkit Lite, Treecapacitaor specifically. I was able to get the server start using that build, but then Multiverse kept giving me failed commands when I tried to create or import worlds!

Okay, report over!

I think a lot of my early confusion is that I didn't really understand the separate development paths, and from the report above you can see I still have only a sketchy idea.

If you don't have any ideas for my specific situation, but you can improve my explanation and understanding of the different elements above PLEASE jump in!

[Dr_Mannai]

This might be tricky, but its surly works.

You can get http://dev.bukkit.org/server-mods/transporter

To link the servers

http://dev.bukkit.org/server-mods/transporter/pages/server-to-server/

To link the inventories

http://dev.bukkit.org/server-mods/transporter/pages/realms/

I know it might not be the most convectional way of doing things but, eh just saying what i would do.

{every thing mentioned before was good too}

This way you have to use mcpc+ but rather than using muliverse, you use portals to link the servers via the plugin, which is fairly simple to setup.

Tip: for a realm world {shared invs and all that goodness} you need to have a mysql database which is easy, you can download the program called wamp which again is fairly easy.

P.S: I have no problems, if you want me to help via teamviewer or skype to set it up.

-Mannai

The Rage Project

[zeus5966]

On our server, we've actually made our own mod pack with About two dozen mods adding various elements to gameplay. I know that we do have mystcraft, with a mod that adds intraworld jumps, and we have made a teleport into the nether. It's a little tricky to get the hang of, but if you read the wikis, you should be fine.

Also as a sidenote, a vanilla server is minecraft server without any additions. It is minecraft at its basic form.

If you need any more help, I'm available on Skype and I also have a team speak server if that's more your thing.