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Your First Server

This guide creates a working Minecraft (Paper) server. The same steps apply to any game: pick a template, choose resources and an allocation, create, install, start.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”
  • An account on a Catalyst panel (your host or administrator provides this).
  • Permission to create servers. If the New server button is missing, ask your administrator for server.create or access to a node.
  • A node with free memory, disk, and at least one free allocation. If creation fails, ask your administrator — see server issues.

1. Create the server

Section titled “1. Create the server”
  1. Open Servers and select New server. The Create new server dialog has five numbered sections — Details, Node, Resource Allocation, Network, Startup — and a summary panel that mirrors the server about to be created.
  2. Details: enter a Server Name you will recognize, for example Survival SMP. Description is optional. Server Owner appears only if you hold user.create, admin.write, or *, and assigning someone else needs user.create — leave it blank to own the server yourself. Choose the Template: for Minecraft: Java Edition pick Minecraft Server (Universal). Its SERVER_TYPE variable picks the server software and defaults to Paper. If the template offers an Image Variant, leave it on Use default image unless you need a specific Java runtime.
  3. Node: choose the Node to run it on (usually there is only one). The location comes from the node.
  4. Resource Allocation: Memory (MB) and Disk (MB) are prefilled from the template and CPU Cores defaults to 1; accept them unless you know you need more. Swap (MB), Backup (MB), and Database Allocation can stay blank to use the provider defaults.
  5. Network: leave Network Mode on Host (port mapping). Under Primary Allocation, pick an Allocation (IP + port) for players to join through; Primary Port fills in from that allocation automatically. (Choose Macvlan only if your administrator told you to.)
  6. Startup: these are the template’s Environment Variables; the defaults are a good starting point, and anything marked with a red * is required. For the Minecraft template, leave SERVER_TYPE on paper and tick EULA to accept the Minecraft licence up front (otherwise Catalyst asks after install).
  7. If something is missing or out of range, the dialog lists the reason at the bottom and Create server stays disabled.
  8. Select Create server. Catalyst creates the server and starts the install automatically, then opens its Console. Installation can take a few minutes — watch the output in the Console tab.

2. Accept the Minecraft EULA

Section titled “2. Accept the Minecraft EULA”

Minecraft servers refuse to run until the EULA is accepted. If you did not tick EULA during creation, Catalyst asks for it in the panel, so you do not edit any files:

  1. When installation finishes, or when you select Start in the server header, the Minecraft EULA dialog appears and the server waits.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the licence — I Agree enables once you reach the end (or immediately if the text fits without scrolling).
  3. Select I Agree. Catalyst writes the acceptance for you and starts the server. Decline leaves the server stopped with status Error; starting it again asks for the EULA.

3. Join the server

Section titled “3. Join the server”
  1. If the server is not already running, select Start in the header and wait for the console to print the Done! line.
  2. Click the address shown in the server header (for example 203.0.113.10:25565) to copy it. See Find your address if it is not visible.
  3. In Minecraft, use Multiplayer → Add Server and paste the address.
Section titled “Related”