Server installation
This is a guide to installing Pixelmon on a multiplayer server. If you are looking for instructions on installing Pixelmon client-side (for singleplayer or joining an existing server), see the installation page.
Contents
Requirements
- A paid copy of the computer edition of Minecraft. This is the version that is obtained by purchasing Minecraft at minecraft.net using a Mojang account.
- Only the computer edition can run Pixelmon. Minecraft Pocket Edition (including Windows 10 Edition) and console editions (Xbox, PlayStation, Wii U) cannot run Pixelmon.
- 4 GB of available RAM.
- A 64-bit Java 8 version.
Notes
- This guide only contains instructions on local hosting of a server, which means that only players that are using the same internet connection will have access to the server through the multiplayer menu in-game. If you wish to publish your server so that players can connect remotely, please see this page.
- If you are using an external hosting service, installation will differ, so ask your provider for specific details regarding setup.
- This guide will only go through the installation of Forge, Pixelmon, Pixelmon sidemods, and SpongeForge. Sidemods and SpongeForge are optional to install, but can provide extra features and server management functionality.
- The Pixelmon jar file is universal, meaning that the same jar is used for both client and server.
- The more players use your server, the more memory it will need. For low player count purposes, this guide will use 4 GB as a minimum.
- Do not attempt to setup a cracked server. Players' Pokémon will not save on game exit; this is a bug that will not be fixed.
- Do not use Technic to distribute modpacks. The Technic platform will cause save issues and other game-breaking bugs, and these issues will not be fixed. If you are interested in offering modpacks containing Pixelmon, visit the Pixpack page.
- If you are looking for additional support, please contact our Support team in Pixelmon's support tracker or by joining the Pixelmon Discord.
Versions
Pixelmon is compatible with several versions of Minecraft, shown in the table below. Each version of Minecraft requires a different version of Pixelmon to be used. Note that only the Minecraft 1.10.2 version of Pixelmon currently receives updates; versions of Pixelmon for older versions of Minecraft will no longer receive updates or bug fixes.
There is no Pixelmon version for Minecraft version 1.11 yet. See this page for Pixelmon's current status with regards to Minecraft 1.11.
All players that connect to a server must use exactly the same version of Pixelmon that the server is using. If a player attempts to connect to the server with a different version of Pixelmon than the server's Pixelmon version, that player will not be able to join the server.
Minecraft version | Pixelmon version |
---|---|
1.10.2 | 5.1.1 |
1.8.9 | 4.3.1 |
1.8 | 4.1.4 |
1.7.10 | 3.5.1 |
Forge installation
- Find the recommended Forge version for your chosen Minecraft version on this page. Depending on your operating system, download either the "Installer-win" (Windows) or "Installer" (Mac OS/Linux) file.
- Once you have downloaded the file, place it in a folder where you will setup your server. Creating a folder which is easy to access is recommended.
- Run the downloaded file. When asked, select "server" installation and change the target directory to the folder you have just created.
- Once it is completed, open the directory with the newly created files and open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac OS/Linux) from the directory where the forge-[version]-universal.jar is located.
- In the command screen, run the following command:
java -Xmx4G -Xms4G -jar forge-[version]-universal.jar nogui
- The screen will state that the server has stopped. In the main server folder (where the Forge jar is), open the newly generated "eula.txt" file with a plain text editor, change "eula=false" to "eula=true", and save the file.
- While not required, you are advised to follow the instructions in "eula.txt" and read Minecraft's End User License Agreement. If you violate the terms outlined in this legal document, you will risk legal action being taken against you.
- Run the command prompt again, noticing that now, the server has fully loaded up, creating a fresh world. Forge is now installed on your server.
Pixelmon installation
- In the main directory of the server, open the /mods folder.
- If your server is currently running, use your server's console (the command GUI) to enter the "/stop" command and shut down the server.
- Go to the downloads page and download the corresponding Pixelmon version to the Minecraft that you chose.
- With the Pixelmon jar downloaded, drop the fresh file into the /mods directory.
- Do not extract or unzip the file.
- Restart the server. If you followed the steps above correctly, your server is now a Pixelmon server.
- To customize your server, you can use Pixelmon's config file, located in the /config directory. Note that if you change the config file, you will have to restart the server in order for your changes to take effect.
Sidemod installation
This is an optional section of the tutorial that is not needed to run a Pixelmon server. If you do not want any Pixelmon sidemods, skip this part of the guide.
- View the sidemods page for a list of sidemods that are compatible with your version of Pixelmon.
- Sidemods have different versions that must be paired with specific Pixelmon versions. The sidemod page contains details about the required sidemods versions for your chosen Pixelmon version.
- Once you have selected the sidemod version that matches your Pixelmon version, visit the Pixelmon downloads page to download the files.
- After downloading a sidemod, place the fresh jar file into the /mods folder of your server. If your server is on, restart it for the change to take hold. If not, starting the server will enable the sidemod.
- Certain sidemods may have extra installation instructions. Consult the page of the sidemod that you installed to check if any extra setup must be done with the sidemod.
- Sidemod configuration files can be found alongside Pixelmon's config file, in the /config folder. For more information, please visit the specific page related to the sidemod you have installed.
SpongeForge Installation
This is an optional section of the tutorial that is not needed to run a Pixelmon server. If you do not need to use plugins, skip this part of the guide.
- In the main directory of the server, open the /mods folder.
- Download the appropriate SpongeForge from this page. Please note that Minecraft version 1.8.9 and below are not recommended if you are using SpongeForge.
- SpongeForge requires the appropriate Forge version to be installed. Much like Pixelmon, it also requires the corresponding Minecraft version.
- After selecting the SpongeForge version (the latest stable build is the recommended version), download the file.
- Once the download has finished, Copy the fresh SpongeForge jar to the /mods folder of your server's directory.
- Note that the fresh jar's name states the Forge version that it corresponds to: spongeforge-[Minecraft version]-[Forge version]-[API]-BETA-[Spongeforge version].jar. Make sure that this version matches the version of Forge that you have installed on the server.
- Restart the server. Upon booting up the server, your server will now have SpongeForge installed. To add plugins, please visit this page to find a list of plugins.
Troubleshooting
- If you are experiencing issues, please post a support ticket on Pixelmon's support tracker or seek help from our Support team in the Pixelmon Discord.
- If you are using the optional SpongeForge, read the SpongeForge documentation on the Sponge Forums.
- If you are having issues with a sidemod, report the issue to Pixelmon's sidemod issue tracker.