Let's make a Minecraft Server from any old PC you have lying around
- that doesn't support Windows 11 soon...

Almost any old PC that you have can be converted to a Minecraft server. The only requirement is a decent amount of RAM.

In this guide, we'll be installing a Linux operating system instead of Windows. By installing Linux, we extend the lifetime of our old PC's or Laptop's. Check https://endof10.org/ for more information on how Microsoft will end Windows 10 on the 14th of october 2025. You can use any Linux flavour you want but we'll be using https://www.debian.org/.

This guide will only work for Minecraft JAVA Edition, not for Minecraft Bedrock edition.

1. Install the Debian OS

I'm not going to explain this step in detail, just follow the steps from Gemini or any other link returned from this Google query: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+install+debian 

There are also installation instructions at https://endof10.org/.

Now we are ready to install a Vanilla* Minecraft Java server.
*Vanilla = normal, as it comes from the factory, not modded

2. Install the Minecraft Server

2.1. First, we need Java

For a Minecraft Java Edition Server to work, we will need to install the Java JDK (Java Development Kit) on our OS. Don’t just install the JRE (Java Runtime Environment), you need to install the JDK on your system.

Get the Latest JDK here for your OS and install it: https://www.oracle.com/ae/java/technologies/downloads/ 

Test your Java installation using the command in a Windows CDM of Linux Shell  "java -version", it should display the version of your Java and not return an error.

2.2 Create a Vanilla Minecraft Server

For clarity; 'Vanilla' means 'without any modifications' in computer terms.

2.2.1. Download the Minecraft Server

The latest Minecraft version can be found on https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server.

Tip: The latest version is not always compatible with the version  of any MOD you want. So download the correct version of the Minecraft Java server that is compatible with your MOD version. All previous Minecraft Java servers can be downloaded via https://mcversions.net/.

Download the latest version here https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server

You should have downloaded file: server.jar

2.2..2. Prepare the Minecraft Server

Start the Minecraft server once using this command in CMD of Shell, this will create the required directory structure and files for the server.

java -jar server.jar nogui

You should see an Error message, this is normal. To fix this, in the directory where you started the server, edit file eula.txt and change the value false to true and save the file.

2.2.3. Configure the server

Open the file server.properties and enter the IP address and port for the server.

server-ip=192.168.0.29
server-port=25565

Optional: If you want to play with friends on a LAN with only one account, you’ll need to disable online mode:

online-mode=false

2.2.4. Start the Minecraft Server

Now start the Minecraft server a second time.

java -jar server.jar nogui

When the server completed startup, you should be able to connect to it using a Minecraft Client to test your Minecraft Java Vanilla Server. Make sure you use the correct Minecraft client version.

Tip: Using MultiMC, you can connect to multiple versions of Minecraft from one Minecraft 'client' application.