GlowstoneMC Glowstone

14 January, 2023

A fast, flexible and compatible open-source server for Minecraft: Java Edition.

Introduction

Glowstone is an open-source, lightweight, and from scratch Minecraft server written in Java. It supports plugins for the Bukkit API as well as its major forks Spigot, Paper, and Paper.

The project's main goals are to provide a lighter implementation of the Bukkit API/Minecraft server. This is where exact vanilla functionality is not required or higher performance is desired. Glowstone uses a thread-per world model and synchronizes only when required by the Bukkit API.

Glowstone offers a few key advantages over CraftBukkit.

It is 100% open-source. CraftBukkit, like most mods, is open-source. However, CraftBukkit relies on decompiled Minecraft source codes. Glowstone's code has been completely rewritten. Contributing to Glowstone is easy. Because contributions are not dependent on decompiled source, the barrier to entry is lower.

Glowstone supports all plugins that are natively written for the Spigot, Bukkit and Paper APIs. Some plugins may attempt to use parts of the API that are not yet implemented. However, Glowstone would support all Bukkit plugins in a fully implemented state.

Glowstone's simplicity makes it more efficient than CraftBukkit and other servers. This makes it ideal for situations where multiple players are supported, but no vanilla game features are required.

But, there are some drawbacks:

Glowstone is still in development. Although many things are likely not to work, there is no guarantee that they will. If you are unsure, file a complaint.

- Bukkit plugins which expect the presence of CraftBukkit-specific code (that are in the org.bukkit.craftbukkit or net.minecraft.server packages) will not work on Glowstone unless they are designed to fail gracefully.

Glowstone is not made by the Bukkit team. While we make every effort to produce high quality work, Glowstone doesn't undergo the same rigorous testing that the Bukkit project.

Check the wiki for a complete list of features.

Downloads

Our website contains the latest LTS and monthly releases as well as a link to our most recent build.

You can find older releases on GitHub.

Building

1. Setup

After installing Oracle JDK or OpenJDK (recommended), check the source:

2. Build

The final container will be placed in build/libs/ called glowstone.jar.

Running

Glowstone runs easily because its dependencies have been shaded into the output.jar at compile. Execute java-jar glowstone.jar with any additional JVM options (we recommend Java -Xms1G or -Xmx1G with XX:+UseG1GC). There are many command-line options available. Run java -jar glowing.jar --help to find out more.

By default, configuration is stored under the config/ directory and logs are in the logs/subdirectory. The main configuration file is config/glowstone.yml, which replaces CraftBukkit's server.properties and bukkit.yml. During default configuration generation, these settings will be copied to Glowstone's configuration.

Glowstone uses JLine to input and output consoles. If you prefer a flat console, the JLine console can also be disabled.

Need more assistance? You can find more help at our wiki.

Playing

We have a Glowstone server available for you to test at mc.glowstone.net. Have fun!

Docs and Support

GitHub issues is the best place to get support. Report bugs on GitHub. Please retest the bug and include if it reproduces on:

- Glowstone earlier builds

Javadocs can be found here for Glowstone.

See the Glowkit Javadocs for documentation on the Glowkit API (an updated Bukkit For Glowstone, based upon the Paper API and compatible with Spigot's update to Bukkit).

First, thank you for showing interest in Glowstone! We are always excited to see new developers contribute to the project! All of our resources can be found on our wiki.