Nukkit Server Setup for Bedrock Edition

What is Nukkit?

Nukkit is a server software for Minecraft Bedrock Edition written in Java. It was designed to provide a fast, lightweight, and extensible server platform. While the original Nukkit project is less actively maintained, several forks like Nukkit-MOT and PowerNukkitX continue development with improved compatibility and features.

Why Choose Nukkit?

• Java-based: If you are familiar with Java development, writing Nukkit plugins feels natural.
• Lightweight: Uses less memory than PocketMine for equivalent workloads.
• Plugin ecosystem: Supports its own plugin format with a Java API.
• Multi-world support: Built-in support for multiple worlds.
• Cross-platform: Runs anywhere Java runs (Windows, Linux, macOS).

Requirements

• Java 17+ (OpenJDK or Oracle JDK)
• RAM: 512 MB minimum, 1+ GB recommended
• CPU: Any modern processor
• Network: UDP port 19132 (default)

Installation

1. Install Java 17 or later if not already installed:

   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre-headless
   
   # Check installation
   java -version

2. Download the Nukkit JAR file from the releases page of your chosen fork.
3. Create a directory and place the JAR file inside:

   mkdir nukkit-server
   cd nukkit-server
   mv ~/Downloads/nukkit.jar .

4. Run the server for the first time:

   java -jar nukkit.jar

On first run, Nukkit generates configuration files and sets up the default world. You will be prompted to choose a language.

Configuration

Nukkit uses nukkit.yml as its main configuration file and server.properties for standard Bedrock server settings.

Key nukkit.yml settings:

settings:
  language: eng
  shutdown-message: "Server closed"
  query-plugins: true
  deprecated-verbose: true
  async-workers: auto

debug:
  level: 1
  commands: false

level-settings:
  default-format: anvil
  auto-tick-rate: true
  auto-tick-rate-limit: 20
  base-tick-rate: 1
  always-tick-players: false

chunk-sending:
  per-tick: 4
  max-radius: 10
  spawn-threshold: 56
  cache-chunks: false

chunk-ticking:
  per-tick: 40
  tick-radius: 3
  light-updates: false
  clear-tick-list: true

spawn-settings:
  spawn-animals: true
  spawn-monsters: true

Plugins

Nukkit plugins are distributed as .jar files. Place them in the plugins folder and restart the server. Popular Nukkit plugins include:

• Economy plugins (EconomyAPI)
• World management (Multiworld)
• Permission systems (LuckPerms, SimpleAuth)
• Chat formatting plugins
• Minigame frameworks

Plugin sources include the Nukkit plugins repository and various GitHub projects from the community.

Nukkit-MOT vs PowerNukkitX

Two major active forks of Nukkit exist:

• Nukkit-MOT: Focuses on stability and Bedrock protocol compatibility. Regularly updated to support the latest Bedrock versions. Good for vanilla-like servers.
• PowerNukkitX: Adds more features and closer vanilla parity. Includes additional blocks, items, and commands not present in original Nukkit. Better for feature-rich servers.

Both forks maintain backward compatibility with most original Nukkit plugins, though some plugins may need updates for newer APIs.

Running as a Service

[Unit]
Description=Nukkit Bedrock Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=minecraft
WorkingDirectory=/opt/nukkit
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xms512M -Xmx1G -jar nukkit.jar
Restart=always
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Limitations

• Vanilla parity is not complete. Some blocks, items, and game mechanics may be missing or behave differently.
• Redstone support is limited compared to BDS.
• The plugin ecosystem is smaller than PocketMine-MP.
• Some newer Bedrock protocol changes take time to implement.