DeerFoliaPlus · Installation and first start

Prepare the host

Check the Java runtime required by the selected release. Run this command on the machine that runs the server:

java -version

Check the runtime in the actual launch environment. A panel, Docker container, or systemd service can use a different Java installation from your shell. The server directory also needs write access, backup space, reachable ports, and a rollback copy of the old core.

Also confirm that:

• plugins, scripts, and management panels are explicitly compatible with Folia or DeerFolia;
• players who need Syncmatica, Servux, or Recipe Sync know which client components to install;
• worlds, configuration, plugin data, and databases are backed up;
• the first start will happen in an isolated copy of the production directory.

Download the core

Download a release for your server from DeerFoliaPlus GitHub Releases. Use the release title and file name. Do not rename an old jar to represent a different release.

DeerFoliaPlus is the launch core. Do not put its jar in plugins/, and do not load Folia, Paper, Purpur, or DeerFolia as a second core:

deerfoliaplus-test/
├── DeerFoliaPlus-<release>.jar
└── start.sh

First start

Use minimal launch arguments in the test directory. Replace <release> with the file name that you downloaded:

java -Xms4G -Xmx8G -jar DeerFoliaPlus-<release>.jar --nogui

The first start normally creates eula.txt and stops. Read and accept the Minecraft EULA, change eula=false to eula=true, and start again.

After a completed start, verify that:

1. the log has no Java, patch-application, or configuration parsing errors;
2. config/deer-folia-plus.yml exists;
3. enabling custom recipes creates and reads config/custom-recipes.yml;
4. a player can log in, move, load chunks, teleport, and disconnect;
5. compatible plugins do not continuously report Folia thread-context errors;
6. you enable Syncmatica, Servux, and Recipe Sync only after you confirm the client components;
7. fake players, posture, and utility commands are tested before being exposed in production.

Migrating from DeerFolia or another core

Copy the complete server directory and keep the old core for rollback. A safe order is:

1. stop the old server and wait for world saves;
2. copy worlds, config, plugins, databases, and launch scripts;
3. replace only the core jar referenced by the copied launch script;
4. first start with only plugins confirmed to support Folia;
5. test login, chunks, teleportation, redstone, villagers, farms, backups, and client connections;
6. enable extra features one group at a time instead of opening every protocol and command;
7. point the panel or systemd service to the new directory after it is stable.

DeerFoliaPlus settings live in config/deer-folia-plus.yml. This is separate from DeerFolia’s config/deer-folia.yml; never overwrite one with the other.

Upgrading

Back up worlds, config/deer-folia-plus.yml, config/custom-recipes.yml, plugin data, fake-player data, and Syncmatica files. Stop the server, replace the core, and read the full startup log. The configuration manager fills missing known fields, but it cannot migrate custom recipes, permissions, or client-protocol assumptions for you.

Build from source

Run these commands to build from source:

git clone https://github.com/LunaDeerMC/DeerFoliaPlus.git
cd DeerFoliaPlus
./gradlew applyAllPatches
./gradlew createPaperclipJar

The server core is written to DeerFoliaPlus-server/build/libs/. Use the Java runtime required by the project build. Use a release build unless you need to verify patches or contribute code.