macOS

What you need

• Java 21 or newer. Check with java -version. If you don't have it:

brew install openjdk@21

Make sure java ends up on your PATH (Homebrew usually tells you the exact line to add — follow its instructions after installing).

• The paper binary. Either download a prebuilt paper binary, or build it yourself (needs the Go toolchain):

sh scripts/build.sh

This drops build/paper (~177MB — the server files live inside it). Move it somewhere on your PATH, e.g. /usr/local/bin, or call it by its full path.

Your first server

paper new ./my-server
paper run ./my-server --nogui

The first launch takes a bit while the world generates; when you see Done, the server is up. Type stop in the console to shut it down cleanly.

To run a server from its own folder, skip the path entirely:

cd my-server
paper run --nogui -m=2gb

Notes

• On first run of a downloaded binary, macOS may complain that it can't verify the developer. Right-click it once and choose Open, or remove the quarantine flag with xattr -d com.apple.quarantine paper.
• The full command list lives on the Home page.