Minecraft help needed - I know nothing!

[mikeprice]

OK - I have never tried Minecraft and know very little about it

 

BUT the kids seem to love it and I have been asked to investigate setting up a 'MineCraft Server' that the kids can use - either as part of treat time or in a minecraft club after school - although apparently it can be used for teaching so that could be good too

 

Now obviously I understand the concept of a server but I'm not sure how this applies to Minecraft

 

I would like to create an isolated environment that they can only access it in school so that we have not protection issues etc etc

 

But would this be installed on an internal machine (ideal) or on some remote thingy (???)

 

And would it be best run on PCs or Raspberry Pis (we have a few sitting around)

 

or am I talking rubbish

 

any help would be appreciated - including pointers to sensible info on the WWW

 

TIA

 

Mike

[localzuk]

That's fine. You can install a server on an internal box, and run the clients on sufficiently powerful machines.

 

I would suggest looking at the new Minecraft Education Edition - Minecraft: Education Edition - Home. It replaces the MinecraftEdu.

 

Its designed for schools.

 

EDIT: To expand.

 

Normal Minecraft works by having each client have a licensed login with Mojang. The server doesn't need a specific license but legally you have to have licensed clients to connect. Each of those clients currently go out to Mojang to check authenticity, and the logins are "per person". The Education version(s) are based on "per seat" licensing instead, and allow a school to set up pupils on the system, so their login is theirs within your system. They can't then take that login and use it elsewhere though (as the client/server are altered for school use).

Edited January 27, 2016 by localzuk

[JF10]

OK - I have never tried Minecraft and know very little about it

 

BUT the kids seem to love it and I have been asked to investigate setting up a 'MineCraft Server' that the kids can use - either as part of treat time or in a minecraft club after school - although apparently it can be used for teaching so that could be good too

 

Now obviously I understand the concept of a server but I'm not sure how this applies to Minecraft

 

I would like to create an isolated environment that they can only access it in school so that we have not protection issues etc etc

 

But would this be installed on an internal machine (ideal) or on some remote thingy (???)

 

And would it be best run on PCs or Raspberry Pis (we have a few sitting around)

 

or am I talking rubbish

 

any help would be appreciated - including pointers to sensible info on the WWW

 

TIA

 

Mike

 

I run a Minecraft club. I use an iMac for my day-to-day workings and just open the server command for the lunch time duration of the club.

For the Mac you just download the Minecraft Server .JAR file from minecraft.net and then create the equivelent to a Command file that I just double click to enable the server. When it is done, I stop the server command.

Our club is only accessible to our internal LAN. I imagine by default your firewall will prevent Minecraft ports from getting in or out to the internet so you will only be accessible to your LAN too.

You can whitelist certain users, blacklist certain users or just have a free for all.

 

 

Once you have the server running, open the Minecraft client on the kids machine, Multiplayer, Add Server, Server Name = Type anything. IP = Your servers IP. In my case 192.168.21.183.

 

PM if you need help.

As I say, I only have experience with running Server from OS X and running Minecraft from kids Windows laptops.

 

 

EDIT

Some more info about our set up:

We have 10 school owned accounts and obviously kids who already have their own account can join.

We say 20 users per club. That can be a combination of 6 school-owned accounts and 14 personal ones. Or 20 personal accounts.

Every student that plays needs to have a log in for the paid version of Minecraft, be it an account that we have bought and logged in for them or one that their parents have bought.

For the school accounts, never reveal the password for the Minecraft account to them. You open the launcher on their computer, type in the details and log in. It will always remember the username and password so you won't need to log in everytime for them.

 

 

We have been doing this club for about 4 years and it has worked perfectly for us. We have a 1:1 laptop scheme.

For the 4 months that we run the club. Those 10 kids who get the school owned accounts can use Minecraft when they get home. When their 4 months of the club is expired, we just change the password so that they can no longer log in.

 

 

By default, IIRC, the Minecraft Server runs off 1GB RAM by default. I have 12Gb for my iMac so I have given it 2GB or 3GB for the server. Make sure you run it on a Cat5 network cable and not over wireless.

I imagine most Windows laptops built within the last 5 years would handle just a pure Minecraft Server and nothing else. Top it up with some extra RAM or a SSD and you will definitely be fine.

Edited January 27, 2016 by JF10

[localzuk]

I run a Minecraft club. I use an iMac for my day-to-day workings and just open the server command for the duration of the club.

For the Mac you just download the Minecraft Server .JAR file from minecraft.net and then create the equivelent to a Command file that I just double click to enable the server. When it is done, I stop the server command.

Our club is only accessible to our internal LAN. I imagine by default your firewall will prevent Minecraft ports from getting in or out to the internet so you will only be accessible to your LAN too.

You can whitelist certain users, blacklist certain users or just have a free for all.

 

 

Once you have the server running, open the Minecraft client on the kids machine, Multiplayer, Add Server, Server Name = Type anything. IP = Your servers IP. In my case 192.168.21.183.

 

PM if you need help.

As I say, I only have experience with running Server from OS X and running Minecraft from kids Windows laptops.

 

Bear in mind, if you do it this way - the kids who go to the club have to have their own accounts (licenses) for Minecraft.

[JF10]

Bear in mind, if you do it this way - the kids who go to the club have to have their own accounts (licenses) for Minecraft.

 

Don't know why it has duplicated, but please see the post below

Edited January 27, 2016 by JF10

[JF10]

Bear in mind, if you do it this way - the kids who go to the club have to have their own accounts (licenses) for Minecraft.

 

No. We have 10 school owned accounts and obviously kids who already have their own account can join.

 

We say 20 users per club. That can be a combination of 6 school-owned accounts and 14 personal ones. Or 20 personal accounts.

 

EDIT:

I see what you're saying. Yes every student needs to have a log in for Minecraft, be it an account that we have bought and logged in for them or one that their parents have bought.

For the school accounts, never reveal the password for the Minecraft account to them. You open the launcher on their computer, type in the details and log in. It will always remember the username and password so you won't need to log in everytime for them.

 

 

We have been doing this club for about 4 years and it has worked perfectly for us. We have a 1:1 laptop scheme.

For the 4 months that we run the club. Those 10 kids who get the school owned accounts can use Minecraft when they get home. When their 4 months of the club is expired, we just change the password so that they can no longer log in.

Edited January 27, 2016 by JF10