General update checklist
- Create or verify a recent, restorable server backup. Include worlds, server settings, plugin JARs, plugin configuration and player data, plus any external plugin databases.
- Stop the server in BisectHosting Starbase and wait for shutdown to finish before replacing any JAR.
- Check the official release notes and download the build matching the server software, Minecraft release, Java runtime, and required dependencies. Use the same project and build channel as the installed plugin.
- For a manually maintained plugin, move its old JAR outside the active
/plugins/directory and put the replacement there. Keep only one active JAR per plugin. For Starbase-managed plugins, use the manager’s compatible update route described below. - Keep existing plugin configuration and data folders intact. Apply an author-required migration only after reviewing its instructions and backing up the affected data.
- Start the server normally.
- Read the startup log, confirm the plugin loaded successfully, and test its affected features before reopening play.
Use a complete stop and start. Do not use /reload as a substitute for loading updated plugin JARs. Keep the previous JAR and matching data backup outside /plugins/ for recovery.
Manual updates
Our manually maintained plugins are EssentialsX Core, EssentialsX Protect, EssentialsX Spawn, Geyser-Spigot, Floodgate, and Lodeway. Use the official sources below and the update checklist above.
EssentialsX development-build workflow
All three EssentialsX components are manually installed development builds. Starbase’s older catalogue releases do not represent the actual installed builds. Do not use Starbase’s Reinstall button for Core, Protect, or Spawn.
- Open EssentialsX downloads and choose the development/bleeding-edge builds. If the module downloads do not appear, use the page’s official Jenkins build link.
- On Jenkins, open a successful build and its artifacts. Choose a build whose notes support our server, and download all three components from that same build page. The matching build identifier in the filenames must agree across Core, Protect, and Spawn.
- Download the main EssentialsX JAR, EssentialsXProtect JAR, and EssentialsXSpawn JAR. Avoid source archives and unrelated optional modules.
- With the server stopped and backed up, replace all three old JARs together in
/plugins/. Preserve/plugins/Essentials/, its configuration, homes, spawn data, and player userdata, along with any other existing module data. - Start the server. Confirm all three load, then test homes, spawn, permissions, and the configured protection behavior. Do not mix stable and development artifacts or different development builds.
Development builds can change behavior. Read the selected build’s changes and migration notes before replacing a working installation.
EssentialsX Core
Provides the core command suite, including homes and teleportation tools used by our family.
Official development downloads · Official build artifacts
Obtain the main EssentialsX-*.jar artifact using the shared workflow above. Replace the old Core JAR together with its matching Protect and Spawn builds; leave the existing Essentials data folder in place.
EssentialsX Protect
Applies configured world and environmental protection rules.
Official development downloads · Official build artifacts
Obtain EssentialsXProtect-*.jar from the same successful build as Core and Spawn. Replace only the old Protect JAR as part of that matched set. Keep existing protection settings and test them after startup.
EssentialsX Spawn
Provides spawn and respawn management alongside EssentialsX Core.
Official development downloads · Official build artifacts
Obtain EssentialsXSpawn-*.jar from the same successful build as Core and Protect. Replace the old Spawn JAR with that matched set, retain spawn data, and test /spawn after startup.
Geyser-Spigot
Bridges Bedrock players into the Java server.
Official GeyserMC downloads · Official Paper/Spigot instructions
- On GeyserMC downloads, select Geyser, then the Spigot platform download used for Paper/Spigot servers. Download
Geyser-Spigot.jar, not Standalone, a proxy build, or a Fabric/NeoForge mod. The interactive download page requires JavaScript; use its project and platform selectors. - Check the build’s supported client/server requirements. Follow the general checklist to replace the existing Geyser JAR in
/plugins/. - Retain the entire
/plugins/Geyser-Spigot/folder. Preserve the current NetherNet signaling and transport settings, ports, authentication settings, and MOTD. Routine plugin updates do not require resetting these values. - Start the server and test a Bedrock connection. Review any configuration migration message before changing settings.
Floodgate
Supports Bedrock identity and authentication through Geyser without requiring those players to own Java Edition.
Official GeyserMC downloads · Official Floodgate platform guide
- On the download page, select Floodgate, then Spigot for this Paper/Spigot server. Download the Floodgate Spigot plugin JAR, not a proxy or mod-loader build. Use the Floodgate project selector rather than downloading Geyser a second time.
- After backing up and stopping the server, replace the old Floodgate JAR in
/plugins/. - Keep the existing Floodgate configuration, key files, account/linking data, and Geyser configuration. Do not regenerate keys or change authentication settings or ports during a routine update; the setup guide’s first-install configuration steps do not need to be repeated.
- Start the server and verify Bedrock login, player identity, and whitelist behavior. Keep key files private.
Lodeway
Connects the Minecraft world to the hosted live map at map.stewnet.com.
Official Lodeway plugin download · Official installation guide
- Open the official Lodeway site and use Download lodeway.jar. Its official guide identifies the JAR used for Paper/Spigot; use that plugin file, not a source-code archive.
- Back up and stop the server, then replace the existing Lodeway JAR in
/plugins/. Keep existing local Lodeway configuration and data. - Leave the existing hosted map, dashboard settings, custom domain, and map association intact. This is an update to an existing installation, not a new-map setup: do not reset or re-claim the map or change DNS as part of routine maintenance.
- Start the server, inspect the Lodeway log, and open our existing map to confirm it reconnects. If it does not, consult official troubleshooting before changing the map configuration.
Starbase-managed plugins
The ten plugins below are normally checked and updated through BisectHosting’s Starbase plugin manager. Their official pages are for release notes and compatibility checks; they are not a direction to replace these JARs manually during normal maintenance.
- Verify the backup and stop the server.
- Open Minecraft Tools → Plugins in Starbase and select Installed. Locate the exact installed project, then review its available builds and official notes.
- Use the manager’s available compatible update action for that project. Preserve existing settings and data; avoid uninstall/reset options. If only a reinstall action is offered, verify its selected build and data handling before using it.
- Start the server, confirm the plugin loads in the log, and test the affected features.
If Starbase cannot supply a compatible update, check the official project and host guidance before deciding on a manual fallback. Make a backup, document the change of maintenance method, and then use the manual checklist. Do not install a second JAR alongside the managed copy.
Backpack
Personal virtual storage opened with /backpack or /bp. Preserve each player’s stored items and the size and keep-on-death permissions.
Official project, releases & compatibility →
Backpack plugin by bugwizzz; this is the project used by our server.
LuckPerms
Controls player and group permissions. Preserve the configured storage backend and permission data.
NeatSort
Sorts inventories and storage containers. Retain the family’s sorting configuration and player preferences.
NoChatPopup
Suppresses the unverified-chat join popup. It does not make unsigned messages verified or change chat reporting.
Official project, releases & compatibility →
Check native-client and Paper compatibility on the project page before updating.
PeacefulPlayers
Provides personal peaceful mode so players can choose a gentler Survival experience. Preserve the configuration and player-mode data.
Scythe
Provides crop harvesting and replanting features. Keep the server’s tool, seed, and permission settings.
SortersSatchel
Deposits matching items into nearby storage with a crafted satchel. Preserve its configured range, item-handling rules, and permissions.
Official project, releases & compatibility →
If Starbase has no compatible update, see the official-release and Actions-artifact fallback below.
Timberella
Provides easier tree felling and related features. Review migration notes and preserve our durability, tree, and protection settings.
VaultUnlocked
Connects permissions, chat, and economy plugins through the Vault API. It appears as Vault in startup logs.
Official project, releases & compatibility →
Do not install a second Vault implementation alongside it.
WIT
What is That? displays information about the block or entity a player is looking at. Preserve its display and feature settings.
Official project, releases & compatibility →
This is the server plugin What is That?, not a similarly named client mod.
Development builds and unusual downloads
EssentialsX Jenkins artifacts
Use the official Jenkins link above. Open one successful build and its artifact list, then download the three installable module JARs from that same build. If the site offers a ZIP of all artifacts, extract it locally and select only Core, Protect, and Spawn. Do not upload the ZIP itself or change to an older stable build because the panel displays one.
GitHub release assets or Actions artifacts
This is a fallback only when Starbase cannot provide a compatible managed-plugin update. For SortersSatchel, the official project links to GitHub Releases and Actions builds.
- Prefer a compatible installable JAR under a release’s Assets. The automatic “Source code” ZIP and TAR files are not plugin downloads.
- If the author directs you to Actions, open a successful workflow run on the official repository’s intended branch. Read its commit and build notes, then find Artifacts on the run summary. GitHub may require you to sign in to download an artifact.
- Download the build artifact ZIP and extract it locally. Select the installable plugin JAR, not a
-sources.jar,-javadoc.jar, or development-only dependency file. If no usable artifact remains, use a release or wait for an official build; do not substitute a random fork. - After verifying compatibility, use the stopped-server replacement checklist. Keep the plugin’s data and configuration in place and only one active JAR.
Startup checks and recovery
- Confirm the expected plugins enable successfully. Check for missing dependencies, incompatible builds, duplicate-plugin warnings, and data migration errors. VaultUnlocked is expected to identify as Vault in startup logs.
- Test Java and Bedrock login, the whitelist, homes, spawn, peaceful mode, permissions, and the feature you updated. Verify stored backpack items and the hosted map remain available.
- Confirm the existing NetherNet signaling configuration and MOTD remain intact: Build • Explore • Survive • Together.
If a plugin fails, stop the server, save the relevant log, and restore its previous JAR with the matching configuration and data backup. If a migration changed data or worlds, restore the corresponding backup as well. Replacing only the JAR may not reverse a migration.