Hello there, Minecraft Community, before we start with the guide I'd like to give special thanks to IronWaffle for his Minecraft Speed/Optimization Guide, where he introduced me to the amazing world of Linux/FreeOS, and also the Ubuntu community, where I found my way into one of the most popular operating systems in the planet.
In this guide, I'm going to use a very user friendly format, ranging from Ubuntu basics, to the software we are going to use to improve our Minecraft experience.
If you use Mac OS, please use this guide by Sko.
If you use Windows, please use this guide by IronWaffle.
Ubuntu is a free OS based on Linux, it features a clean, minimalistic interface, which can be customized to your heart's content, although, one of its main features, what makes it stand out above other OS's like Windows or even Mac, is its flawless perfomance, even if you have a 5 years old PC.
How to get it?
This OS is known to be one of the easiest to install, due to the fact that you can installing along Windows or Mac without the risk of losing your important data.
Ubuntu comes in many flavours, most of them can be installed like any program or software if you're using Windows, using their amazingly easy to use installer, Wubi.
If you'd like to replace your actual OS with Ubuntu you can go to Ubuntu.com and download the latest version, but as this is a guide focused on improving Minecraft on it, I'm not going to get much into the topic, you can find more information about Ubuntu's installation here.
Recommended Distributions
A 'distro' or distribution is a Linux based OS which presents a default collection of software, like media players, word processors or graphic editors, most of them being directed to certain people, like Edubuntu or Ubuntu Studio.
Xubuntu
Xubuntu is an Ubuntu distribution which is aimed for low-power PCs, it uses the XFCE desktop environment, that is less resource hungry than distros like Mint or even Ubuntu itself.
I'm currently using this distro and I highly recommend it if you have a netbook or an old PC, as it doesn't require you to upgrade your machine in order to run it smoothly.
You can get Xubuntu on its website, alternatively, you can install it using the Wubi installer, as it is an official distribution.
More distros should be added soon.
Minecraft on Ubuntu
Installation and Troubleshooting
You can install Minecraft on your OS as you would on Windows, but obviously you will need to install some essencial software in order to be able to play.
Sun Java 7
First of all, make sure you have Sun's Java installed on your system.
If you do, open the Terminal and write:
sudo apt-get purge openjdk*
Using that or any command starting with the word 'sudo' will trigger a prompt asking for your password, hit enter and type it, if you don't hit enter you will not be able to type at all.
If you want to install Sun Java 7, use these commands
Then, upgrade the drivers of your Graphics Card, Ubuntu does makes it really easy to upgrade them, by simply going to your Applications Menu - Settings - Additional Drivers and enabling them.
Download and Install
To install Minecraft go to Minecraft.net and click on the Download link, which can be found below
the 'Buy Now' button.
The following screen will appear:
Download the 'minecraft.jar' and place it in your ~/Home/username/ folder.
Right click on the downloaded jar and click on 'Open with Oracle Java 7 Runtime', that will show the login screen, login and it will start downloading the game files.
Enjoy Minecraft on your Linux based OS!
Note: You can install mods on it as you would in Windows, by extracting the files of the ZIP file to your minecraft.jar and deleting the META-INF folder.
You can also simplify the steps above by using alloc's Ubuntu Minecraft Installer, which can be downloaded here.
Troubleshooting
It's not that easy to simply run Minecraft in Ubuntu, mainly because it was developed to be run natively in Windows, so here's a few tips if you get black screens at start up or you can't run the game at all.
#1: I get a black screen as soon as I login into my game.
Reason: Either your Minecraft didn't download the files correctly or your LWJGL is outdated.
Fix: #1: Redownload your game files by force updating, you can find this option in the options menu at the login screen.
#2: Update your LWJGL jars here, simply drag and drop the jinput, lwgjl and lwgjl_util.jar files to the .minecraft/bin folder and try running the game.
#2: I click the minecraft.jar but nothing happens.[/anchor]
Reason: You might not have Sun Java installed or you didn't chose to open the file with 'Oracle Java 7 Runtime'
Fix: #1: Install Sun Java 7 in your system. (More info above.)
#2: Right-click minecraft.jar and click on 'Open with Oracle Java 7 Runtime'
This section is in construction, please contribute by posting your fixes or problems.
Improving Minecraft's Perfomance
Having good FPS in Minecraft is hard if you have an old computer, fortunately, there are many ways to increase them.
One of the counterparts of Ubuntu is that you can't use the apps you normally would use in Windows to boost games' perfomance, like GameBooster or Advanced SystemCare, as their functionalities are suposed to only work on a Windows OS, in spite of that, I will list some alternatives to those apps so that you can play comfortably.
Use Optifine
Although I didn't have the best experience using Optifine with Windows, I really recommend you using it with Ubuntu, my FPS went from a 27-30 to a 37-47 by just tweaking some options.
You can download Optifine here.
Give Java high priority.
If you want to give even more FPS to the game, you can go to your Applications Menu - System - Task Manager and right click on the Java process, then put the priority on High, I don't recommend setting it on Very High, as system could go unstable.
Use a lightweight Desktop.
As some of you might know, you have the option to install more Desktop Interfaces to your Ubuntu distro by running this command:
sudo apt-get install xxx
xxx being the name of the Interface.
With the desktop installed simply log out and select the interface in the login screen.
Some Interfaces that are known for running Minecraft flawlessly are
Enlightenment, which can be installed with this command:
sudo apt-get install e17
And Fluxbox, which, as Enlightenment, can be downloaded with a short command:
sudo apt-get install fluxbox
Install Preload.
Preload is a little, simple, package that monitors the applications you run regularly and predicts which one you're going to use, thus, fetching the binaries for each in the memory for a faster application startup.
You can install preload by using this command:
sudo apt-get install preload
Close unused applications.
Most of the time Ubuntu runs applications we either don't use or we don't need to use, which slows down the overall perfomance and thus, Minecraft, to close this apps, simply go to your Application Menu - System - Task Manager, please, for your system's sake, don't kill the processes of applications you don't know, as it might result on a crash.
Run Minecraft in fullscreen.
Some people have reported having major FPS boosts while playing Minecraft in fullscreen mode, this mode can be activated with the F11 key, some mods might add an option in the video settings menu to access this mode more easily.
Set your view distance to Short/Tiny.
This is a tip most people with an old pc might already know, there's not much to explain about it, you can change your view distance in the Video Settings menu by clicking on Options while in pause or in the main menu.
Use a low-res Texture Pack.
By using a 8x8 or 16x16 texture pack you might have a slight increase in your perfomance, using HD texture packs in old PCs is not recommended if you want stable FPS.
Run Minecraft with less Memory
Even if you have 24 or 1 GB ram, Minecraft will never use more than a gigabyte, there are many launchers which allow you to run the game with 1024 mb or more, but Minecraft doesn't need more than 512mb to run.
You can use this command to launch Minecraft with less memory, improving your perfomance.
First, use this command:
Xmx is the max mb Java will use, and Xms is the min, you can change the numbers depending on your Ram, but be sure you don't allocate more ram than you have, as it might make your system crash.
It would really help if you posted your results after using this guide using this simple format.
Distro using:
FPS Before reading:
FPS After reading:
Java version:
Minecraft version:
Mods you're using:
Special Thanks
To the Mojang devs, for creating such a great game.
To IronWaffle, for inspiring me to do this guide with his Minecraft Speed/Optimization Guide.
To sp614x, for developing one of the most useful mods anybody should have, Optifine.
To the Ubuntu Community, for being such a friendly and helpful, well, community.
To the Arctic Monkeys, for being the band I listened to while writing this guide.
To YOU, for taking the time to read this guide.
Changelog
09/09/12: Initial Release.
Feel free to support this guide by using this banner.
Thanks thats very usefull but when i type in the commands for Java :
sudo apt-get purge openjdk*
It puts up :
[sudo] password for carpezone:
And when i try to type in the password for my session i just cant write...it wont let me write anything...Its really weird. Isn't there a simpler way like downloading it from Java.com ?
It doesn't let you type because you have to hit the Enter key before typing the pass.
Let me know if you need anything else.
To install it you can use this or this tutorial.
Just so you know, I will not be on my home for the next week, if you have any problems PM, I'll try to reply as soon as possible.
Thanks.
Still wont let me...when i press enter it says wrong password and puts up :
[sudo] password for carpezone:
Are you retarted? You type your password then press enter.
It doesn't show the characters as you type so someone snooping can't tell how many characters it is.
Nice thread but it could do with a tutorial on how to make a link and get it into the Unity bar.
I have a folder called MyLaunchers and in that have a Minecraftlaunch.sh containing...
Then have a link to that file, give it a icon and just drag it onto the Unity bar.
I also have the same thing again for MagicLauncher which I would recommend to ubuntu users.
Hey,
Unfortunately, I don't use Ubuntu per se, so I don't have much knowledge about Unity.
However, I found a tutorial in Geekyboy.com that might help you, it gives you 4 methods to add Items to your Unity quick launcher, the link is: http://www.geekyboy.com/archives/384
If you need anything else, let me know.
I had the same issue GotNinja101. It was a black screen after login. After a few hours of searching I found one forum(I've lost it now so I can't link it) that said they upgraded to Oracle Java 8 worked for them. After trying it my minecraft now gets past the log in screen.
Playing it it seems to work fine. There was some serious lag when it first loaded the map and sometimes the keys stick(not physically but it acts as if they do) but those problems might be unrelated.
I had the same issue GotNinja101. It was a black screen after login. After a few hours of searching I found one forum(I've lost it now so I can't link it) that said they upgraded to Oracle Java 8 worked for them. After trying it my minecraft now gets past the log in screen.
Playing it it seems to work fine. There was some serious lag when it first loaded the map and sometimes the keys stick(not physically but it acts as if they do) but those problems might be unrelated.
When I try to login, I get a blackscreen right away. The thing is, my Minecraft worked just fine yesterday. I tried both methods listed and nothing helped. When I ran it in terminal I get this: Error: Unable to access jarfile minecraft.jar. Please help.
When I try to login, I get a blackscreen right away. The thing is, my Minecraft worked just fine yesterday. I tried both methods listed and nothing helped. When I ran it in terminal I get this: Error: Unable to access jarfile minecraft.jar. Please help.
lol Never mind. I fixed it. Looks like I DIDNT update my LWJGL jars.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hello there, Minecraft Community, before we start with the guide I'd like to give special thanks to IronWaffle for his Minecraft Speed/Optimization Guide, where he introduced me to the amazing world of Linux/FreeOS, and also the Ubuntu community, where I found my way into one of the most popular operating systems in the planet.
In this guide, I'm going to use a very user friendly format, ranging from Ubuntu basics, to the software we are going to use to improve our Minecraft experience.
If you use Mac OS, please use this guide by Sko.
If you use Windows, please use this guide by IronWaffle.
Content List
---------------------------------------
Ubuntu
---------------------------------------
What is it?
How to get it?
Recommended Distributions
---------------------------------------
Minecraft on Ubuntu
---------------------------------------
Installation and Troubleshooting
Sun Java 7
ATI/Nividia Drivers
Download and Install
Troubleshooting
---------------------------------------
Improving Minecraft's Perfomance
---------------------------------------
Use Optifine
ATI/Nvidia Drivers
Give Java High Priority
Use a lightweight Desktop
Install Preload
Close Unused Applications
Run Minecraft in Fullscreen
Set view distance to Short/Tiny
Use a Low-Res Texture Pack
Run Minecraft with Less Memory
---------------------------------------
Special Thanks
Changelog
Ubuntu
What is it?
How to get it?
Ubuntu comes in many flavours, most of them can be installed like any program or software if you're using Windows, using their amazingly easy to use installer, Wubi.
If you'd like to replace your actual OS with Ubuntu you can go to Ubuntu.com and download the latest version, but as this is a guide focused on improving Minecraft on it, I'm not going to get much into the topic, you can find more information about Ubuntu's installation here.
Recommended Distributions
A 'distro' or distribution is a Linux based OS which presents a default collection of software, like media players, word processors or graphic editors, most of them being directed to certain people, like Edubuntu or Ubuntu Studio.
Xubuntu
I'm currently using this distro and I highly recommend it if you have a netbook or an old PC, as it doesn't require you to upgrade your machine in order to run it smoothly.
You can get Xubuntu on its website, alternatively, you can install it using the Wubi installer, as it is an official distribution.
More distros should be added soon.
Minecraft on Ubuntu
Installation and Troubleshooting
You can install Minecraft on your OS as you would on Windows, but obviously you will need to install some essencial software in order to be able to play.
Sun Java 7
If you do, open the Terminal and write:
Using that or any command starting with the word 'sudo' will trigger a prompt asking for your password, hit enter and type it, if you don't hit enter you will not be able to type at all.
If you want to install Sun Java 7, use these commands
ATI/Nvidia Drivers
Download and Install
the 'Buy Now' button.
The following screen will appear:
Download the 'minecraft.jar' and place it in your ~/Home/username/ folder.
Right click on the downloaded jar and click on 'Open with Oracle Java 7 Runtime', that will show the login screen, login and it will start downloading the game files.
Enjoy Minecraft on your Linux based OS!
Note: You can install mods on it as you would in Windows, by extracting the files of the ZIP file to your minecraft.jar and deleting the META-INF folder.
You can also simplify the steps above by using alloc's Ubuntu Minecraft Installer, which can be downloaded here.
Troubleshooting
It's not that easy to simply run Minecraft in Ubuntu, mainly because it was developed to be run natively in Windows, so here's a few tips if you get black screens at start up or you can't run the game at all.
#1: I get a black screen as soon as I login into my game.
Fix: #1: Redownload your game files by force updating, you can find this option in the options menu at the login screen.
#2: Update your LWJGL jars here, simply drag and drop the jinput, lwgjl and lwgjl_util.jar files to the .minecraft/bin folder and try running the game.
#2: I click the minecraft.jar but nothing happens.[/anchor]
Fix: #1: Install Sun Java 7 in your system. (More info above.)
#2: Right-click minecraft.jar and click on 'Open with Oracle Java 7 Runtime'
This section is in construction, please contribute by posting your fixes or problems.
Improving Minecraft's Perfomance
Having good FPS in Minecraft is hard if you have an old computer, fortunately, there are many ways to increase them.
One of the counterparts of Ubuntu is that you can't use the apps you normally would use in Windows to boost games' perfomance, like GameBooster or Advanced SystemCare, as their functionalities are suposed to only work on a Windows OS, in spite of that, I will list some alternatives to those apps so that you can play comfortably.
Use Optifine
You can download Optifine here.
Give Java high priority.
Use a lightweight Desktop.
sudo apt-get install xxx
xxx being the name of the Interface.
With the desktop installed simply log out and select the interface in the login screen.
Some Interfaces that are known for running Minecraft flawlessly are
Enlightenment, which can be installed with this command:
And Fluxbox, which, as Enlightenment, can be downloaded with a short command:
Install Preload.
You can install preload by using this command:
Close unused applications.
Run Minecraft in fullscreen.
Set your view distance to Short/Tiny.
Use a low-res Texture Pack.
Run Minecraft with less Memory
You can use this command to launch Minecraft with less memory, improving your perfomance.
First, use this command:
And then use this one:
Xmx is the max mb Java will use, and Xms is the min, you can change the numbers depending on your Ram, but be sure you don't allocate more ram than you have, as it might make your system crash.
It would really help if you posted your results after using this guide using this simple format.
Special Thanks
To the Mojang devs, for creating such a great game.
To IronWaffle, for inspiring me to do this guide with his Minecraft Speed/Optimization Guide.
To sp614x, for developing one of the most useful mods anybody should have, Optifine.
To the Ubuntu Community, for being such a friendly and helpful, well, community.
To the Arctic Monkeys, for being the band I listened to while writing this guide.
To YOU, for taking the time to read this guide.
Changelog
09/09/12: Initial Release.
Feel free to support this guide by using this banner.
It doesn't let you type because you have to hit the Enter key before typing the pass.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Try writing the pass real quick, before it asks you again.
Go to App Menu - System - System Monitor, there's most of the info of your distro and your hardware.
Just so you know, I will not be on my home for the next week, if you have any problems PM, I'll try to reply as soon as possible.
Thanks.
Are you retarted? You type your password then press enter.
It doesn't show the characters as you type so someone snooping can't tell how many characters it is.
Hey,
Unfortunately, I don't use Ubuntu per se, so I don't have much knowledge about Unity.
However, I found a tutorial in Geekyboy.com that might help you, it gives you 4 methods to add Items to your Unity quick launcher, the link is: http://www.geekyboy.com/archives/384
If you need anything else, let me know.
Error: Could not find or load main class net.minecraft.LauncherFrame
how do I confirm I have 3D acceleration?
EDIT:
I do have 3d acceleration enabled
EDIT 2:
Same thing happens on my linux laptop. is it a 1.4.7 thing?
Playing it it seems to work fine. There was some serious lag when it first loaded the map and sometimes the keys stick(not physically but it acts as if they do) but those problems might be unrelated.
Instructions on how to get Oracle Java 8 here
If you manually update LWJGL, Minecraft will also work with OpenJDK 6 or 7.