Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a Server Jar Download

Also known as snapshot, pre-release, release candidate.

Experimental — snapshot Official source

Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a is a weekly development snapshot of Minecraft: Java Edition leading up to 1.18, published by Mojang on 23 Sep 2021. Its dedicated server jar is 41.5 MB and requires Java 16 or newer. The final Minecraft 1.18 was released on 30 Nov 2021.

Download

Download server.jar41.5 MB

Downloads from piston-data.mojang.com — Official — Mojang.

SHA-1 · published by Mojang
1283dff678ee5efb8e52d2fc77ec9d840317c6ca

How to verify this file on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Source: Official — Mojang SHA-1 shown below Last checked: Report a problem

Version facts

Published by Mojang
ChannelPreview (weekly)
Required JavaJava 16 or newer · Temurin 16
File size41.5 MB
Licence / termsMinecraft EULA
Upstream projectwww.minecraft.net

What changed

Newest upstream commits:

  • #1 · 23 Sep 2021 This snapshot is still not compatible with older worlds - to play in this snapshot, you will have to create a new world
  • World saving can sometimes take a very long time - if you see the world stop moving for a time, this is why
  • Sprinting is no longer reduced to walking when gently brushing your sleeve against a wall
  • Fixes for the distribution of ores
  • Copper ore generates up to y 95 (as originally designed)
Full changelog for Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a (Minecraft Wiki)

Compatibility

No plugins or mods — the unmodified game exactly as Mojang ships it (data packs still work).

Players need a Minecraft: Java Edition Snapshot 21w38a client on the same version.

Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a in other server software

Known issues & safety notes

  • Preview builds are experimental: they can corrupt or irreversibly upgrade worlds, and most plugins and mods do not support them yet. Test on a copy of your world.

How to set up Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a

  1. Install Java 16 or newer (e.g. Eclipse Temurin) and check it with java -version.
  2. Download server.jar from Mojang (button above) into an empty folder.
  3. Start it once with the script below; it creates eula.txt and stops.
  4. Set eula=true in eula.txt to accept the Minecraft EULA, then start again. Players join on port 25565.

Linux / macOS — start.sh

#!/bin/sh
# start.sh — Minecraft 21w38a
cd "$(dirname "$0")"
JAVA_MAJOR=$(java -version 2>&1 | awk -F'"' '/version/ {split($2, v, "."); print (v[1] == "1") ? v[2] : v[1]}')
if [ "$JAVA_MAJOR" -lt 16 ] 2>/dev/null; then
  echo "Java 16 or newer is required (found Java $JAVA_MAJOR)."
  exit 1
fi
java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui

Windows — start.bat

@echo off
REM start.bat — Minecraft 21w38a
REM Needs Java 16 or newer: run "java -version" to check.
java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar server.jar nogui
pause

Rule of thumb: 2–4 GB for a few friends, 6–10 GB for a public server with plugins. Set -Xms equal to -Xmx and leave 1–1.5 GB for the operating system. How much RAM?

Docker

docker run -d -p 25565:25565 -e EULA=TRUE -e TYPE=VANILLA -e VERSION=21w38a --name mc itzg/minecraft-server

Uses the community itzg/minecraft-server image, which downloads the file itself.

Upgrading

FAQ

What Java version does Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a need?

Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a needs Java 16 or newer. Running it on an older Java fails with an UnsupportedClassVersionError mentioning class file version 60.0.

Is Minecraft Snapshot 21w38a safe for my survival world?

Only on a copy. Preview versions are experimental and upgrade worlds irreversibly; keep a backup and don't switch a live world to a snapshot, pre-release or release candidate.

Is this the Minecraft game or an APK?

No. This is the Java Edition dedicated server — software for hosting a world. It is not the game client and there is no Android APK. Phone and console players use Bedrock Edition.