Installation

Installing Homestead takes only a few minutes. You will download the plugin JAR, place it in your server's plugins/ folder, and start the server once so Homestead can generate its default configuration files. If you have not set up your server yet, check the Prerequisites page first to confirm your server software, Java version, and bridge plugin are supported.

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Step-by-Step

1. Download the latest .jar file from one of these sources:

   • SpigotMC
   • Modrinth
   • Hangar

   Pick whichever source you prefer.

2. Stop your server completely. Never copy a new plugin into a running server — Bukkit-based servers expect plugins to be present at startup.

3. Place the .jar file in your server's plugins/ folder.

4. Start the server. On the first startup, Homestead generates its default configuration files under plugins/Homestead/, including config.yml, regions.yml, limits.yml, and flags.yml.

All Set

Homestead is now running! Head over to the First Steps guide to set things up.

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Updating

Updating Homestead follows the same basic flow as installing: stop the server, swap the JAR, and start again.

1. Download the new version's .jar file.
2. Stop the server.
3. Replace the old .jar in the plugins/ folder with the new one.
4. Start the server.

Your configuration files live in plugins/Homestead/ and are not touched when you replace the JAR. Homestead also includes a configuration migrator that automatically updates older configuration files on startup, so most updates do not require you to edit your configs by hand. If a problem does appear, delete the affected configuration files and let Homestead regenerate them, then re-apply your customizations.

Always Backup

Before any update, back up your server, the plugins/Homestead/ folder, and the database.

Make a regular copy of your database as well, so that if a problem occurs your data is not permanently lost.