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Self Hosting Node.js

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Lyndon Kaleb edited this page Apr 15, 2026 · 1 revision

Self-Hosting (Node.js)

Run MC Presence directly on your computer or server using Node.js. This is the simplest setup and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Prerequisites

Verify your install:

node --version   # should print v18.x or higher
npm --version
git --version

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/RedZephon/Minecraft-Present-Bot.git
cd Minecraft-Present-Bot

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Create your environment file

cp .env.example .env

4. Edit .env

Open .env in a text editor and fill in your values:

MC_HOST=play.yourserver.com
MC_PORT=25565
WEB_PORT=3100
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key-here

Only MC_HOST is required. Everything else has sensible defaults. See Configuration for all options.

5. Start the app

npm start

You should see:

[MC-Presence] v2.0.0 — Web UI at http://0.0.0.0:3100

6. Open the dashboard

Navigate to http://localhost:3100 in your browser.

Running in the Background

Linux / macOS (using screen)

screen -S mc-presence
npm start
# Press Ctrl+A then D to detach
# Reattach later with: screen -r mc-presence

Linux (using systemd)

Create /etc/systemd/system/mc-presence.service:

[Unit]
Description=MC Presence Bot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=your-username
WorkingDirectory=/path/to/Minecraft-Present-Bot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node server.js
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
Environment=NODE_ENV=production

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Then enable and start:

sudo systemctl enable mc-presence
sudo systemctl start mc-presence
sudo systemctl status mc-presence

Windows

Use NSSM to run as a Windows service, or simply keep a terminal window open.

macOS (using launchd)

Create ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.mcpresence.plist for automatic startup on login.

Updating

cd Minecraft-Present-Bot
git pull
npm install
# Restart the app

Your data/bots.json and data/settings.json are preserved across updates.

Troubleshooting

Port already in use

Change WEB_PORT in your .env file to a different port (e.g., 3101).

Microsoft auth fails

Delete the .minecraft folder and reconnect — you'll be prompted to sign in again.

Can't connect to MC server

  • Verify the server address and port are correct
  • Make sure the server is online and allows the Minecraft version your account uses
  • Check if the server has a whitelist — your account must be whitelisted

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