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Watchtower 1.1.2

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@djinnbanter djinnbanter released this 26 Jul 19:16
1.1.2
231e9f6

Watchtower 1.1.2 is out

Hey, I just shipped a big update.

Who this is for: NeoForge Minecraft 1.21 servers.

How to install

  1. Download from GitHub Releases or Modrinth
  2. Get both files: watchtower-neoforge-1.1.2+mc1.21.jar and watchtower-cli-1.1.2.jar
  3. Put them in your server’s mods folder (replace older Watchtower jars)
  4. Restart the server
  5. Open the dashboard in your browser and finish setup if it’s a new install

The big changes

Watchtower keeps watching in the background.

You shouldn’t need to keep clicking “run a giant report” just to use the dashboard. After setup, it quietly checks your server while it runs.

On new installs, the old “run a report on a timer” setting starts Off, because live checks are enough for normal days. When you do need a zip for Discord or a mod author, you build a Support pack instead.

Look and feel

This build ships the new React dashboard (the old Preact UI is gone).

  • Cleaner layout — easier to scan, less clutter
  • Clearer side menu — Monitor / Triage / Ops, so related tabs sit together
  • Smoother feel when you move around pages
  • Better light / dark / black themes
  • Charts and status pages feel more modern and readable
  • Buttons and main status areas stand out more without looking busy
  • Scrolling and overall pages feel more like a normal app

There’s also an in-app Roadmap under System if you want to see what’s next.

First-time setup (clearer now)

When you first open Watchtower, it does a one-time scan of your logs, crashes, mods, and issues.

  • You can see the progress as it goes
  • You can’t skip ahead until it’s finished
  • You can turn on Modrinth (the mod website) lookups during setup if you want
  • It makes you set a real password before the wizard runs off without you
  • When setup finishes, crash and issue counts show real numbers (not blank dashes)
  • If you turn on two-factor login, you should see a scan-able QR code next to the secret key.

Overview: “how’s my server right now?”

The top of Overview is a mission status band:

  • Grade + short verdict (“needs attention”, etc.)
  • Live TPS / MSPT / players / heap / CPU
  • Server name, Minecraft version, Java, and host/panel when known

Safe to restart?
There’s a Restart section now, it shows Safe, Caution, or Wait. It looks at backups, who’s online, disk space, pregen, and recent crashes.
Important: it does not restart the server for you. You still use your host panel or stop the server yourself.

What just went wrong?
If lag, a crash, a mod change, and a missed backup line up, Overview can preview an Incident story and point you at Activity for the event trail.

Startup / boot
After the server finishes starting, Startup can show a boot timeline (how long startup took, warnings) without waiting for a big report.

Help with RAM, lag, and disk (plain answers)

Do I need more RAM?
Watchtower looks at how much memory you actually used lately vs how much you gave the server (-Xmx). If the problem is “the game tick is slow” because of mods/world, it won’t just say “add more RAM.”

Is Java fighting the memory?
On Insights → Configs, it can show if the server is spending too much time cleaning memory, and suggest better startup flags when that helps — without telling people who already use a solid custom setup.

How long until the disk is full?
WatchTower wont just show “disk is 82% full.” It tries to estimate how many days you have left, shows disk write lag, and can raise an Issue when that number gets small.

Is the server slower than last week?
You can freeze a “this week was good” baseline. If the last 7 days look clearly worse, you get a nudge. Settings for this are under Settings → Monitoring.

Server settings tips
It can gently suggest things like view distance / simulation distance. It only suggests — it will not secretly edit your files.

Spark integration (this is a highlight)

Watchtower does not replace Spark. It reads Spark’s saved profiles and turns them into clearer advice.

What you can do

  1. Capture lag the normal Spark way
    Start a profile while the server is lagging, stop it, save the file. Then open Watchtower’s Spark tab and pick that profile (Refresh if you just saved it).

  2. Import a Spark link
    On the Spark tab, Import from URL — paste a spark.lucko.me link. Watchtower downloads it once onto the server so you can study it in the dashboard.

  3. Auto-capture when lag is really bad (optional)
    In Settings → Monitoring, turn on Auto-capture Spark on critical lag.
    Needs: Spark installed on the server + “Spark enabled” on (also under Settings → Integrations).
    When bad lag hits, Watchtower can run a short profile (~45 seconds), save it, and attach it to the lag Issue. Leave this off if you’re already profiling by hand.

  4. Read it in plain steps
    The Spark tab has sections like Overview, Findings, World, Sources, Timeline, Call paths, and Compare.

  5. Shortcuts from the rest of the app
    Overview Spark summary, lag Issues → Open in Spark, Support packs can include Spark.

Honest limits: Spark proves what was heavy during that capture. It does not prove a mod is “bad forever,” and it won’t explain client-only or pure network problems by itself.

Watchtower does not upload your profiles to the internet for you. Import only pulls a link you paste onto your server.

Mods and Modrinth

  • Full mods catalog with icons and “server / client / both” style labels
  • Nested jars show under the parent, not as fake extra mods
  • Dedicated Modrinth scan tab with progress and ETA
  • Optional auto-scan when you add/remove/update jars
  • Updates view with pack-impact: Safe / Caution / Break / Unknown, plus blockers
  • Watchtower never downloads mod jars for you

Turn Modrinth options on/off in Settings → Integrations.

Issues and crashes

  • Issues provide smarter advice
  • Crashes and Issues look more like an inbox: pick a row, see what to do next
  • Fewer crash groups stuck on “Unknown”, WatchTower now understands more crash types.
  • Hitting Scan on Crashes can re-check everything, not only new files
  • Backup warnings use a simple rule: no usable backup in the last 24 hours
  • Reviewing an issue should stop it bouncing back open from tiny day-to-day number drift

Backups

  • Point Watchtower at a local backup folder on the server (best path)
  • Or try panel / cloud heartbeat tracking

Alpha warning: panel / cloud backup tracking is experimental and may not work on every host. Prefer a local folder when you can.

Asking for help (Support pack)

Bottom of the side rail: Build support pack.

  1. Choose what to include (logs Off / Tail / Full, crashes, Spark, extras)
  2. Build the pack
  3. Download the zip

Settings cleanup

  • General — preferences + legacy report options
  • Monitoring — lag warnings, baseline, Spark auto-capture, scan timing
  • Backups — folder / panel tracking
  • Alerts — disk warnings + how long to keep old reports
  • Security — password / username / 2FA
  • Integrations — Modrinth + Spark on/off
  • About — install info + relaunch setup

Password fields hide what you type; things you can’t change here (like dashboard port) show as info.

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