Da Serva

A single-file Minecraft Fabric server manager for Windows.

No installer. No dependencies. No setup. Just one .bat file.

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What it does

Da Serva handles everything needed to create and maintain a Minecraft Fabric server:

• Queries Modrinth to find the newest MC version where all your mods have a Fabric release
• Downloads the correct Fabric server jar automatically
• Downloads all mods and their dependencies, verifying each file via SHA1 checksum
• Detects and installs the correct Java version for the target MC version
• Configures Geyser + Floodgate for Bedrock Edition support
• Backs up your world and config before any update, restores them after
• Writes and merges server.properties on every server launch so your settings always win
• Remembers your last server and mod configuration across sessions

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Download

Download DaServa.bat from Releases and double-click it. That's it.

No separate files needed. The entire application is embedded in the .bat file.

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Requirements

• Windows 10 or 11
• PowerShell 5.1+ (pre-installed on all modern Windows)
• Internet connection (for downloading mods and server files)
• Java (will be installed automatically if missing)

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Usage

First run

Double-click DaServa.bat. You'll see the main menu:

[1] Create a New Server       (Fresh install -- auto-detects best MC version)
[2] Update an Existing Server (Updates server + mods, preserves world)
[3] Manage Mods               (Add/remove mods without touching your world)
[4] Help                      (How to use Da Serva, keybinds, and more)
[5] Exit

Create a New Server

1. Opens the mod selector — toggle mods on/off, search Modrinth, add custom mods
2. Da Serva queries every mod's Fabric releases and finds the newest MC version they all support
3. Opens the version selector — pick from the compatible list
4. Choose an install folder (default: next to DaServa.bat)
5. Downloads and installs everything
6. Optionally launch the server immediately

Update an Existing Server

1. Select your server folder (auto-detected from the script directory)
2. Da Serva scans your existing mods via SHA1 hash to pre-populate the mod selector
3. Adjust mods, pick a new version, confirm
4. World + config are backed up, old server files wiped, new ones installed, world + config restored

Manage Mods

Add, remove, or swap mods on a running server without touching the world or server jar. Only the mods/ folder is affected.

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Mod Selector

The mod selector is a full interactive TUI:

Key	Action
UP / DOWN	Navigate
PgUp / PgDn	Scroll by page
Home / End	Jump to top / bottom
SPACE	Toggle mod on/off
A	Add a mod (search Modrinth, or paste a URL/slug)
D	Remove a custom mod
E	Enable all visible mods
N	Disable all visible mods
/	Enter search mode (type freely, no keybind conflicts)
ESC	Exit search mode
F	Cycle filter: All → Server → Client → Both → Enabled → Disabled
H	Toggle help panel
B	Back to main menu
ENTER	Confirm and continue

Each mod shows:

• [Server] / [Client] / [Both] — which side needs the mod
• Supported MC version ranges (e.g. 26.1.x 1.21.x 1.20.x)
• Last updated time (e.g. 3d ago, 2mo ago)
• [caps version] in yellow — this mod is limiting your maximum server version

The bottom bar shows the maximum compatible MC version and which mods are capping it. Disable them to unlock a newer version.

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Default Mod List

Da Serva ships with 35 default mods covering performance, quality of life, and Bedrock support:

Category	Mods
Bedrock support	Geyser, Floodgate
Performance	Lithium, FerriteCore, Krypton, C2ME, ScalableLux, I'm Fast
World generation	Tectonic, Terralith, Lithostitched, Towns and Towers
Admin tools	LuckPerms, Invsee++, Vanish, Chunky, Carpet, WorldEdit
Quality of life	Fabric API, Image2Map, Just Player Heads, Just Mob Heads, Collective
Fixes	Not Enough Animations, Packet Fixer, Debugify, AttributeFix
Libraries	Cristel Lib, Prickle, Clumps, Collective
Other	Distant Horizons, Waystones, Villager Names, WorldEdit Hang Fix

All mods can be toggled off individually. You can also add any mod from Modrinth via search.

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Geyser + Floodgate (Bedrock Support)

Da Serva pre-configures Geyser and Floodgate so Bedrock Edition players can join your Java server.

• Geyser config is written to config/Geyser-Fabric/config.yml automatically
• Floodgate generates key.pem on first server startup — start.bat copies it to the Geyser config folder on every launch so you never have to do it manually
• Bedrock clients connect on UDP port 19132 — make sure this is open in your firewall/router

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Java Version Detection

Da Serva automatically determines the correct Java version for your target MC version:

Minecraft Version	Java Required
26.x+	Java 25
1.20.5 – 1.21.x	Java 21
1.18 – 1.20.4	Java 17
1.17	Java 16
1.16 and below	Java 8

If the required Java version isn't installed, Da Serva offers to install it via winget automatically.

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server.properties

Da Serva uses a merge strategy — it only sets specific keys and leaves everything else untouched. The merge runs on every server launch via _startup_helper.ps1, so your settings always win even if the server rewrites the file.

Keys managed by Da Serva:

gamemode=creative
difficulty=easy
online-mode=true
server-port=25565
motd=Da Serva
resource-pack=https://...
enforce-secure-profile=false

Everything else (seed, whitelist, ops, view distance, etc.) is yours to configure and will be preserved across updates.

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Mod Profiles

After every Create / Update / Manage, Da Serva saves a mod_profile.json in the server folder recording every mod's slug and enabled state.

On the next run, if a profile is found, you'll be asked whether to load it — restoring your exact mod configuration in one keypress.

Profiles are portable — copy mod_profile.json next to DaServa.bat on another machine and it will be offered automatically.

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Quiet Mode

Run with -Quiet for unattended use:

DaServa.bat -Quiet

In quiet mode, all yes/no confirmations auto-accept with their default answer and all pause prompts are skipped. The interactive mod selector and version selector still require input — quiet mode only skips confirmations.

Useful for scheduled update scripts and CI pipelines.

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How the single-file trick works

DaServa.bat is a valid batch file that extracts and runs embedded PowerShell code from itself at launch:

1. The batch section runs powershell -Command to read the .bat file, find the #---PSSTART--- marker, extract everything after it to a temp .ps1 file, and run it
2. exit /b ensures batch never executes the PowerShell code directly
3. The temp file is deleted after the session ends

This means the entire ~2500 line PowerShell application lives inside a single double-clickable .bat file with no extraction step needed by the user.

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File structure after setup

DaServa.bat                          <- the manager (keep this)
daserva_config.json                  <- remembers your last server path

Minecraft 1.21.11 Fabric Server/
  start.bat                          <- run this to start the server
  _startup_helper.ps1                <- merges server.properties on launch
  mod_profile.json                   <- your saved mod configuration
  fabric-server-mc.1.21.11-...jar    <- the server jar
  eula.txt
  server.properties
  mods/
    fabric-api-0.141.3+1.21.11.jar
    geyser-fabric-2.9.6-b1133.jar
    ... (all your mods + dependencies)
  config/
    Geyser-Fabric/
      config.yml
      key.pem                        <- auto-copied from floodgate on launch
    floodgate/
      key.pem
  world/
    ...

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Credits

• FabricMC — Fabric mod loader
• Modrinth — mod hosting and API
• GeyserMC — Bedrock bridge
• Floodgate — Bedrock auth
• Eclipse Temurin — Java distribution

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License

MIT