Operator Guide

Comprehensive information for server operators and administrators

Quick Reference

Common commands for day-to-day server administration

Permission Management

/lp user <player> parent add child
Add player to Child group
/lp user <player> parent add trusted
Add player to Trusted group
/lp user <player> parent add moderator
Add player to Moderator group
/lp user <player> info
View player's permissions and groups
/lp editor
Open web editor for visual permission management

Player Management

/ban <player> [reason]
Ban a player from the server
/tempban <player> <time> [reason]
Temporarily ban a player (e.g., 7d for 7 days)
/tp <player>
Teleport to a player
/playtime <player>
Check a player's total playtime

Server Management

/tps
Check server TPS (ticks per second)
/forge entity list
List all entities by type (helps find lag sources)
/save-all
Manually save all worlds
/gc
Show memory usage and trigger garbage collection

Operator Commands

Essential commands for server administration

Basic Operator Commands

As an operator on the United Minecraft server, you have access to a variety of commands to help manage the server. Here are the essential commands you'll need to know:

Command Description Usage
/op Grant operator status to a player /op <player>
/deop Remove operator status from a player /deop <player>
/gamemode Change a player's game mode /gamemode <mode> [player]
/give Give an item to a player /give <player> <item> [amount]
/teleport or /tp Teleport a player to a location or another player /tp <player> <x> <y> <z> or /tp <player1> <player2>
/weather Change the weather /weather <clear|rain|thunder> [duration]
/time Change the time of day /time set <day|night|value>
/whitelist Manage the server whitelist /whitelist <add|remove|list|on|off>
/ban Ban a player from the server /ban <player> [reason]
/kick Kick a player from the server /kick <player> [reason]
/say Send a message to all players as the server /say <message>
/save-all Save the server state manually /save-all

Note

The United server enforces operator permission levels. Most commands require level 2 or higher.

Advanced Commands

These more advanced commands can help with server management and troubleshooting:

Command Description Usage
/difficulty Change the server difficulty /difficulty <peaceful|easy|normal|hard>
/gamerule Change game rules /gamerule <rule> <value>
/effect Apply status effects to players /effect give <player> <effect> [seconds] [amplifier]
/fill Fill a region with blocks /fill <x1> <y1> <z1> <x2> <y2> <z2> <block>
/setblock Set a block at a position /setblock <x> <y> <z> <block>
/clear Clear items from player inventory /clear <player> [item] [max count]
/enchant Enchant a player's held item /enchant <player> <enchantment> [level]
/scoreboard Manage scoreboards /scoreboard <objectives|players|teams> ...
/spawnpoint Set a player's spawn point /spawnpoint [player] [x y z]
/worldborder Manage the world border /worldborder <set|add|center|...> ...
/debug Start or stop the debug profiler /debug <start|stop>
/locate Locate the nearest structure /locate <structure>

Warning

Commands like /fill and /setblock can cause server lag if used with large areas. Use these commands sparingly and during low-traffic periods.

Daily Administration Commands

These commands are useful for day-to-day server administration tasks:

Player Monitoring and Management

Command Description
/list List all online players
/playtime [player] Check total playtime of a player
/seen <player> Check when a player was last online
/socialspy Toggle monitoring of private messages (for moderation)
/commandspy Toggle monitoring of commands used by players
/vanish or /v Become invisible to regular players (for moderation)

Server Performance

Command Description
/tps Check server TPS (ticks per second)
/forge tps Detailed TPS information from Forge
/forge entity list List all entities by type (helps find lag sources)
/gc Show memory usage and trigger garbage collection
/kill @e[type=item] Remove all dropped items (helps with lag)
/killall <mob> Kill all mobs of a specific type

Communication

Command Description
/broadcast <message> Send a highlighted message to all players
/announce <message> Send a server announcement
/mail send <player> <message> Send mail to a player (they'll receive it when they login)
/mute <player> [time] [reason] Prevent a player from using chat
/unmute <player> Allow a muted player to use chat again

Admin Tip

Use /vanish when moderating to observe player behavior without them knowing you're watching. This is helpful for investigating griefing or rule violations.

Permission & Group Management

Managing player permissions and groups effectively

Permission Group Hierarchy

Our server uses a carefully designed permission hierarchy with five main groups:

Group Description Suitable For
Default Basic access with spectator mode and chat only New players pending verification
Child Limited building with safety restrictions Young players or those needing moderation
Trusted Full gameplay with creative mode access Regular players with good standing
Moderator Moderation tools and player management Trusted adults who help manage the server
Operators Full administrative access Server owners and administrators

Inheritance Structure

Groups inherit permissions from the groups below them:

  • Operators inherit from Moderator
  • Moderator inherits from Trusted
  • Trusted inherits from Default
  • Child inherits special permissions from Default

Group Promotion Workflow

Follow this workflow for new players:

  1. New players join as Default (spectator mode)
  2. After verifying age and understanding of rules, promote to Child or Trusted
  3. After consistent positive contribution, promote Trusted players to Moderator if appropriate
  4. Only promote to Operators for server administrators

Day-to-Day Permission Management

Promoting Players Between Groups

Common scenarios for promoting players between permission groups:

Scenario Commands
Promoting a new player to Child group /lp user <player> parent add child
/lp user <player> parent remove default
Promoting a child to Trusted group /lp user <player> parent add trusted
/lp user <player> parent remove child
Promoting to Moderator /lp user <player> parent add moderator
/lp user <player> parent remove trusted
Promoting to Operator /lp user <player> parent add operators
/lp user <player> parent remove moderator
Demoting a player /lp user <player> parent remove <current_group>
/lp user <player> parent add <lower_group>

Checking Player Status

Use these commands to check a player's current permission status:

Command Purpose
/lp user <player> info View a player's complete permission information
/lp user <player> permission info List all permissions the player has
/lp user <player> parent info Show which groups the player belongs to
/lp user <player> meta info View player prefixes, suffixes, and metadata

Temporary Permissions

Grant temporary permissions or group membership for special events or testing:

Command Purpose
/lp user <player> permission set <permission> true <time> Grant a temporary permission (e.g., 2h for 2 hours)
/lp user <player> parent add <group> true <time> Add to a group temporarily (e.g., 7d for 7 days)
/lp user <player> permission unset <permission> Remove a permission
/lp user <player> parent remove <group> Remove from a group

Using the Web Editor

For complex permission management, use the LuckPerms web editor:

  1. Run /lp editor command
  2. Click the link in chat to open the web editor
  3. Make your changes in the visual interface
  4. Save changes to apply them to the server

This is especially useful for managing multiple users or groups at once.

Database-Specific Permission Management

Our server uses PostgreSQL storage for LuckPerms, which has some specific considerations:

Command Execution with PostgreSQL

When using database storage like PostgreSQL with LuckPerms, executing multiple commands in rapid succession may result in the message:

[LP] Another command is being executed, waiting for it to finish...

This occurs because database operations take time to complete and LuckPerms queues commands during this process.

Best Practices for Database Storage

  1. Use Smaller Batches: Instead of pasting all commands at once, copy and paste smaller groups of 5-10 commands at a time
  2. Add Delays: Wait a moment between batches of commands to allow database operations to complete
  3. Use Web Editor: For complex setups, use the LuckPerms web editor which handles these database operations more efficiently
  4. Use rcon-cli format: When executing via container console, use the "rcon-cli" export format as it removes the leading slash

Advanced PostgreSQL Commands

For advanced users with PostgreSQL access, these commands can be useful:

Command Purpose
/lp sync Force a synchronization with the database
/lp export <file> Export permissions to a file (useful for backups)
/lp import <file> Import permissions from a file
/lp bulkupdate Run bulk permission updates (advanced)

Command Execution for Bigger Changes

For major permission changes, access the server directly via rcon-cli:

docker exec -it [container_name] rcon-cli

This provides a more direct connection to the server and can handle multiple commands more efficiently than in-game chat.

Server Mods Administration

How to configure and manage server-side mods

LuckPerms - Permissions Management

LuckPerms is used for managing player permissions on the server. Here are the key commands:

Detailed Documentation

For comprehensive guidance, check out our detailed documentation:

Basic LuckPerms Commands

Command Description
/lp user <player> info View a player's permission information
/lp user <player> permission set <permission> true Grant a permission to a player
/lp user <player> permission unset <permission> Remove a permission from a player
/lp group <group> info View a group's permission information
/lp user <player> parent add <group> Add a player to a permission group
/lp user <player> parent remove <group> Remove a player from a permission group
/lp group <group> permission set <permission> true Add a permission to a group
/lp group <group> parent add <other_group> Make a group inherit from another group

LuckPerms Configuration

The LuckPerms configuration file is located at /data/plugins/LuckPerms/config.yml. Key settings include:

  • Storage Method: Currently configured to use PostgreSQL
  • Server Name: Identifies this server in a network (if applicable)
  • Default Assignments: Permissions assigned to new players

Pro Tip

For complex permission setups, use the LuckPerms web editor with /lp editor to get a link to a visual editor.

Carpet Mod - Technical Features

Carpet mod provides technical features and tweaks for the server. Here's how to manage it:

Basic Carpet Commands

Command Description
/carpet View Carpet mod help and version
/carpet list List all Carpet rules
/carpet <rule> <value> Set a Carpet rule
/carpet setDefault <rule> <value> Change the default value for a rule
/log Access Carpet's logging features

Recommended Carpet Settings

These settings are recommended for our United server:

  • /carpet commandPlayer true - Enable player commands from command blocks
  • /carpet antiCheatDisabled true - Disable anti-cheat for some technical features
  • /carpet fillLimit 500000 - Set a reasonable limit for fill commands
  • /carpet lagFreeSpawning true - More efficient mob spawning
  • /carpet optimizedTNT true - More efficient TNT explosions

Warning

Some Carpet settings can dramatically alter gameplay or cause server lag. Test any changes in a separate world before applying them to the main server.

Voice Chat Mods - Administration

Our server uses Simple Voice Chat along with Simple Voice Chat Music for enhanced communication.

Simple Voice Chat Commands

Command Description
/voicechat Opens the voice chat menu
/vcreload Reloads the voice chat configuration
/vcmuteall Mutes all players (admin only)
/vcunmuteall Unmutes all players (admin only)
/vcgroup create <name> Creates a voice chat group
/vcgroup add <name> <player> Adds a player to a voice chat group
/vcgroup remove <name> <player> Removes a player from a voice chat group
/vcgroup delete <name> Deletes a voice chat group

Simple Voice Chat Music Commands

With the Simple Voice Chat Music mod, players can play music in-game:

Command Description
/music upload <url> Uploads music from a URL to the server
/music play <id> Plays music with the specified ID
/music list Lists all available music tracks
/music stop Stops the currently playing music
/music delete <id> Deletes music with the specified ID (admin only)

Voice Chat Permissions

Key voice chat permissions by group:

  • Default/Child: voicechat.speak, voicechat.listen, voicechat.join.default
  • Child specific: voicechat.whisper: false, voicechat.music.play: false (safety restrictions)
  • Trusted: voicechat.whisper, voicechat.music.play, voicechat.url
  • Moderator: voicechat.broadcast, voicechat.manage.mute, voicechat.manage.disconnect
  • Operators: voicechat.* (all permissions)

Pro Tip

Set up dedicated voice regions for community areas by creating static groups tied to specific coordinates. Use /vcgroup set_type LOCATION and /vcgroup set_location commands to configure them.

Server Maintenance

Keeping the server running smoothly

Permission Auditing and Maintenance

Regular permission maintenance is important for server health and security:

Weekly Permission Checks

  • Review all players in the Operators group
  • Check for excessive or inconsistent permissions
  • Verify inheritance structure is correct
  • Check for expired temporary permissions

Regular LuckPerms Maintenance

Command Purpose
/lp verbose record all Start recording all permission checks (helpful for debugging)
/lp verbose paste Get a link to the verbose log (after recording)
/lp search <permission> Find all groups/users with a specific permission
/lp export <file> Export all permissions to a backup file
/lp cleanupusers --before=30d Clean up users who haven't been online for 30+ days

Admin Best Practice

Create weekly permission backups using /lp export weekly-backup-YYYY-MM-DD to ensure you can recover from any permission issues.

Regular Maintenance Tasks

Regular maintenance helps keep the server running smoothly. Here are the key tasks to perform:

Daily Checks

  • Check server logs for errors or warnings
  • Monitor server performance (TPS, memory usage)
  • Review player reports and tickets
  • Verify automatic backups are working

Weekly Tasks

  • Clear unnecessary logs and temporary files
  • Check for outdated mods that might need updates
  • Review whitelist and ban list
  • Check for abandoned claims that can be reclaimed
  • Monitor disk space usage

Monthly Tasks

  • Perform a full server backup (in addition to automatic backups)
  • Review and update server rules if needed
  • Check for mod updates and plan update schedule
  • Review operator list and permissions
  • Plan server events or activities

Pro Tip

Use the server monitoring dashboard at status.html to track performance metrics over time. This can help identify trends and potential issues before they become problems.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Low TPS (Server Lag)

If the server is running slowly (TPS below 18):

  1. Check active entities with /forge entity list or /carpet entities
  2. Look for entity cramming or large mob farms
  3. Check for redstone contraptions that might be causing lag
  4. Use /tps to monitor server tick rate
  5. Consider using /kill @e[type=item] to remove dropped items

Permission Issues

If players are having permission problems:

  1. Check their group with /lp user <player> parent info
  2. Verify specific permissions with /lp user <player> permission check <permission>
  3. Look for conflicting permissions (negated permissions override positive ones)
  4. Try /lp verbose record <player> to see all permission checks for that player
  5. Ensure database storage is functioning properly

Memory Issues

If the server is experiencing memory problems:

  1. Check memory allocation in server configuration
  2. Monitor GC (Garbage Collection) frequency
  3. Consider restarting the server during low-traffic periods
  4. Look for memory leaks in specific mods

Plugin/Mod Conflicts

If mods are conflicting or not working properly:

  1. Check server logs for error messages
  2. Disable suspected mods temporarily to isolate the issue
  3. Verify all mods are updated to the correct version
  4. Check for known incompatibilities between mods

Warning

Always make a backup before making significant changes to the server configuration or mods to ensure you can revert if something goes wrong.

Monitor Server Performance

Keep an eye on server health with our real-time monitoring dashboard.

View Server Status Check Server Map