Installation#

VSU is one jar per Minecraft version and loader. There is no installer, no coremod, and no client component. Installation is: choose the jar that matches your server, verify it, place it in mods/, restart.

Choose the right jar#

Release assets follow a fixed pattern:

vsu-<minecraft-version>-<loader>-2.2.0.jar

All nine cells for 2.2.0:

A jar built for the wrong Minecraft version will refuse to load rather than half-start. A jar built for Forge will not load on NeoForge, and the reverse is also true, even on the same Minecraft version.

Java requirements#

The runtime Java version is fixed per lane. It comes from the mod metadata, so a mismatch fails at load time with an explicit "requires Java N" message.

Running a newer JDK than the minimum is supported for the 17 and 21 lanes. Running an older one is not. On 26.1.2, use the JDK 25 toolchain the loader itself expects.

Where the jar goes#

Drop the jar into the server's mods/ directory next to your other mods:

<server root>/
  mods/
    vsu-1.21.1-neoforge-2.2.0.jar
  config/
  world/

Do not unpack the jar. Do not put it in plugins/, which only exists on Bukkit-derived servers that VSU does not target.

Dependencies#

The SQLite JDBC driver is nested inside the jar and relocated into the mod's own namespace, so you do not install it separately and it cannot collide with a driver another mod ships.

First boot#

Start the server once. VSU creates the following on first launch:

config/
  vonix_server_utilities.properties
  vonix_server_utilities/
    data.db
    kits.json

The database file also gets data.db-wal and data.db-shm sidecars while the server runs. Those are part of WAL mode, not corruption; see Database & storage.

The first boot also creates two crates, playtime and event, so the key system is usable immediately.

Verify the download#

Every release publishes a SHA256SUMS file alongside the nine jars. Download both, then verify from the directory containing the jar:

sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing

On Windows PowerShell:

$expected = (Select-String -Path SHA256SUMS -Pattern 'vsu-1.21.1-neoforge').Line.Split(' ')[0]
$actual = (Get-FileHash vsu-1.21.1-neoforge-2.2.0.jar -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLower()
if ($actual -eq $expected) { 'OK' } else { 'MISMATCH' }

--ignore-missing matters because the sums file lists all nine artifacts and you downloaded one. A mismatch means the file is not the published build; do not install it.

Optional: LuckPerms#

Without LuckPerms, VSU uses vanilla operator levels only. That works but is coarse: a player is either op or limited to the commands whose op fallback is 0. With LuckPerms installed, the 31 vsu.* nodes become grantable per group so non-op staff and players can be given exactly the commands they need.

Install LuckPerms for your loader and Minecraft version first, start the server once so it generates its own config, then grant nodes. The recommended starting point is the group recipes in Permissions.

Server-side only#

VSU declares "environment": "server" in its Fabric metadata and installs no client entrypoint. Clients do not need the jar, vanilla clients can join, and there is no registry, block, or item that requires a matching client mod. Do not add it to a client instance expecting a UI; there is none.

Upgrading#

1. Stop the server.
2. Replace the old jar with the new one for the same lane.
3. Start the server.

Schema changes are additive and applied on startup: the kit-cooldown table gains its claim_group column in place, and the crate tables are created if missing. No manual SQL is needed. Back up config/vonix_server_utilities/ before a version jump anyway; see Database & storage for a consistent backup procedure.