ForgeAutoShutdown for Minecraft schedules automatic server restarts, warns players in chat, and uses a watchdog to prevent lag and crashes on modded servers.
ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft
Running a modded Minecraft server is a constant balancing act. Memory leaks and accumulated errors can turn a smooth experience into a laggy mess within hours, especially on heavy packs. Manual restarts demand your attention, and complex wrapper scripts often clash with control panels. The practical solution is a dedicated server-side utility that handles the shutdown process cleanly. ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft does exactly that, and it is ready for your next stable build.
What This Mod Does for Your Server
ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft is a focused tool designed for one job: shutting down the server at a scheduled time. It was originally built for an FTB server and has since been maintained by the developer abused_master for modern Forge versions. The mod handles the entire shutdown sequence, including player warnings and a clean stop, so you do not need to wrestle with RCON commands or complicated control panels.
Core Scheduling and Voting Features
The mod provides several practical automation scenarios for server admins:
- Set an exact shutdown time within a 24-hour window from server start, such as a daily 04:00 restart.
- Receive automatic warnings to all players starting five minutes before shutdown, with fully customizable messages in the config file.
- Allow players to initiate a vote for an immediate restart without admin intervention, useful when you are offline.
- Use the built-in watchdog to monitor TPS and force a shutdown if the server hangs or performance drops below a set threshold.
All features run server-side only. You do not need to install anything on the client. Just drop the jar into the mods folder of your Forge server.
How the Scheduler and Watchdog Operate
The scheduler is straightforward. You specify the hour and minute for shutdown in the config. The mod counts time from JVM launch, sends warnings, waits for the final minute, and then issues the standard stop command. No abrupt process kills occur, and world data is saved correctly.
The watchdog works by polling the average TPS over a set interval. If the value falls below a critical point, such as 10 ticks per second, and stays there longer than the allowed time, the mod initiates an emergency shutdown. This prevents endless freezes caused by a buggy mod's infinite loop. Both the threshold and the wait duration are configurable, allowing you to adapt the watchdog to your specific pack.
Supported Versions and Loader Compatibility
ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft originally targeted Minecraft 1.7.10. Current builds actively support Forge for versions 1.8, 1.10.2, 1.11.2, and 1.12.2. The maintainer focuses on the 1.10.2 and newer branches, so servers on these versions receive the latest fixes. The mod does not conflict with other server utilities because it adds no blocks, items, or gameplay mechanics. It is a pure management tool.
How to Install ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft
The installation process takes minutes. To download ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft, grab the jar file from the official GitHub repository and copy it into your server's mods folder. On the first launch, the mod generates a config file named forgeautoshutdown.cfg in the config directory. This file contains all settings for shutdown time, warning messages, and watchdog parameters, each with helpful English comments.
Setting Up Automatic Restart Scripts
After the mod shuts down the server, you may want it to come back up automatically. The mod exits with code 0, so external monitors can detect a clean shutdown and restart immediately.
For Windows, a simple bat file with a loop works well:
java -Xmx4G -jar forge-1.12.2-14.23.5.2854.jar nogui
timeout /t 10
For Linux, use a bash script running in screen or a systemd service. The key point is that the mod handles the shutdown cleanly, so your restart script only needs to watch for the process exit.
Licensing and Pack Integration
ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft is distributed under the MIT license. You can freely include it in public modpacks, use it on commercial servers, and modify the source code without asking permission. The developer only asks that you report bugs and submit improvements via pull requests on GitHub.
Final Thoughts on Server Stability
Adding this mod to your server build removes the need for manual restarts and reduces the risk of lag-related player loss. It is a lightweight, reliable tool that works quietly until the moment your server needs a break. If you want to test your full mod setup before deploying to production, using a flexible launcher helps you verify compatibility quickly. ForgeAutoShutdown: Automatic Server Restart for Minecraft is a solid addition to any admin's toolkit for maintaining stable, long-running worlds.