Installation

Before installation

Use an ArionAC build intended for your exact Minecraft server version and platform. Minecraft 26.x requires Java 25 or newer. Older servers must meet their own platform requirements; Minecraft 1.20.5–1.21.11 normally requires Java 21. See the compatibility guide before installing.

ArionAC runs on the game server, not on the Minecraft client or a proxy. No ProtocolLib installation is needed. ViaVersion, Geyser and Floodgate are optional integrations, not required dependencies.

Install the plugin

1. Back up your server, plugin configuration and any existing violation database.
2. Stop the Minecraft server completely.
3. Place the supplied ArionAC JAR in the server’s plugins/ directory. Keep only one active ArionAC build.
4. Start the server and verify that ArionAC loads successfully in the console.
5. Review plugins/ArionAC/config.yml. Automatic punishment and dashboard telemetry are disabled by default.
6. Join as a staff account, run /arionac help, then enable staff alerts with /alerts if necessary.
7. Run a private test of ordinary movement, combat and your server’s custom mechanics before public deployment.

The website provides documentation and dashboard access. It does not offer a public plugin download endpoint.

Upgrade from SquidLab

Stop the server and preserve the complete plugins/SquidLab/ directory and old JAR outside the active plugin folder. Remove the old SquidLab JAR before installing ArionAC. Do not run both plugins together.

When no ArionAC configuration exists, migration copies selected operational files such as configuration, messages, violation storage and connection identities. It preserves the old directory. An existing ArionAC configuration is not overwritten. Back up additional files and logs separately.

Update permission nodes to arionac.*. The main command is /arionac; /arion, /ac and /sl remain aliases. Custom messages and old domain links should be reviewed. Developer integrations using the old Java package need to be updated and recompiled.

Apply updates safely

Read the release announcement in Discord, back up operational data, fully stop the server, replace the JAR and restart. Keep existing configuration, messages and identities. ArionAC can migrate untouched default settings with a configuration backup; intentional settings should be reviewed rather than reset blindly.

/arionac reload reloads configuration. It does not replace the loaded JAR and is not a substitute for the full restart required by packet-adapter budget changes. The startup update notice reads the latest version from the ArionAC website.