A init script that apart from starting and stopping the server correctly also has some extra features for running a mincraft/craftbukkit server.

• Utilization of ramdisk for world data, decreases lag when getting world chunks
• Cleaning of server.log, a big log file slows down the server
• Backup for worlds
• Server updating and complete backup
• Exclude files and directories from full backup by adding them to "exclude.list"

screen, rsync

screen -r minecraft

Exit the console

Ctrl+A D

1. Symlink the minecraft file to /etc/init.d/minecraft, set the required premissions and update rc.d.

    sudo ln -s ~/minecraft-init/minecraft /etc/init.d/minecraft
    chmod 755  ~/minecraft-init/minecraft
    sudo update-rc.d minecraft defaults
   

2. Edit the variables in config.example to your needs and rename it to config (leaving it in the same folder as the original minecraft script)

3. Move your worlds to the folder specified by WORLDSTORAGE

4. Edit crontab

   As the server user:

    crontab -e
   

   Add these lines:

    #m 	h 	dom	mon	dow	command
    02 	05 	*	*	*	/etc/init.d/minecraft backup
    55 	04 	*	*	*	/etc/init.d/minecraft log-roll
    */30 	* 	*	*	*	/etc/init.d/minecraft to-disk
   

5. To load a world from ramdisk run:

    /etc/init.d/minecraft ramdisk WORLDNAME
   

   to disable ramdisk, run the same command again.

For more help with the script, run

/etc/init.d/minecraft help

Backup rotation script good if you want some kind or rolling of the world backups.