The console is the fastest diagnostic tool you have. It shows live server output and lets you run commands directly, without needing to be in game.
Reading startup
A healthy start ends with a line confirming the server is ready and reporting how long it took. If output stops before that, the last few lines usually name the problem.
Common warnings
- "Can't keep up" — the server took longer than its tick budget. Occasional instances during world generation are normal; constant ones mean a performance problem.
- Failed to bind to port — the previous process has not fully stopped. Stop the server and wait before starting it again.
- Plugin or mod errors on startup — usually a version mismatch or a missing dependency.
- Out of memory — the allocation is too small for what you are running.
Always stop a server properly rather than killing it. An unclean shutdown is a common cause of corrupted world data.