Running Your Server Series:
1. The Basics
2. Choosing the Staff
3. Dealing with X-rayers

Many aspiring server owners have a lot of trouble with plugins, especially starting out. This is largely because permissions, one of the hardest plugins to install and debug, will likely be the first plugin you install. You need to be patient, read tutorials and not bang your head against the wall. Learning how to make a sparkling clean permissions.yml from scratch takes time, but there are resources to help:

1. Notepad++ **Great for editing YAML**
2. YAML Tutorial and How to replace tabs with spaces in Notepad++
3. YAML Parser **Use this to check your YAML files for any general YAML formatting errors**

If you are having trouble, the last thing that you want to do is stare at the YAML file for hours looking for a single misplaced spaces or periods. Don't worry, there are some strategies to help the amateur plugin manager save his time, effort and frustration.

Use a light touch:
The first and most important thing is, if you don't know how to make a whole group tree in YAML with all the correct spaces, do not make groups or add permissions from scratch. Default configurations are a huge help here. You can look at the default for examples of how to do permissions, inheritance, ranks, and prefixes. Copy and paste already made groups to create a new and correctly formatted template within which you can simply edit the details to your liking.

Beyond Permissions:
But of course, permissions is not the only plugin you will be using. Most other plugins are fairly simple compared to Permissions. Even the more complicated ones generally are able to be simply dropped into your plugins folder and work with little configuration, as their complicated configurations are simply to give plugin manager options, but you can run the default setup.

However, there are some that need a lot of configuration and adjustment before they will work on your server at all. The key with these plugins is not to jump in with both feet. If you have a fancy plugin with a complicated setup, it is better to test it out fully and get it working completely than have it on your server, causing lag and contributing nothing. Read all the info or tutorials the developer gives and read comments on the plugin's page.

Find Plugins

To Lag or not to Lag?
Generally speaking, plugins will increase the load on your server and can cause lag if you are not careful or do not have adequate server specs. For the most part, fewer plugins=better. Only put a plugin in if you need it and will use its features. Furthermore, certain plugins will cause more lag than others and you must keep this in mind when you decide whether or not to use one.

For example, Nocheat constantly checks player movement and is thus very heavy weight and lag causing. If you have a server that allows creative mode, then this plugin would clearly not be worth it, seeing as they players are flying anyways. However, if you are running a PvP server, where it will prevent players from cheating in many ways, you cannot got without it. If you suspect a plugin of causing significant lag, research to see if other players have the same problem and do a serious cost-benefit analysis.

As always feel free to ask me any questions / criticize me.

Run on Beastnode
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