How to Install Fabric for Minecraft (Client and Server)

Applies to: Fabric Loader 0.19.5 and Fabric Installer 1.1.2 for Minecraft: Java Edition 26.3 (server tested on AlmaLinux 9 with Java 25)

Fabric is a lightweight mod loader for Minecraft: Java Edition. You install it once, then add mods by dropping their .jar files into a mods folder. Most Fabric mods also need Fabric API. Players and the server need the same Minecraft version and the same mods (except mods that are client-only).

On your computer (client)

1. Run Minecraft 26.3 once in the official launcher, then close it.
2. Download the Fabric installer from fabricmc.net (.exe for Windows, or the universal .jar).
3. Run it, stay on the Client tab, choose Minecraft version 26.3 and the latest loader, and click Install.
4. Open the Minecraft Launcher, select the new Fabric installation (its name starts with fabric-loader) and click Play.

Mods go into the mods folder (create it if it doesn’t exist):

• Windows: %appdata%\.minecraft\mods
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods
• Linux: ~/.minecraft/mods

On a server (Linux)

Java 25 is required for Minecraft 26.3 (install Java on Ubuntu or Debian). As a non-root user:

mkdir ~/fabric && cd ~/fabric
curl -sSLo fabric-installer.jar https://maven.fabricmc.net/net/fabricmc/fabric-installer/1.1.2/fabric-installer-1.1.2.jar
java -jar fabric-installer.jar server -mcversion 26.3 -downloadMinecraft
echo "eula=true" > eula.txt
java -Xms1G -Xmx2G -jar fabric-server-launch.jar nogui

The installer printed Done, start server by running fabric-server-launch.jar and created fabric-server-launch.jar, server.jar and libraries/. At start-up the log showed Loading Minecraft 26.3 with Fabric Loader 0.19.5. With eula=true you accept the Minecraft EULA. Newer installer or loader versions work the same way; check the current numbers on fabricmc.net.

Fabric also offers a single “server launcher” .jar on its server download page that does the installation on first start.

Add Fabric API and your mods

Stop the server, put Fabric API and your other mod files into ~/fabric/mods/, and start it again. Players need the same mods in their own mods folder, except mods that only run on the server.

Run it properly

• Run the server in tmux (or as a service) and stop it with the stop command, so the world is saved. In our test the log showed Saving worlds before it exited.
• Open the port for players: Minecraft server port 25565.
• Back up the world folder before updating Minecraft, Fabric or mods.

Our Minecraft VPS includes a free Vanilla, Paper or Bedrock installation on request; our engineers can also set up Fabric, Forge or NeoForge for you, billed by time.

Official documentation: Fabric: installing Fabric.