Luanti (Minetest) Server Privileges and Admin Commands

On a Luanti server, the player whose name matches the name setting in minetest.conf is the admin and always has every privilege. Admins hand out rights with /grant <player> <privilege> and take them away with /revoke, check them with /privs <player>, and control what new players get with default_privs (usually interact, shout). Moderation uses /kick, /ban, /unban, /setpassword and /clearpassword. Type /help all in chat to see every command your server has, including the ones mods add.

Luanti was called Minetest until October 2024. Everything here works the same on servers that still use the old name.

Becoming admin

Set name = YourPlayerName in minetest.conf before you first join, then join with exactly that name and register it with a password. Check with:

/privs

You should see everything, including server, privs and ban. These cannot be revoked from the admin, which protects you from locking yourself out.

Two habits that matter: register the admin name yourself right after setting it, before anyone else can, and use a strong password. Whoever logs in as that name owns the server.

How privileges work

A privilege is a named permission. The engine provides a core set, and the game and mods add more. The ones you will use most:

/help privs lists every privilege on your server with a description, including mod ones such as areas from the areas mod or creative in Minetest Game.

Granting and revoking

/grant Alice fly
/grant Alice fly, fast, teleport
/grant Bob all
/revoke Alice noclip
/revoke Bob all
/grantme fast
/privs Alice
/haspriv kick

/haspriv kick lists online players who have that privilege. /grantme and /revokeme work on yourself. Granting all is effectively making someone a co-admin; keep that for the people who share responsibility for the server.

A sensible staff structure

The basic_privs privilege lets a helper grant only the privileges listed in the basic_privs setting, which defaults to interact, shout. That is ideal for restoring a player's build rights after a mute without giving away anything bigger. If you change the setting, keep it to low risk privileges.

Controlling new players with default_privs

default_privs in minetest.conf decides what every new account starts with:

default_privs = interact, shout

Some patterns:

• Open survival server: interact, shout. Players can build and chat straight away.
• Grief resistant public server: shout only. New players can talk and look around, and staff grant interact after a short chat. Mention this in your message of the day so newcomers know what to do.
• Creative build server: interact, shout, fly, fast plus the game's creative privilege.

Changing default_privs only affects accounts created afterwards. Existing players keep what they have.

Moderation commands

/kick Griefer Stop breaking spawn
/ban Griefer
/unban Griefer
/setpassword Alice newpassword
/clearpassword Alice
/last-login Alice
/status
/msg Alice Check your DMs on Discord

• /ban bans the player's name and IP address. /unban takes a name or an IP.
• /setpassword and /clearpassword rescue players who forgot their password. Accounts are created on first login, so forgetting a password is common on new servers.
• /status shows the version, uptime, online players and message of the day.

For bigger servers, the xban2 mod adds timed bans and a ban database that survives name changes.

Protecting builds

The engine itself has no land claims. Install a protection mod, the most common being areas:

1. Stand at one corner and type /area_pos1, then at the opposite corner /area_pos2. (Or use /area_pos set and punch two blocks.)
2. Type /protect My House.
3. Add friends with /add_owner <id> Bob Shared workshop.
4. /list_areas shows your areas with their IDs.

Admins and holders of the areas privilege can manage everyone's areas. The protection_bypass privilege lets staff repair griefed builds inside protected areas. Install the mod as described in how to add mods to a Luanti server.

Undoing griefing with rollback

If you set enable_rollback_recording = true in minetest.conf before trouble starts, staff with the rollback privilege can undo a player's changes:

/rollback Griefer 3600

That reverts what that player did in the last 3600 seconds. Recording uses disk space and some performance, so it is a tradeoff, but on a public server it is worth it.

Server commands

/shutdown 60 Restarting for mod update
/set max_users 20
/time 6:00
/clearobjects quick

/shutdown with a delay counts down for players. /set changes a setting while running, though many settings only take effect after a restart. /clearobjects removes all entities on the map, use it only when dropped items or mobs are crushing performance, and never on a whim.

On a GamezServers Luanti server

The admin name is the first setting in the control panel on a Luanti server with us, labeled with your player name, and it is written into minetest.conf on every start. Set it before you join, register that name, and you have every privilege from your first login. The server password and whether you appear in the public list are panel fields too, minetest.conf is in the file manager for default_privs and rollback, and the live console lets you run commands without being in game. For the rest of the setup, see how to host a Luanti server.

FAQ

How do I make myself admin on a Luanti server?

Set name to your player name in minetest.conf, restart, then join with that name and register it. That account has every privilege.

How do I give a player fly in Luanti?

Type /grant PlayerName fly in chat. You need the privs privilege, or basic_privs if fly is in the basic_privs setting.

Why can new players not build on my server?

They lack the interact privilege. Add it to default_privs in minetest.conf for new accounts, or grant it with /grant name interact.

How do I reset a player's password?

Use /setpassword PlayerName newpassword, or /clearpassword PlayerName so they can log in with an empty password and set a new one.