> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/0x48lab/skills/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installing Skills Plugin

> Requirements, step-by-step installation, first-startup file layout, and upgrade guidance for Skills Plugin.

## Requirements

| Requirement     | Version         |
| --------------- | --------------- |
| Minecraft       | 1.21+           |
| Server software | Paper or Spigot |
| Java            | 21+             |

<Note>
  Vault is an optional soft-dependency. The plugin loads and runs without it; Vault is only needed if you want mob-kill economy rewards.
</Note>

## Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the JAR">
    Go to the [Releases page](https://github.com/0x48lab/skills/releases) and download the latest `skills-<version>-all.jar` file.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Place the JAR in your plugins folder">
    Copy the downloaded file into your server's `plugins/` directory.

    ```text theme={null}
    server/
    └── plugins/
        └── skills-0.4.21-all.jar
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart the server">
    Perform a full server restart (not a reload). Skills registers listeners and initialises its database on startup.

    ```bash theme={null}
    # From the server console
    stop
    ```

    Then start the server again with your usual start script.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Optional: Vault setup

If you want mob-kill economy rewards, install Vault and a compatible economy plugin (such as EssentialsX Economy) before starting the server.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download Vault">
    Place `Vault.jar` in your `plugins/` folder.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download an economy plugin">
    Install any Vault-compatible economy plugin (EssentialsX, CMI, etc.).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart the server">
    Skills detects Vault automatically on startup. No extra configuration is required to enable the integration.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Economy rewards are enabled by default once Vault is detected. You can configure chunk-based reward limits and per-world caps in `config.yml` under the `economy` section.
</Tip>

## What the first startup creates

After Skills loads for the first time, the following files and folders are created inside `plugins/Skills/`:

```text theme={null}
plugins/
└── Skills/
    ├── config.yml       # Main configuration file
    ├── skills.db        # SQLite database (player skill data)
    └── lang/
        ├── en.yml       # English message strings
        └── ja.yml       # Japanese message strings
```

| File / folder | Purpose                                                                      |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `config.yml`  | Database type, skill cap, combat, magic, economy, and all other settings     |
| `skills.db`   | SQLite database storing every player's skill values and last-used timestamps |
| `lang/en.yml` | All English-language messages, fully editable                                |
| `lang/ja.yml` | All Japanese-language messages, fully editable                               |

<Note>
  If you prefer MySQL over SQLite, change `database.type` to `mysql` in `config.yml` and fill in the connection details before starting the server for the first time.
</Note>

## Verify the plugin loaded

A successful startup prints the following line to the server console:

```text theme={null}
[Skills] Skills plugin enabled
```

You can also confirm the plugin is active by running `/skills` in-game. If you see your skill list, the plugin is working correctly.

## Upgrading from an older version

<Steps>
  <Step title="Stop the server">
    Always stop the server before replacing the JAR to prevent data corruption.

    ```bash theme={null}
    stop
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Replace the JAR">
    Delete the old `skills-*-all.jar` from `plugins/` and place the new one there.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the changelog">
    Check the [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/0x48lab/skills/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md) for any breaking changes between versions — for example, v0.4.6 merged four production skills into two (`Crafting` and `Cooking`), which may affect existing player data or admin scripts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Restart the server">
    Start the server normally. Skills migrates data automatically where possible.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Do not run `/reload` or use a plugin manager's hot-reload feature with Skills. Always do a full server restart to ensure listeners, schedulers, and the database connection are cleanly re-initialised.
</Warning>

***

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Learn how skills work and try your first combat skill, spell, and language command.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/configuration">
    Explore every setting in `config.yml`.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>