Installation

Getting DupeTrace running on your server is easier than teaching a villager to trade fairly. Let's do this!

What You'll Need

Before we start, make sure you've got:

• ✅ A PaperMC 1.21+ server (Spigot won't cut it, sorry!)

• ✅ Java 21 installed

• ✅ A PostgreSQL database (local or remote – we're flexible)

• ✅ About 5 minutes of your time

Why PostgreSQL? Simple: speed and scalability. We track a lot of items, and Postgres handles it like a champ. SQLite would cry. MySQL would probably work but... why settle?

Step 1: Download the Plugin

Head over to our Releases page and grab the latest DupeTrace-x.x.x-paper.jar file.

⚠️ Important: Download the file ending in -paper.jar, NOT the one with -dev.jar. The dev version is missing dependencies and will throw a tantrum on your server.

Step 2: Drop It In

Move the downloaded .jar file into your server's plugins/ folder. You know the drill.

your-server/
├── plugins/
│   ├── DupeTrace-1.2.0-paper.jar  ← Right here!
│   └── (your other plugins)
├── server.jar
└── ...

Step 3: Set Up PostgreSQL

You'll need a PostgreSQL database ready to go. If you don't have one yet:

Option A: Local Database (Quick & Dirty)

1. Install PostgreSQL on your server

2. Create a database called dupe_trace:

   CREATE DATABASE dupe_trace;

3. Note down your username and password (default is usually postgres / postgres)

Option B: Remote Database (Fancy & Recommended)

Use a hosting provider like:

• AWS RDS

• DigitalOcean Managed Databases

• ElephantSQL (free tier available!)

Grab your connection URL, username, and password from your provider's dashboard.

Step 4: Start Your Server

Fire up your server for the first time with DupeTrace installed:

java -jar server.jar

The plugin will create a default config.yml file at plugins/DupeTrace/config.yml and then probably complain that it can't connect to the database. That's expected – we haven't told it where to connect yet!

Step 5: Configure the Database

Stop your server and open plugins/DupeTrace/config.yml in your favorite text editor.

Find the database section and fill in your details:

database:
  postgres:
    url: jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/dupe_trace
    user: postgres
    password: your_super_secret_password
    pool-size: 10
    connection-timeout-ms: 30000

Connection URL Format

The URL follows this pattern:

jdbc:postgresql://[host]:[port]/[database_name]

Examples:

• Local: jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/dupe_trace

• Remote: jdbc:postgresql://db.example.com:5432/dupe_trace

• With IP: jdbc:postgresql://192.168.1.100:5432/dupe_trace

💡 Pro Tip: If your database host doesn't use the default port (5432), make sure to change it in the URL!

Step 6: Restart and Verify

Start your server again:

java -jar server.jar

Look for this happy message in your console:

[DupeTrace] Database schema and indexes created successfully
[DupeTrace] DupeTrace enabled. Using PostgreSQL database.

If you see that, congratulations! 🎉 You're all set.

Troubleshooting

"Missing runtime dependency" Error

Problem: You downloaded the -dev.jar file instead of the -paper.jar file.

Solution: Download the correct file from the releases page and replace the plugin jar.

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"Could not connect to database" Error

Problem: Your database credentials are wrong, or DupeTrace can't reach your database.

Solution:

1. Double-check your url, user, and password in config.yml

2. Make sure PostgreSQL is running

3. If using a remote database, check your firewall rules

4. Test the connection manually using psql or a database client

---

Plugin Loads But Nothing Happens

Problem: Configuration might be invalid.

Solution: Check your server logs for warnings. DupeTrace validates config values on startup and will log any issues it finds.

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What's Next?

Now that DupeTrace is installed and connected, you'll probably want to:

1. Configure the plugin – Tweak detection sensitivity and behavior

2. Learn the commands – Test the system and investigate dupes

3. Set up permissions – Control who gets alerts

Happy dupe hunting! 🎯