Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper replaces username/password login on offline-mode servers with cryptographic key authentication. Every player holds a unique digital key that the server recognises — no password to guess, share, or steal.

Designed for small offline-mode servers where the operator personally knows every player.

Runs on Fabric and on Paper — both server implementations speak the same protocol, and the same Fabric client mod works with either.

How it works

When you connect to a Gatekeeper server for the first time, the mod silently generates a unique key pair for that server and stores it on your computer. Every subsequent connection your game proves — cryptographically — that it holds the right key, without ever transmitting it over the network. The server checks your key against its approved list and lets you in.

No passwords. No shared secrets. Nothing to forget or leak.

Requirements

• Server: either Fabric with Fabric API, or Paper
• Client: Fabric with Fabric API
• Every connecting client must have the mod installed, whichever server platform you run
• Client and server must be on matching versions — an outdated client is turned away with a message naming the version to install
• The server must run with online-mode=false in server.properties

Spigot, CraftBukkit and Folia are not supported: holding a player in the configuration phase needs Paper's connection API.

Installation

Server (Fabric)

1. Install Fabric and Fabric API.
2. Drop gatekeeper-<version>.jar into the mods/ folder.
3. Set online-mode=false in server.properties.
4. Start the server — a config/mcgatekeeper/ directory is created automatically.

Server (Paper)

1. Drop gatekeeper-paper-<version>.jar into the plugins/ folder.
2. Set online-mode=false in server.properties.
3. Start the server — a plugins/McGatekeeper/ directory is created automatically.

Important: online-mode=false without Gatekeeper means anyone who knows a player's username can impersonate them. Gatekeeper eliminates that risk, but it means you must approve every new player before they can join.

Client

1. Install Fabric and Fabric API.
2. Drop gatekeeper-<version>.jar into your mods/ folder.
3. That's it — keys are generated and stored automatically.

First connection

The first time a player connects:

1. A key pair is generated for that server in the background.
2. The connection screen shows a message saying the server is waiting for admin approval.
3. An operator runs /gate allow <username> <label> to approve the player and register their key.

The player is let in immediately and their key is remembered for all future connections from that device.

Admin commands

Tab-complete on /gate allow suggests players currently awaiting approval.

Requires operator level 3 on Fabric, or the mcgatekeeper.admin permission (granted to operators by default) on Paper.

Key management

You can view and manage your stored keys via Mods → Gatekeeper → Manage Keys (requires Mod Menu). Each entry shows the server address the key was last used with, plus short fingerprints for both the server and client keys.

For full technical documentation, the security model, and source code, see the GitHub repository.