WaterMedia
WaterMedia is a client-side video and media library. On a Forge or NeoForge dedicated server it checks where it is running and throws on purpose, so the message tells you exactly what to do.
| What the log says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| WATERMeDIA CANNOT be installed YET on SERVER-SIDE. Please remove WATERMeDIA from the server, and keep it on client | IllegalEnvironmentException, thrown by WaterMedia's Forge and NeoForge entry points. |
| ILLEGAL ENVIRONMENT | A banner WaterMedia logs just before it throws. |
On Fabric it is different: WaterMedia's own Modrinth page says Fabric still needs the jar on the server side, and its Fabric entry point does not throw. If a Fabric server fails, the cause is something else.
Essential
Essential ships as a small loader that registers a ModLauncher transformation service and downloads the rest of the mod at start-up. That runs before Forge decides which mods are client-only, so a server tries to run it and fails. It provides nothing a server can use.
| What the log says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Encountered serious error loading transformation service, expect problems | ModLauncher could not start a transformation service. |
| Provider gg.essential.container.loader.stage0.EssentialTransformationService could not be instantiated | That service is Essential's loader. |
Warning
Essential is not EssentialsX or Essential Commands. Those are different, server-side projects; leave them alone.
How to fix it
- Search the console or logs/latest.log for WATERMeDIA, ILLEGAL ENVIRONMENT, gg.essential or EssentialTransformationService.
- WaterMedia on Forge or NeoForge: stop the server and take the WaterMedia jar out of mods/. Keep it in your own client's mods folder.
- If a mod on the server then reports WaterMedia as a missing dependency, that mod requires a client library on the server. WaterMedia's own log says dependent mods should work without it on servers; check for a newer build of that mod or ask its author.
- Essential: take the Essential jar out of the server's mods/ and keep it on your client.
- Restart. Back up the world first as a habit.
Most client-only mods fail with a different message, invalid dist DEDICATED_SERVER, and that guide covers them.
Read the client-only mods guideWhat MineXHost's launcher does with these mods
These two are handled differently from most crashes, and on MineXHost the engine moves them without asking. Before your server boots, MineXEngine, our launcher, recognises the Essential loader by what is inside the jar, not by its name, and moves it to mods/.quarantined/, because it has no server function and stops the boot. EssentialsX and Essential Commands are never matched.
WaterMedia is not specifically targeted before boot, because other mods can depend on it. After it refuses to start on the server, the engine moves it to the same folder, but only when no other mod on the server requires it; if one does, it leaves WaterMedia in place and names it in your console.
Both are moved, not deleted, so you can put either back. Most other crash recovery on a customer server is identify-only: it names the file and leaves your mods folder alone.
MineXHost runs Forge and NeoForge packs on MineXEngine. Our launcher detects the modpack, picks the right Minecraft loader and Java version, tunes the JVM for your RAM, and auto-recovers from the crashes that normally end a modded server's evening. Pick your RAM, paste the pack, and play.
See hosting plansFrequently asked questions
Why does WaterMedia say it cannot be installed on the server side?
WaterMedia says it cannot be installed on the server side because it is a client-side video and media library that, on a Forge or NeoForge dedicated server, checks its environment and throws an IllegalEnvironmentException on purpose, telling you to remove it from the server and keep it on the client. On Fabric, its author says the jar stays on the server.
Can I run the Essential mod on a Minecraft server?
The Essential mod cannot run on a Forge or NeoForge dedicated server, because it is a client-side mod whose loader registers a ModLauncher transformation service that starts before Forge filters out client-only mods, so the server fails during start-up and gains nothing from it. Players can keep Essential on their own clients.
Will players still be able to join if WaterMedia is removed from the server?
Players can usually still join after WaterMedia is removed from a Forge or NeoForge server, because WaterMedia only provides video and media playback on the client and its own log states that dependent mods can work without it on servers. Keep it installed on each player's client.
Does MineXHost remove WaterMedia or Essential automatically?
MineXHost moves both of these mods without asking, with limits: MineXEngine moves the Essential loader to mods/.quarantined/ before the server boots, and moves WaterMedia to the same folder after it refuses to start on the server, but only when no other installed mod requires it. Both are moved rather than deleted, so either can be put back, and most other crash recovery is identify-only.