Tutorials/Migrating saved game data to the cloud

NOTE
This guide is made in assumption that you only want one integrated Minecraft save directory. If you wish to have separate directories (ex: for other machines; Minecraft/Linux, Minecraft/Windows, Minecraft/Toaster, etc.) then you should create them on Dropbox and change the script here as needed. This guide also will only sync your saved game files, not any .jar customizations or texture maps. If you don't know what this is, then you probably should be safe.

Download and Install Dropbox
Here is a quick tutorial on how to migrate your saved games to the cloud so you can play your levels wherever you may be.

The first step is to download Dropbox. Dropbox is a nifty little tool that automatically syncs content to their servers, and allows you to access it both online and through a client on your PC. The good thing about Dropbox is that it is cross platform, plus available on the web and web-enabled smartphones.

Go to http://www.dropbox.com. You get 2GB for free automatically.

Once you have installed Dropbox, you'll need to know where the folder is that it will sync from. On most Windows machines, it is located inside the "My Documents" Folder.

On Linux, the default location is in the user's home folder. For example in Ubuntu, that folder is located at /home/ /Dropbox

Whichever operating system you are using, Dropbox has very good documentation and can assist you in finding help: http://www.dropbox.com/help

Copy your Minecraft saved data to your Dropbox folder
Next, we will need to make a copy of your minecraft data on the cloud Dropbox server.

Windows
On Windows, your minecraft saves data is in your application data folder. You can access this in XP by holding Windows+R or hitting Start > Run and then typing %appdata%\.minecraft in the box. In Vista & 7, enter %appdata%\Roaming\.minecraft instead. This will open your minecraft folder. Copy all the files in the saves folder to your Dropbox. For organization sake, I usually create a folder inside my Dropbox entitled "Minecraft".

Once these files are done copying, navigate back up to your .minecraft folder, and rename the saves folder to saves-backup This step ensures that you 1) Have a backup of your files in case of catastrophe, and 2) allows us to make the symbolic link to the correct location in a later step.

Mac OS X
In Mac OS X, the minecraft saves data folder is located in your Username > Library > Application Support folder. You can get here quickly by opening Finder > Go > Go To Folder > type ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft. For future reference, it's best to make an alias for this folder and copy it to your desktop.

Now, copy the saves folder to Dropbox. It is a good idea to rename the original saves folder (in your .minecraft Application Support folder) to saves-backup, to be saved as a backup in case something goes haywire.

Linux
In Linux, your minecraft saves data folder is located in your user home folder. However, it may be hidden from view. If you are using a GUI, ensure that you choose View > Show Hidden Files.

Copy the contents of the save folder to your Dropbox. As mentioned above, I usually create a folder inside the dropbox called "Minecraft".

Once the copy is complete, rename the save folder to save-backup

If you're command line savvy, here are the above steps in command line format. Make sure to replace with your username.
 * cd /home/
 * cp -r /home/ /.minecraft/saves /home/ /Dropbox/Minecraft/saves
 * mv saves saves-backup

Create the Symbolic Links
This is the final step that will allow us to create links to the cloud versions of your files.

Windows
Creating symbolic links in Windows is easy thanks to a free application called Link Shell Extension, which will allow you to create a symbolic link via right-click in Explorer.

Note: If you are running Windows XP, you may need to install the Server 2003 resource pack in order to enable symbolic links, which is available here.

Windows 7 & Vista: Move your Minecraft saves folder (located in %appdata%\Roaming\.minecraft) to a folder in your Dropbox. Right-click on this new folder and choose Pick Link Source. Go back to your Minecraft folder's original location, then Right-click somewhere blank and click Drop As... > Junction, and you are all set to pull your game data off the cloud.

Windows XP: Move your Minecraft saves folder (located in %appdata%\.minecraft) to a folder in your Dropbox. Right-click on this new folder and choose Pick Link Source. Go back to your Minecraft folder's original location, then Right-click somewhere blank and click Drop As... > Junction, and you are all set to pull your game data off the cloud.

Alternatively, you can create a Symbolic Link in Windows through the Command Prompt. Open up cmd (Start Menu->Run->Type cmd). In cmd, navigate to DropBox's folder by typing cd "path to dropbox folder". Once there, type: mklink /d "minecraftSaves" "path to minecraft's save folder (see below)" The console will output "Symbolic link created" if everything succeeded.

(This is tested to work on Windows 7 and Vista. XP may require the Server 2003 Resource Pack)

Mac OS X
Creating symbolic links in Mac OS X is also easy thanks to a free application called SymbolicLinker, which will allow you to create a symbolic link via right-click in the Finder. If you'd rather use the command line, instructions are below.

Download and install SymbolicLinker.

Once installed, move your Minecraft saves folder (located in username/Library/Application Support/.minecraft) to a folder in your Dropbox. Rightclick on this new folder and choose Make symbolic link. This will create a symbolic link in the same folder. Move this back to your Minecraft folder's original destination (make sure it has the same name as the original) and you are all set to pull your game data off the cloud.

Alternate (command line) method:
 * 1) Open the Terminal
 * 2) Type in: ln -s /Users/ /Dropbox/minecraft/saves /Users/ /Library/Application\ Support/minecraft/saves

Be sure to replace with your own username, of course. And if you moved your Dropbox to something other than the default location you'll need to modify that first path too.

Linux
 GUI Open two file browser windows, one showing your Dropbox folder and the other showing the minecraft folder.

After you dragged and dropped the “saves” folder over to Dropbox, drag it back and hold Alt while dropping it. This should create a symlink. 

 Terminal To create the symbolic links in a terminal, type the following commands. Be sure to replace with your username where appropriate.

cd /home/ ln -s /home/ /Dropbox/Minecraft/saves /home/ /.minecraft/saves

Now your saved worlds should all be there when you start Minecraft.

''In order to link any additional computers you wish to play on, you just need to follow these steps - install Dropbox, and create the symbolic links. Viola!'' 