ComputerCraft 1.46 Minecraft 1.4.2 Update

There's not much to go with this update, all this update really changes is that it is now compatible with the latest version of Vanilla Minecraft, 1.4.2. The only other change listed in the changelog is the addition of a separate tab for computercraft items in the new creative inventory mode that was first introduced in 1.3.2.

Download (this is Dan's adfly link not mine)

Blog post

Minecraft 1.4 Pre-release!

Today brings some exciting news from the Mojang blog. Today they release the minecraft 1.4 pre-release. This release will be adding many new features to the game, anvils, witches, bats, and pumpkin pie! Everything that you need to have a good and scary Halloween. Also they have added some new sounds, new sounds were added for the wither, the bats, the anvil (sweet!) and the ENDER DRAGON!!

The post does say that this is not what they will be releasing in one week, they will still have many more bug fixes and patches! One thing that the jars will be used for is new terrain gen as it is very unlikely that there will be any updates or changes to the terrain gen system between now and the official release.

Download Client Jar (Mojang)

Download Server Jar (Mojang)

Minecraft Snapshot 12w42b

Nothing too spectacular with this 'b' release, just the basic prerelease bug fixes and patches. This snapshot does also add some more info from mojang about the new fixes to the redstone system updates that they have been promising a long, long time.

Changelog:

• Falling sand now properly “pops” when falling on non-solid blocks (such as torches)
• The redstone repeater lock mechanism is now slightly more stable / predictable. It’s still not 100% as we want it, but fixing it completely will require bigger changes that we’ve planned for Minecraft 1.5.
• Fixed tooltip width for renamed items
• Added a number of sound events, but the sound effects are not added yet
• Server ping will now tell if the server and client have mismatching protocol versions
• Updated translation files

Download (Mojang)

Minecraft Snapshot 12w42a

Hooray! Early snapshot! The only downside is that it's a longer wait to the next one :O. This snapshot, like many of the past few has been more about trying to fix the bugs and other things. Some of the things that were changed/added in this snapshot are that the new bat mod will no longer trample crops and activate pressure plates as if it were a ground-mob.
There are new updates to the redstone repeaters that Mojang says are a hint of whats to come in the 1.5 release (yes the 1.5). They are pushing off major changes to the redstone system so that there is a final "safe version" of minecraft with original redstone mechanics. The change to the repeaters is "Locking" now when a redstone repeater has a redstone signal coming in from one of the sides that is not the input or output sides it will "lock" the repeater in place, making it so that the redstone signal coming out of the affected repeater will not change, if it was on when the repeated was "locked" then it will remain on, regardless of any input changes. Same goes from if the repeater was "off" when it was locked. In the snapshot blog (also below) there is a picture that hints at a changed texture to indicate that a repeater is in the locked position. I have personally not seen this displayed anywhere else, not even in the unlisted video on the TeamMojang youtube channel that displays the new behavior.

The recipe for crafting the anvil has also been tweaked to decrease the amount of iron required, below is the new recipe, it takes 24 less iron ingots to craft than the one in last week's snapshot.

Here is what the old recipe looked like, much more expensive!

Download (Mojang)
Mojang's Blog

Bukkit 1.3.2-R2.0 Release

Today brings the second revision of the 1.3.2 release of the bukkit server for minecraft! New in this build are built-in autosave functions that can be set in vanilla bukkit servers with new config options based on saving per tick.
To enable the new autosaving feature, set the "ticks-per.autosave" option to whatever you wan and it will autosave the server (obviously!) every number of ticks. In order to disable this new feature (why oh why??) all you need to do is to set it to 0.

Link to Release
Link to Download

[How-to] Get Bukkit release and news feed

The website over at bukkit.org is very nice, the landing page is a news section with all of the news about the latest release of the server. But if you are like me, and many other people you don't want to have to visit the website just to check if there is a new bukkit release. Now the way that most websites fix this is with RSS feeds. And on first look it looks like the page does have a RSS feed, as indicated by the logo at the bottom of the page. But on closer inspection of the feed that it brings you to, it appears to be a feed of the "latest happenings" at the forums. This is alot more than what most people want, most people only want the RSS feed of the main page and the releases. The way that I found it was to inspect the source code, using firebug (firefox extension) and search through the document looking for "RSS". I found it in a javascript function, it was the second one listed.

http://dl.bukkit.org/downloads/craftbukkit/feeds/latest-rb.rss

ANVILS! (Minecraft 12w41a/b)

This weeks weekly chunk brings EXCITING new features to the minecraft 1.4 Pretty Scary Update! New in this feature is the Anvil, the anvil like its name would suggest is used for the repair of items like armour and pickaxes in minecraft. In addition to the repair features of the anvil, you are also about to "name" your items, if you wanted to you could rename your sword "Hrunting" (Beowulf  reference!) and it also allows for the combination of the different enchantments that are on two items. Of course to make anvil you'll need alot of iron, 55 ingots. And the anvil has a damage value, it appears to be a random feature at  the moment and has three different stages of decay. In order to use the anvil you need ALOT of experience. The anvil also has some more classic effects, it drops much like other blocks in the game, sand and gravel, but if it hits a player or mob it causes damage! This gives for a kind of ACME effect :D. Besides the anvil there aren't that many new features in this snapshot, nearing the release date (October 24th) much of the time is spent of bug fixing and getting ready for the final release.

Crafting Recipe (thanks to minecraftwiki.net)

Direct Link
Weekly Chunk

Changelog:

• Added a new Anvil block for repairing, merging & naming items
• Added an option for cape-owners to hide their capes ingame
• Effects given by the Beacon will be less intrusive on the screen
• Level-up sound now only plays every 5 levels
• More bugfixes & tweaks!

Computer Craft 1.43

New Features:

• Added Printed Pages (bind several Printed Page items into one with string)
• Added Printed Books (add a leather cover to the above)
• Labelled Turtles now keep their fuel when broken
• Fixed incompatibility with Forge 275 and above

Website
Download (From Website)

Minecraft Archive 12w40a

Changelog below:

• Added Swamp Hut structures, for Witches to spawn in^[2]
• Added superflat preset "Redstone Ready" with a 52 layers of sandstone, 3 layers of stone, and 1 layer of bedrock
• Flatworld configuration now allows you to generate trees, strongholds etc
  • Now pumpkins, tall grass, flowers, trees, mineshafts, dungeons, strongholds, lakes, desert wells, ravines and ores will spawn on superflat maps^[3]
• Custom Item naming NBT tags (intended for custom map makers)^[4]
  • Using the NBT, it is possible to add custom names to items, as well as a lore list for that item
• Better inventory management
  • The pick block action now works on items
  • Pressing the 1-9 hotkeys while hovering over an item will put that item into the inventory bar
  • In creative mode, you can now shift-click items from the hotbar to the survival inventory screen
• The left-click action will no longer open doors, pull levers, push buttons or open trapdoors. Use the right mouse button!
• Firespread has been slightly nerfed again to prevent infinitely spreading fires
• Beacon Texture altered, as well as the beam.
• Eye of Ender can now be used in superflat worlds. (only if stronghold generation is enabled)
• Slimes now spawn in Swamp biomes at low light level.

Download (Mojang)

Download (Mediafire)

12w39a Minecraft Archive

Changelog below:

• Lighting system overhauled.
• Lots of blocks interact correctly with lighting now (stairs, slabs)
• Few sound tweaks
• Fixed witch being white for some
• More bugfixes & slight tweaks!

Some bugs have been reported and there might be another "b" release soon... according to @Dinnerbone:
"So farmland is broken. Okay, that's a start! Yay mass testing. Also stairs are darker than you'd expect but that's three characters to fix."

Official Mojang Download

Rehosted (Mediafire)

12w38b Minecraft Archive

Changlog Below:

• Updated sound engine and fixed wrong sounds
  • Added minecart sounds
  • Changed level-up sound
  • Changed fall-damage sound
  • Changed the new block placing sounds (implemented in 12w38a) back to original sounds
  • New cave sound
  • The fire charge makes the same sound as flint and steel when used
• A few tweaks to the witch mob.
  • Can't hurt themselves now.
  • Texture changed slightly.
  • New drops
    • Misc potion ingredients
    • Sticks
    • Chance to drop what they're holding at the time of death
• New creeper fall mechanics
  • Creepers will explode if they fall on you from a certain height.^[2]  

Offical Mojang Download
Rehosted (Mediafire)

12w38a Minecraft Archive

Change Log below:

• The Nether loads faster when going through a portal
  • In Creative mode, teleportation is instantaneous^[5]
• The water overlay is more saturated blue.
• Updated and added new sounds by C418
  • New footstep sounds: sand, gravel, soul sand, grass block, ladders, snow, and stone
  • New block-placing sounds: wood, stone, plants, sand, gravel and torch. New sounds are unintended and are the same as in the Pocket Edition^[6]
  • New block breaking sounds: wood, snow, glass
  • New mob sounds: cow, chickens, pigs, Enderman (watched/observed, attacked, etc.), zombie, spiders, skeleton, and slime
  • New tool sounds: flint and steel, shears (when shearing sheep) and hoe when you till dirt
  • Lava and flowing water now have constant noise
  • Added level up sound, but will be changed later for a shorter one ^[7]
  • Added sound when Withers break blocks.
• Added a passive mob (bat)
  • Spawns in dark caves
  • Spawns in Peaceful mode
  • Sleeps during the day
  • Hangs on the ceiling when idle, starts flying when players come near
• Added a hostile mob (witch)
  • Their nose slowly bobs up and down when not hostile.
  • Throws splash potions of poison, slowness, weakness and instant damage at you
  • Regenerate health over time
  • Hold an empty bottle and raise their noses when attacking
  • Drink potions of instant health and fire resistance to defend themselves in combat
  • Rarely drop potions of instant health and fire resistance
  • Is immune to some splash potions^{[more information needed]}
  • Does not spawn naturally (yet), but a spawn egg exists for it in Creative mode
• Command block target parameters have been upgraded
• Beacon artwork was changed
  • The beam of light was changed
  • The texture of bedrock under the beacon is removed.
• Wood blocks have a different rotation algorithm. Instead of using the player’s position, they rotate based on the face they are placed upon, like a lever (this is mainly a test).
• Stone monster egg blocks (which spawn Silverfish) will rarely generate underground in Extreme Hills biomes.^[8]

**NOTE that a "12w38b" was released shortly after to fix the /say command in the servers

Official Mojang Download
Rehosted (Mediafire)

12w37a Minecraft Archive

Change log below:

• Tweaks to the Wither.
  • It creates an explosion around itself once it is done regenerating from spawning.
• Added "Re-Create" option to the World selection menu.
  • Allows you to edit a world as if you are creating a new one without changing the existing world, e.g. bonus chest, cheats, world type.
• 'Carrots' are now 'Carrot'.
• Added Pumpkin Pie.
• Tweaks to a couple of item sprites.
  • Bread, Raw Chicken, Cooked Chicken, Raw Beef, Steak, Raw Porkchop, Cooked Porkchop, Red Apple, and Nether Star no longer have a dark outline.
  • Golden Carrot now matches Carrot.
  • Heads are now correctly centered.
  • Baked Potatoes don't have fume anymore.
• Leather armor now has a non-dyed layer.
• Time of the redstone signal of the wooden/stone button extended from 9 to 12 redstone ticks
• Superflat customization GUI:
  • Comes with 7 presets: Classic Flat, Tunnelers' Dream, Water World, Overworld, Snowy Kingdom, Bottomless Pit (Broken^[2]), and Desert.
  • Custom starts off with Classic Flat with three options: Add Layer, Edit Layer, Remove Layer. Adding and editing are NYI.
    • You can customize superflat without add/edit layer option using the "seed" in the preset list.
• You now get XP for fishing.
• Pigs are now able to jump when players ride on them.
• Added /clear command to empty the inventory.
• Evil mobs are now a little bit more fearless in hard difficulty.
• Various bug fixes.

Official Mojang Download Link

Rehosted Download Link (Mediafire)

1.3.2 Minecraft Archive

This post is obviously a bit out dated, this is just to start a series of what I'm going to call my Minecraft Archives, for every major release (maybe snapshots too) I'll post one of these with a link to both Mojang's official download link and one hosted on mediafire or the like.

Official Mojang Download Link

Rehosted minecraft.jar file (mediafire)

The Wonders of Optifine

What is Optifine?

Optifine is a mod for minecraft that is aimed at making the game more effiecent when it comes to the amount of CPU and GPU power that it takes to render the game. In other words, it makes your game run faster and look better. On it's forum page, it's said to generally almost double the FPS for anyone, for me it brought them from 20-30 up to 50-70, and it makes the game sooooooo much better. Whoever made this mod needs serious props, and I would recommend this to any one who has a older model computer that can't keep up or just wants to squeeze more FPS out of minecraft.

Installing

The mod is included in several mod packs, like technic but the mod can be installed solo with vanilla minecraft. Download the file from the forum page and follow the instructions (on here or the fourm).

• Open the archive with 7zip (or whatever)
• Open the minecraft.jar file in your %appdata%\.minecraft (I think haven't used windows in a while) 
• Copy the contents on the optifine.zip into the minecraft.jar file
• DELETE the folder named "META-INF" in the minecraft.jar file

Then just launch the game as normal and when you press F3 button in game there should be a optifine version number in the upper left hand corner.

Download 1.3.2 with optifine installed

Some people just don't like to do any work, it's a fact of life, for those people I have made a vanilla 1.3.2 minecraft+optifine file that you can download, copy, paste and run!

Have any problems? Tell me in the comments, I'll try to respond as fast as possible.

How to start a Minecraft Server

One of the best parts about minecraft, besides the mods, is the multiplayer aspect. Nothing cooler than being able to share all of your creations with your friends online. To do this you first need to be able to set up a server. The server can be setup on anything from a VPS (virutal private server) to a old desktop computer that you happened to have laying around the house.

Different Types of Servers

Craftbukkit

Craftbukkit is my personal favourite  when it comes to the different types of servers, the mod server are of course fun but after a while they just get boring. Craftbukkit is basically a vanilla server (which means that there are no mods installed on the client) with lots of plugins that enhance the functionality of the server.

Vanilla

My personal opinion of a vanilla server is that if you are going to go vanilla with out mods you might as well make it easier to admin (and harder to grief) with craftbukkit. But anyway, you can download the standard minecraft server straight from minecraft.net. For the purposes of this article I would recommend downloading the jar file opposed to the windows .exe.

Mod Servers (tekkit)

There aren't that many mod servers of note, many are customized to the preferneces of the people who are hosting them. But the one that is most used (in my experience) is the tekkit server. Tekkit is a mod pack with many fun mods.

How to setup the Server

I would recommend installing a linux server distrobution to run the server on but thats your own choice.
Starting the server is easy; java -jar minecraft_server.jar will start the server. Once the server has finished creating all of the files you can then stop it by typing "stop" in the server command line. In the folder that the jar is located in there should now be some files that were created by the server. The one that you want is "server.properties" in that file you can configure the different options, like offline mode, firespreading, and mob spawns. 

How to start a server with a seed

In the directory with the minecraft server file you will want to create a "server.properties" file in that file put the line "seed=<yourseednumberhere>
" If you want to use a word as a seed what you would have to do is to put "" around the text. (I think I'm not really sure about that in all honesty)

Minecraft for Nothing

 Searching "how to get minecraft free" will turn up nothing but spam and scams to try and get you to fill out a survey. Sure maybe there is one or two out there that actually do what they say that they do but I doubt it. But there is one way that you can use that will get you what you need to play minecraft, both on "offline servers" and on Single Player mode.

Vanilla

That is Mineshafter. Mineshafter, is basically a proxy application for the minecraft.jar file that convinces it that you have logged into the minecraft servers successfully. It will download all of the files that you need. As they say on the mineshafter website, if you really do enjoy playing the game then you ought to support it and what better way to do that than to buy the game straight from Mojang.

Mods

But wait, what if you want to play one of the many different mods that are out there? Well some one fixed that problem too. Welcome to Mineshafter Squared the way it works is the same it allows you to login through their servers and not mojangs. With mineshaftersquared you can download the 2 of the most popular minecraft mod launchers, Spout and Technic

Again this will NOT allow you on to the majority of the servers that are out there, there are some servers, like BitLegend that run in the offline mode and allow you to login without a account but there are not many.