Give user items on first spawn on Bukkit server

Question

I have a bukkit server running on a Raspberry Pi 512MB (personal project for the heck of it) and I thought I'd try inviting some friends (~2/3 can't go over 4 players because of RAM) just for testing.

My problem/question is, does anyone know of a way (preferably not a mod, or a very light one) that I can set up a spawn chest that only they and the Op can access? I would want the stuff in it like a regular spawn chest (Axe, Wood, Sticks, Books explaining the site, etc.) Or, alternatively, set it up so the players spawn again, first time only) in with the books already in their inventory.

I think the first is cooler, but either works.

Answer 1

You can use Essentials Kit/Spawn. Just add your items into the Kit part of the config and add the kit to the Spawn part of the config. More information can be found here: http://wiki.ess3.net/wiki/Command_Reference/Kits

Answer 2

You could make a simple bukkit plugin that gives them items on first spawn... You could use something like:

@EventHandler
public void playerJoin(PlayerJoinEvent e){ //called when player joins
    Player p = e.getPlayer(); //get the player who joined
    if(!p.hasPlayedBefore()){ //check if the player has not played before

        p.getInventory().addItem(Material.IRON_PICKAXE);
        p.getInventory().addItem(Material.IRON_AXE);
        p.getInventory().addItem(Material.IRON_SPADE);
        //give the player an iron pick, iron axe, and iron shovel if it is their first time playing
    }
}

This code would, in words, do:

When a player joins:
    if the player has not played before:
        give player iron pickaxe
        give player iron axe
        give player iron shovel

if you would like to use custom books, you would have to use ItemStacks, like so:

ItemStack itemStack = new ItemStack(Material.WRITTEN_BOOK); //make a new written book
BookMeta bm = (BookMeta) itStack.getItemMeta; //get the book meta data of the book
bm.setTitle("title"); //set the title to "title"

bm.addPage("page 1"); //set the pages
bm.addPage("page 2");
bm.addPage("page 3");
bm.addPage("page 4");

itemStack.setItemMeta(bm); //set the meta of the book to the above


p.getInventory().addItem(itemStack); //give the player the formatted book