Hello, thank you for taking time to look at this,

I have been having issues with starting a 1.16.5 server and I haven't even started adding mods yet... I made a folder on my desktop, downloaded the latest version of forge for 1.16.5, ran the jar, installed the server to my folder. These are the files I am presented with: a folder named "libraries", a jar file named "minecraft_server.1.16.5.jar" and another jar file named "forge-1.16.5-36.2.30.jar" I run forge-1.16.5-36.2.30.jar and it gives me a "logs" folder... but that's it. The logs read:

debug.log

[09Mar2022 17:53:46.910] [main/INFO] [cpw.mods.modlauncher.Launcher/MODLAUNCHER]: ModLauncher running: args [--gameDir, ., --launchTarget, fmlserver, --fml.forgeVersion, 36.2.30, --fml.mcpVersion, 20210115.111550, --fml.mcVersion, 1.16.5, --fml.forgeGroup, net.minecraftforge]
[09Mar2022 17:53:46.913] [main/INFO] [cpw.mods.modlauncher.Launcher/MODLAUNCHER]: ModLauncher 8.1.3+8.1.3+main-8.1.x.c94d18ec starting: java version 17.0.2 by Oracle Corporation
[09Mar2022 17:53:46.925] [main/DEBUG] [cpw.mods.modlauncher.LaunchServiceHandler/MODLAUNCHER]: Found launch services [minecraft,testharness,fmlclient,fmlserver]
 

latest.log

[09Mar2022 17:53:46.910] [main/INFO] [cpw.mods.modlauncher.Launcher/MODLAUNCHER]: ModLauncher running: args [--gameDir, ., --launchTarget, fmlserver, --fml.forgeVersion, 36.2.30, --fml.mcpVersion, 20210115.111550, --fml.mcVersion, 1.16.5, --fml.forgeGroup, net.minecraftforge]
[09Mar2022 17:53:46.913] [main/INFO] [cpw.mods.modlauncher.Launcher/MODLAUNCHER]: ModLauncher 8.1.3+8.1.3+main-8.1.x.c94d18ec starting: java version 17.0.2 by Oracle Corporation
 

I try running the file again... nothing changes except two encrypted files are added to the logs folder, "2022-03-09-1.log.gz" and "debug-1.log.gz"

What do I do?

I had the same issue. i think the last forge version is broken(36.2.30), try using 36.2.29 instead. i'd been struggling to make my server work for the last 3 hours and using another version was the only thing that solved it.