Use Docker to Deploy a Minecraft server

Intro#

The GitHub link:

Here is a simple introduction from its documentation:

This docker image provides a Minecraft Server that will automatically download the latest stable version at startup. You can also run/upgrade to any specific version or the latest snapshot. See the Versions section below for more information.

To simply use the latest stable version, run

1
docker run -d -it -p 25565:25565 -e EULA=TRUE itzg/minecraft-server

where, in this case, the standard server port 25565 will be exposed on your host machine.

Docker Compose#

I do not recommend running the image directly with the command above. Docker Compose is a better method, just like for other usual projects.

Here are the official instructions.

1. Create a new directory

2. Put the contents of the file below in a file called compose.yaml

3. Run docker compose up -d in that directory

4. Done! Point your client at your host’s name/IP address and port 25565.

1
services:
2
  mc:
3
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:latest
4
    pull_policy: daily
5
    tty: true
6
    stdin_open: true
7
    ports:
8
      - "25565:25565"
9
    environment:
10
      EULA: "TRUE"
11
    volumes:
12
      # attach the relative directory 'data' to the container's /data path
13
      - ./data:/data

To apply changes made to the compose file, just run docker compose up -d again.

Follow the logs of the container using docker compose logs -f, check on the status with docker compose ps, and stop the container using docker compose stop.

If you are new to Docker, volumes may be a little confusing. Well, they are actually quite simple. One possible directory structure looks like this:

1
Your-MC-Server-Folder
2
├── data
3
│   ├── config
4
│   ├── eula.txt
5
│   ├── kubejs
6
│   ├── mods
7
│   ├── server.properties
8
│   └── world
9
└── docker-compose.yml

The data folder inside Your-MC-Server-Folder is where you put all the mods and world data. Of course, you can also run Docker Compose first and let the container generate the data by itself, or just move your existing data into data.

Loader and mods#

Starting a modded server is also possible by changing the variables in compose.yaml. Here is my own configuration. You can use SetupMC to help generate yours.

1
services:
2
  mc:
3
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:latest
4
    tty: true
5
    stdin_open: true
6
    ports:
7
      - "25565:25565"
8
      - "24454:24454/udp"
9
    environment:
10
      EULA: "TRUE"
11
      TYPE: "NEOFORGE"
12
      VERSION: "1.21.1"
13
      INIT_MEMORY: "4G"
14
      MAX_MEMORY: "12G"
15
      MOTD: "A Minecraft Server"
16
      TZ: "Asia/Tokyo"
17
      DIFFICULTY: "hard"
18
    volumes:
19
      - "./data:/data"

Btw, port 24454/udp is open because of the mod “Simple Voice Chat.” In this situation, you also need to change the IP to 0.0.0.0 in the Simple Voice Chat config.

And…#

Have fun!