Minecraft server using Docker and Pteradactyl

In this article, we explore the efficiency of utilizing a Docker Pterodactyl container for hosting Minecraft servers. By leveraging this containerization approach, the process of deployment and management is streamlined, offering a portable and user-friendly solution for running Minecraft servers.

What is Docker?

Docker is a platform that uses containerization to automate the deployment of applications. Containers are isolated environments that package applications and their dependencies for consistent and portable execution across different systems. Docker provides benefits such as portability, resource efficiency, isolation, version control, and tools for orchestration. It simplifies development, testing, and deployment processes, ensuring applications run consistently across various environments.

What is Pteradactyl?

Pterodactyl is the open-source game server management panel built with PHP, React, and Go. Designed with security in mind, Pterodactyl runs all game servers in isolated Docker containers while exposing a beautiful and intuitive UI to administrators and users. What more are you waiting for? Make game servers a first-class citizen on your platform today.

Base information of Pteradactyl Panel

Pterodactyl Server Panel is a user-friendly web interface for efficiently managing game servers, offering features like server creation, resource monitoring, and file management. Users can control multiple game servers through this centralized panel.

In Pterodactyl, a "server" represents an individual game server instance with dedicated resources and configurations, manageable through the Server Panel. Nests categorize server types, streamlining the creation process. Each server type within a nest is configured using an "egg," a setup file defining installation, startup parameters, and specific settings.

The "yolk" encompasses core configuration settings applicable globally to all servers, covering system paths, network configurations, and other parameters. Meanwhile, "Wings" are daemon components managing game server instances on hosting machines. They interact with Docker, create server containers, and communicate with the Server Panel for instructions and updates.

Create Panel

Begin by establishing a Pterodactyl Server Panel, a user-friendly web interface facilitating efficient game server management. This involves setting up a centralized dashboard for tasks such as creating servers, monitoring resources, and managing files.

Confirgure Server

Once the Panel is in place, proceed to create and configure a server within Pterodactyl. Define its specific resources, configurations, and settings through the Panel's intuitive interface. For Minecraft game hosting, ensure appropriate specifications are chosen.

Deploy Minecraft Game

With the server configured, deploy a Minecraft game instance by selecting the appropriate egg—an installation and configuration file. Customize the server behavior based on Minecraft-specific requirements, such as startup parameters and game settings.

Setup

Folder Structure

First create a base directory named "pterodactyl" with a subfolder named "panel".

Docker Compose Configuration

Inside the "panel" folder, create a docker-compose.yml file with the following content:

version: '3.8'
x-common:
  database:
    &db-environment
    # Do not remove the "&db-password" from the end of the line below, it is important
    # for Panel functionality.
    MYSQL_PASSWORD: &db-password "CHANGE_ME"
    MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: "CHANGE_ME_TOO"
  panel:
    &panel-environment
    # This URL should be the URL that your reverse proxy routes to the panel server
    APP_URL: "https://pterodactyl.example.com"
    # A list of valid timezones can be found here: http://php.net/manual/en/timezones.php
    APP_TIMEZONE: "UTC"
    APP_SERVICE_AUTHOR: "noreply@example.com"
    TRUSTED_PROXIES: "*" # Set this to your proxy IP ("*" trust all proxy)
    # Uncomment the line below and set to a non-empty value if you want to use Let's Encrypt
    # to generate an SSL certificate for the Panel.
    # LE_EMAIL: ""
  mail:
    &mail-environment
    MAIL_FROM: "noreply@example.com"
    MAIL_DRIVER: "smtp"
    MAIL_HOST: "mail"
    MAIL_PORT: "1025"
    MAIL_USERNAME: ""
    MAIL_PASSWORD: ""
    MAIL_ENCRYPTION: "true"

#
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# DANGER ZONE BELOW
#
# The remainder of this file likely does not need to be changed. Please only make modifications
# below if you understand what you are doing.
#
services:
  database:
    image: mariadb:10.5
    restart: always
    command: --default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
    volumes:
      - "/srv/pterodactyl/database:/var/lib/mysql"
    environment:
      <<: *db-environment
      MYSQL_DATABASE: "panel"
      MYSQL_USER: "pterodactyl"
  cache:
    image: redis:alpine
    restart: always
  panel:
    image: ghcr.io/pterodactyl/panel:latest
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    links:
      - database
      - cache
    volumes:
      - "/srv/pterodactyl/var/:/app/var/"
      - "/srv/pterodactyl/nginx/:/etc/nginx/http.d/"
      - "/srv/pterodactyl/certs/:/etc/letsencrypt/"
      - "/srv/pterodactyl/logs/:/app/storage/logs"
    environment:
      <<: [*panel-environment, *mail-environment]
      DB_PASSWORD: *db-password
      APP_ENV: "production"
      APP_ENVIRONMENT_ONLY: "false"
      CACHE_DRIVER: "redis"
      SESSION_DRIVER: "redis"
      QUEUE_DRIVER: "redis"
      REDIS_HOST: "cache"
      DB_HOST: "database"
      DB_PORT: "3306"
networks:
  default:
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 172.20.0.0/16

NOTE: The purpose of the docker-compose.yml file is to define and configure Docker services, such as MySQL, Redis, and the Pterodactyl panel, for seamless deployment and management within a Docker containerized environment.

Configuration Details

Ensure to replace the placeholder "CHANGE_ME" in MYSQL_PASSWORD and MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD with strong and secure passwords. Customize values for APP_URL, APP_TIMEZONE, APP_SERVICE_AUTHOR, and other parameters to align with your specific requirements. Additionally, configure mail-related settings according to your email server's specifications.

NOTE: If you do not make any changes then it is fine for now!

Run Docker Compose

Execute the following command line on the terminal:

docker-compose up -d

NOTE: After executing the command "docker-compose up -d," the Pterodactyl containers will be initiated, and the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file, including MySQL, Redis, and the Pterodactyl panel, will be started in detached mode, allowing the setup to run in the background.

Create a user

To create a user, use the following command:

docker-compose run --rm panel php artisan p:user:make

This command is executed within the Docker environment and utilizes the Pterodactyl panel's artisan command-line tool to generate a new user.

Logging in to your panel

To log in to your panel, access it by navigating to localhost on your computer's web browser. This typically involves entering localhost or 127.0.0.1 in the address bar, allowing you to access and log in to the Pterodactyl panel locally.

NOTE: Localhost is a generic hostname that refers to the current device used to access it, commonly used to access services running on the same machine, such as web servers or databases. If a device is not on the same network, it cannot access or see the content hosted on localhost, as localhost is specific to the local machine.

Creating a Node in the Server Panel

To create a node in the Pterodactyl Server Panel, follow these steps:

• Log In:

  • Ensure you are logged into the Pterodactyl Server Panel

• Navigate to Settings:

  • Go to the Settings section within the Panel

• Go to Locations:

  • Under Settings, access the Locations tab. Here, you'll find an option to Create a New Location

• Create a New Location:

  • Fill in the required information, specifically providing a name or short code to help group servers together. For this example, set the location name as home and press the Create button

• Create a Node:

  • Having created a location, proceed to create a node. Set the NAME and FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) to your domain name

• SSL Connection Settings:

  • For the Communicate Over SSL setting, choose both Use SSL Connection and Behind Proxy to ensure secure communication over SSL, especially if the Panel is behind a proxy

• Configuration for Node:

  • Set the "Memory" and "Total Disk Space" based on your requirements; for example, set Memory to 8GB and Disk Space to 50GB, adjusting as needed for specific mods or games.