Running a Minecraft Server With Docker

Running a Minecraft Server With Docker

The same server, the same Java version, the same config — on a laptop or a VPS, without manually setting up the environment each time.

Running a Minecraft server in Docker packages the server, its Java runtime, and its dependencies into a container that behaves identically regardless of the host machine — useful for consistency across development and production, or just avoiding a manual Java install.

Install Docker

On a Linux host:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and back in for the group change to take effect.

Using an Existing Minecraft Docker Image

The itzg/minecraft-server image is a widely-used, well-maintained option that handles the EULA, server type selection, and most common configuration through environment variables:

docker run -d \
  -p 25565:25565 \
  -e EULA=TRUE \
  -e TYPE=PAPER \
  -e MEMORY=4G \
  -v /home/mc/data:/data \
  --name mc-server \
  itzg/minecraft-server

-v /home/mc/data:/data maps the container's world/plugin data to a real folder on the host, so it persists even if the container is removed and recreated.

Using Docker Compose Instead

For easier long-term management, a docker-compose.yml is usually cleaner than a long docker run command:

version: "3.8"
services:
  mc:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server
    ports:
      - "25565:25565"
    environment:
      EULA: "TRUE"
      TYPE: "PAPER"
      MEMORY: "4G"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Then start it with:

docker compose up -d

restart: unless-stopped automatically restarts the container if it crashes or the host reboots.

Installing Plugins in a Containerized Server

Plugins go in the mapped volume's plugins/ folder on the host (/home/mc/data/plugins in the example above) — they're accessible directly from the host filesystem, the same as a non-containerized server, since the volume mount makes them visible on both sides.

Accessing the Server Console

docker attach mc-server

attaches to the running container's console — Ctrl+P then Ctrl+Q detaches without stopping the server (regular Ctrl+C would stop it).

Or, for sending a single command without a full attach:

docker exec mc-server rcon-cli say Hello from the host

(requires RCON enabled, which the itzg/minecraft-server image supports via additional environment variables).

Why Containerize at All

• Consistent Java version and environment regardless of host OS
• Easy to tear down and recreate without losing world data (as long as the volume is preserved)
• Simple to run multiple isolated servers on one host, each in its own container with its own port mapping