01
Set up a new server
Choose the server software, hosting baseline, and Java version together.
Operating handbook for Docker servers
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Begin with your current task
Set up a server, troubleshoot failures, install mods and plugins, protect production, or build a proxy network.
02
Troubleshoot a failure
Work through restart loops, permissions, and memory failures systematically.
03
Mods & plugins
Run Paper plugins plus Modrinth and CurseForge modpacks reproducibly.
04
Protect the server
Harden the container, prepare backups, and apply controlled updates.
05
Build a proxy network
Connect Velocity and Paper securely, then diagnose backends or add Bedrock crossplay.
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Choose a topic to work on setup, Docker operations, networking, backups, performance, or security.
Getting Started & Choices
4 guides
Choose server software, Java, and a hosting baseline before day-to-day operation begins.
Paper vs Vanilla vs Fabric vs Forge: Which Minecraft Server Software Should You Choose?
Choosing the wrong server software creates avoidable pain later. This guide compares Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Quilt, Forge, and NeoForge based on plugins, mods, performance, and operational complexity.
Setting up a Minecraft Server on a Hetzner Cloud Server with Docker Compose
In this article, we will show you how to set up a server for Minecraft: Java Edition on a Hetzner Cloud server. We will go through the steps of creating the cloud server, installing Debian, setting up an SSH key, and configuring Docker Compose for easy server management.
Determining the Correct Java Version for Operating a Minecraft Server
If you want to set up a Minecraft server, you may encounter an error message related to the Java version when starting the server. In this article, you will learn how to determine the correct Java version for your Minecraft server.
Docker Operations
5 guides
Administration, migration, updates, and troubleshooting for running Docker-based Minecraft servers.
Administer a Docker Minecraft Server Safely with RCON and Console Access
Need to op a player, manage the whitelist, or stop the server cleanly? This guide shows how to use RCON and interactive console access with itzg/minecraft-server without exposing extra risk.
Update a Minecraft Server with Docker Compose and Roll Back Safely
Update an itzg/minecraft-server deployment without gambling with your world. This runbook covers version pinning, a cold backup, validation, and a real rollback path.
Minecraft Container Keeps Restarting: Diagnose the Docker Compose Loop
Find out why an itzg/minecraft-server container repeatedly restarts. This runbook preserves the first error, separates exited from unhealthy containers, and fixes the actual cause.
Mods & Plugins
3 guides
Install and maintain Paper plugins plus Modrinth and CurseForge modpacks reproducibly.
Install and Update Paper Plugins with Docker Compose
Install Paper plugins reproducibly with itzg/minecraft-server. Compare a read-only /plugins source mount with managed Modrinth downloads, then validate every plugin after restart.
Run a Modrinth Modpack with itzg/minecraft-server and Docker Compose
Deploy a server-compatible Modrinth modpack with Docker Compose, pin the pack version, match Java and client requirements, and validate the first start safely.
Run a CurseForge Modpack with itzg/minecraft-server and Docker Compose
Deploy a CurseForge modpack with AUTO_CURSEFORGE, pin its file ID, protect the API key, handle manual downloads, and validate loader and client compatibility.
Networking
5 guides
Connection issues, DNS, domains, ports, and the checks that help players join reliably.
How to Open Port 25565 for a Minecraft Server on Hetzner and Linux
Players cannot join even though the container is running? This guide checks Docker port publishing, the Linux firewall path, and the Hetzner Cloud Firewall without relying on misleading UFW assumptions.
Minecraft Domain Without a Port: How to Set Up an SRV Record
Want players to join via example.com instead of an IP and port? This guide shows how SRV records work for Minecraft Java Edition and how to configure them correctly.
Set Up Java and Bedrock Crossplay with Geyser and Floodgate
Want Bedrock players on phones or consoles to join your Java server? This guide shows a direct Paper-based Geyser and Floodgate setup without introducing a separate proxy layer.
Backups
3 guides
Backups, restores, and Hetzner-specific pitfalls around snapshots and volumes.
Set Up Automatic Minecraft Backups with docker-mc-backup
Back up your Minecraft world automatically with itzg/mc-backup. This guide shows a safe sidecar setup, retention defaults, and how to validate that backups really work.
Restore a Minecraft World from Backup in Docker: A Safe Runbook
A backup is only useful if you can restore it safely. This guide shows how to restore a Minecraft world in Docker, avoid overwriting live data accidentally, and validate the result before reopening the server.
Why Hetzner Snapshots Do Not Fully Protect Your Minecraft World
Hetzner Cloud Backups and Snapshots are useful, but they do not include attached Volumes. This guide explains the risk, the operational consequences, and the safer backup pattern for Minecraft.
Performance
4 guides
Practical diagnostics for lag, TPS, MSPT, Spark reports, and safe Paper tuning choices.
Minecraft Server Lag Explained: TPS, MSPT, and 'Can’t Keep Up'
This guide explains what TPS and MSPT actually mean, why “Can’t keep up” appears in the console, and which checks help you separate CPU, chunk, entity, and plugin problems quickly.
Use Spark Profiler to Find Minecraft Lag in Paper and Docker
Paper bundles Spark starting with 1.21, which makes it the preferred profiler for diagnosing lag. This guide shows how to capture a useful report and how to read the first findings without guesswork.
View Distance vs Simulation Distance: Safe Starting Values for Paper
Paper exposes view-distance and simulation-distance separately, which makes them one of the safest first levers for performance tuning. This guide explains what each setting changes and which starting values are sensible.
Security
2 guides
Hardening basics and operational safeguards that reduce avoidable downtime and admin mistakes.
Secure a Minecraft Server with Docker Compose: Practical Hardening
Harden an itzg/minecraft-server deployment with online mode, a whitelist, file-based RCON secrets, a non-root container, reduced capabilities, limited ports, and trusted plugins.
Configure Velocity Modern Forwarding with Paper in Docker
Match Velocity and Paper forwarding settings, protect the forwarding secret, block direct backend access, and verify that player identity reaches Paper safely.