# Intro

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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

    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.

!!! important "Persistent Data"

    The Minecraft server will store its data in the container's `/data` directory. This directory can be [mounted](https://docs.docker.com/storage/volumes/) from the host machine or a managed volume.

    Using `docker run` add a `-v` option somewhere before the image name:
    
    ```
    ... -v /path/on/host:/data itzg/minecraft-server
    ```
    
    Using docker compose, add a `volumes` section to the service definition:
    
    ```yaml
    services:
      mc:
        # ... image and environment section
        volumes:
          # attach the relative directory 'data' to the container's /data path
          - ./data:data
    ```

!!! note

    If you plan on running a server for a longer amount of time it is highly recommended using a management layer such as [Docker Compose](#using-docker-compose) or [Kubernetes](misc/deployment/index.md#on-kubernetes) to allow for incremental reconfiguration and image upgrades.

!!! info 

    Be sure to always include `-e EULA=TRUE` in your commands and container definitions, as Mojang/Microsoft requires EULA acceptance.

By default, the container will download the latest version of the "vanilla" [Minecraft: Java Edition server](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server) provided by Mojang. The [`VERSION`](versions/minecraft.md) and the [`TYPE`](types-and-platforms/index.md) can be configured to create many variations of desired Minecraft server. 

## Using [Docker Compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)

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.

```yaml title="compose.yaml"

services:
  mc:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:latest
    pull_policy: daily
    tty: true
    stdin_open: true
    ports:
      - "25565:25565"
    environment:
      EULA: "TRUE"
    volumes:
      # attach the relative directory 'data' to the container's /data path
      - ./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`.

!!! note "Configurator Tool"
    If you prefer to use an interactive tool to create or edit a Docker Compose file for this image, you can check out [setupmc.com's configurator](https://setupmc.com/java-server/). It provides a form that supports most of the image variables and generates the `compose.yaml` file in real time.

!!! note "More Compose Examples"
    There are more [examples located in the Github repo](https://github.com/itzg/docker-minecraft-server/tree/master/examples).

!!! note "Deployment Examples"
    The [deployments page](misc/deployment/index.md) provides more examples of deployment with and beyond Docker Compose.