Running Your First Docker Container: A Minecraft Server in Minutes

From Zero to Server with a Single Command

One of the most exciting things about Docker, as shown in the ‘Ubuntu System Administration Guide’, is how quickly you can get complex applications running. As a first example, the book demonstrates how to launch a fully functional Minecraft server using a pre-built image from Docker Hub.

The Docker Run Command

With Docker installed, you can start the server with a single command:

docker run -it -e EULA=true -p 25565:25565 --name mc itzg/minecraft-server

This command does several things: it downloads the `itzg/minecraft-server` image, accepts the End User License Agreement, maps port 25565 on your computer to the container’s port, and starts the server. In just a few moments, you’ll have a Minecraft server ready for players to join.

Persisting Your Data

A key concept is data persistence. By adding a ‘volume’ mapping (`-v minecraft_data:/data`) to the command, you can save the Minecraft world data to a folder on your host machine, ensuring that your world is safe even if you stop and remove the container.

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This post is based from content of the book Ubuntu System adminstration guide. And the book can be found here https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mattias-Hemmingsson/author/B0FF5CQX13