Deploy a Minecraft Server on Docker with NetEase Hive in Minutes

Introduction

Minecraft is a Java‑based sandbox game that runs from a single JAR file. To let friends join a shared world without the limitations of public servers, this tutorial shows how to create a dedicated Minecraft server using NetEase Hive’s container platform.

Manual Server Setup on a Linux Container

Before using Docker, you can launch the server manually by following these steps:

Create a Linux container (Ubuntu, Debian, or CentOS – the example uses Debian).

Install a JRE or JDK inside the container.

Install basic utilities such as tmux and vim.

Download the official Minecraft server JAR.

Run the server JAR inside a tmux session so it continues in the background.

Perform basic server configuration (e.g., accept the EULA, set server.properties). tmux is used to keep the server running while allowing you to execute commands like adding operators or banning IPs without stopping the game.

Automating with a Dockerfile

Manual steps are tedious, so the tutorial switches to a Docker‑based approach. NetEase Hive provides a JDK base image; the Dockerfile adds the required tools, creates a working directory, copies the server JAR, and defines an entrypoint that launches the server inside tmux and enables SSH access.

The Dockerfile consists of four main parts:

Base image selection (Hive’s JDK image).

Installation of utilities (e.g., tmux, vim).

Creation of a working directory and downloading the Minecraft server JAR (the tutorial uploads the JAR to an OSChina Git repository, but any URL can be used).

Entry point that starts tmux with the server and opens SSH.

Essential Server Files

eula.txt : Contains eula=true; the server will not start until this agreement is accepted.

server.properties : Holds configuration parameters. The tutorial highlights online-mode=true, which enables authentication against Minecraft’s official account service. Disabling it ( online-mode=false) allows anyone to log in with any username, which is insecure.

Other files such as banned-ips.json, banned-players.json, and ops.json manage blacklists and operator lists.

Building and Running the Container

Build the custom image with docker build -t my-mc-server . and create a container using Hive’s UI or CLI (refer to Hive’s documentation at https://c.163.com/wiki/index.php?title=创建自定义镜像 and https://c.163.com/wiki/index.php?title=创建容器). After the container starts, connect with the Minecraft client to the container’s external IP.

Tip: Allocate at least 1 GB of memory to the container, as Minecraft is memory‑intensive.

Conclusion

The tutorial demonstrates the simplest way to launch a Minecraft server using Docker on NetEase Hive, while noting that further automation (e.g., environment variables, custom scripts) can make the setup more flexible and elegant.