# 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.

!!! 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](#deployment-templates-and-examples) 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.

!!! warning 

    **DO NOT** port forward RCON on 25575 without first setting `RCON_PASSWORD` to a secure value. It is highly recommended to only use RCON within the container, such as with `rcon-cli`. 

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/java.md) and the [`TYPE`](types-and-platforms/) 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 `docker-compose.yml`
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
version: "3.8"

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