Minecraft Bedrock Docker

Docker setup for running the official Minecraft Bedrock dedicated server. The image is built for linux/amd64 (required for the Bedrock binary), so on Apple Silicon it runs via emulation.

Requirements

• Docker
• On Apple Silicon: build/run with --platform=linux/amd64 (handled by the scripts below)

Setup: download the Bedrock server

The repo does not include the Minecraft Bedrock server binary or its data files. You need to add them once:

1. Open the official download page:
   https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server/bedrock
2. Extract the zip into this repo directory (the same folder as Dockerfile and play.sh). All contents of the zip should end up in the repo root.

Example after extraction:

root/          # repo root
├── Dockerfile
├── docker-entrypoint.sh
├── play.sh
├── build.sh
├── README.md
├── .dockerignore
├── .gitignore
├── bedrock_server               # from zip (binary)
├── server.properties            # from zip (edit for your server)
├── allowlist.json
├── permissions.json
├── packetlimitconfig.json
├── release-notes.txt
├── bedrock_server_how_to.html
├── behavior_packs/
├── config/
├── definitions/
├── resource_packs/
├── world_templates/              # empty or defaults from zip
└── state/                       # created on first run by play.sh
    ├── worlds/
    ├── world_templates/
    └── treatments/

Then build and run (see Commands below).

Project layout

Path	Purpose
Dockerfile	Ubuntu 24.04 image, runtime libs, entrypoint
docker-entrypoint.sh	Sets LD_LIBRARY_PATH, symlinks state + config from /data
play.sh	Script to run the server with correct volumes and ports
state/	Persisted server state (worlds, templates, treatments); created by play.sh
server.properties, allowlist.json, permissions.json, packetlimitconfig.json	Config files; bind-mounted so you can edit without rebuilding

State and config are kept outside the image: worlds and editable configs live in a state volume (bind-mounted to ./state) and in the repo, so you can change settings and restart without rebuilding.

Commands

Build the image

docker build --platform=linux/amd64 -t minecraft-bedrock .

The image is also available on dockerhub: docker pull areebbeigh/minecraft-bedrock

Run the server

chmod +x play.sh
./play.sh

By default play.sh publishes UDP 19132 and 19133. To use different host ports:

./play.sh 19132 19133   # same as default
./play.sh 25566 25567   # example: host 25566→19132, 25567→19133

Connect from other devices (LAN)

The container publishes on 0.0.0.0, so other devices on your Wi‑Fi can connect using:

• Server address: your Mac’s local IP (e.g. 192.168.1.5)
• Port: 19132 (or the first port you passed to play.sh)

Find your IP: ipconfig getifaddr en0 (Wi‑Fi) or check System Settings → Network.

Remote access also can be setup with Tailscale.

Edit config without rebuilding

Edit these in the project directory (they are bind-mounted into the container):

• server.properties
• allowlist.json
• permissions.json
• packetlimitconfig.json

Restart the container for changes to apply (Ctrl+C then ./play.sh again).

How it works

1. Image: Ubuntu 24.04 (amd64) with libcurl, OpenSSL, and C++ runtime. The Bedrock server binary and its .so files are copied into /bedrock_server. LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. is set so the binary finds its libraries.

2. Entrypoint: On start, docker-entrypoint.sh:

   • Sets LD_LIBRARY_PATH and uses /data (and /data/config) for persisted state and config.
   • Creates symlinks so /bedrock_server/worlds, world_templates, and treatments point into /data, and the four config files point into /data/config.
   • Runs ./bedrock_server (or the container CMD).

3. play.sh: Creates a Docker volume that is bind-mounted to ./state on the host, and mounts that volume at /data. It also bind-mounts the four config files from the repo into /data/config/. Ports 19132 and 19133 are published so the server is reachable on the host (and thus on your LAN).

---

Todo

• Auto download Minecraft server distribution on setup.
• Make running multiple servers easier.