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Building a Pocketmine Node

Pocketmine-MP is a highly customizable, open-source server software for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Running it on a Linux node ensures optimal performance and stability.

Concepts​

  • PHP 8+: Pocketmine is written in PHP and requires the latest versions with specific extensions (pthreads/pmmp extensions).
  • Screen/Tmux: Terminal multiplexers to keep the server running after you disconnect from SSH.
  • UDP Protocol: Minecraft Bedrock uses UDP, meaning firewall rules must allow UDP traffic, not just TCP.

Step-by-step Guide​

1. Prepare the Environment​

Install required dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install curl wget git make autoconf automake m4 libtool -y

2. Install Pocketmine​

Use the official installer script:

mkdir ~/pocketmine
cd ~/pocketmine
curl -sL https://get.pmmp.io | bash -s -

3. Running the Server​

Run the server using a multiplexer like tmux to keep it active:

tmux new -s pmmp
./start.sh

Press Ctrl+B, then D to detach. To reattach later, run tmux attach -t pmmp.

Best Practices​

  • Port Forwarding: Ensure port 19132 (UDP) is open on your firewall.
  • Backups: Schedule automated backups of the worlds/ and players/ directories.
  • Resource Limits: Use ulimit or systemd to allocate sufficient file descriptors and memory.