Pterodactyl Docker

Unraid game server management panel using Pterodactyl Docker

Pterodactyl Docker Setup

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Credits

Role	Contributor
Writer / Producer	IBRACORP
Video Recording and Voice	IBRACORP
Contributor	Pterodactyl Community
Testing / Proofreading	IBRACORP Community

Feature List

Pterodactyl Game Server Management Features:

Web-based game server management panel
Docker container isolation for game servers
Support for 50+ game server types
User and permissions management
Resource allocation controls (CPU, RAM, storage)
File manager with web-based editing
Real-time server monitoring and statistics
Automated backups and scheduling
Multi-node server management
SSL/TLS security with reverse proxy support

Prerequisites

System Requirements:

CPU: 4+ cores (2.0GHz or higher)
RAM: 8GB minimum (16GB+ recommended)
Storage: 50GB available space minimum
Network: Stable internet connection with reverse proxy
Domain: Custom domain with SSL certificates

Required Services:

Nginx Proxy Manager or Traefik (reverse proxy)
MariaDB (database)
Redis (cache)
Cloudflare (DNS provider)
SSL Certificates (Let's Encrypt or Cloudflare)

Installation

Prerequisites Setup

1. MariaDB Database:

version: '3.8'
services:
  mariadb:
    image: mariadb:latest
    container_name: pterodactyl-mariadb
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=pterodactyl
      - MYSQL_USER=pterodactyl
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=pterodactyl_password
    volumes:
      - ./mariadb-data:/var/lib/mysql
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"

2. Redis Cache:

version: '3.8'
services:
  redis:
    image: redis:alpine
    container_name: pterodactyl-redis
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./redis-data:/data
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"

Pterodactyl Panel Installation

Unraid Docker Template:

Head to the Community Applications store in Unraid
Search for and install Pterodactyl Panel
Configure the container settings:
- WebUI Port: 80 (behind reverse proxy)
- Database: Connect to MariaDB instance
- Cache: Connect to Redis instance
- Mail Settings: Configure SMTP (optional)

Docker Compose Configuration:

version: '3.8'
services:
  pterodactyl-panel:
    image: ghcr.io/pterodactyl/panel:latest
    container_name: pterodactyl-panel
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      # Application settings
      - APP_URL=https://panel.yourdomain.com
      - APP_TIMEZONE=America/New_York
      - APP_SERVICE_AUTHOR=admin@yourdomain.com

      # Database settings
      - DB_HOST=pterodactyl-mariadb
      - DB_PORT=3306
      - DB_DATABASE=pterodactyl
      - DB_USERNAME=pterodactyl
      - DB_PASSWORD=pterodactyl_password

      # Cache settings
      - CACHE_DRIVER=redis
      - SESSION_DRIVER=redis
      - QUEUE_DRIVER=redis
      - REDIS_HOST=pterodactyl-redis
      - REDIS_PORT=6379

      # Mail settings (optional)
      - MAIL_DRIVER=smtp
      - MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
      - MAIL_PORT=587
      - MAIL_USERNAME=your_email@gmail.com
      - MAIL_PASSWORD=your_app_password
      - MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
      - MAIL_FROM=your_email@gmail.com
    volumes:
      - ./panel-data:/app/var/
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    depends_on:
      - mariadb
      - redis

Pterodactyl Wings (Daemon) Installation

Wings Docker Configuration:

version: '3.8'
services:
  pterodactyl-wings:
    image: ghcr.io/pterodactyl/wings:latest
    container_name: pterodactyl-wings
    restart: unless-stopped
    privileged: true
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - /var/lib/docker/containers/:/var/lib/docker/containers/
      - /var/lib/pterodactyl/:/var/lib/pterodactyl/
      - ./wings-config:/etc/pterodactyl/
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"   # Wings API
      - "2022:2022"   # SFTP
    working_dir: /var/lib/pterodactyl

Configuration

Initial Panel Setup

1. Access Panel WebUI:

Navigate to https://panel.yourdomain.com
Complete the installation wizard

Create the first admin user:

# Via container console
php artisan p:user:make

2. Configure Locations:

Navigate to Admin Panel → Locations
Create a new location (e.g., "US-East-1")
Set short code and description

3. Configure Nodes:

Navigate to Admin Panel → Nodes
Click "Create New"
Configure node settings:
- Name: Node-01
- Location: Select created location
- FQDN: node.yourdomain.com
- Communicate Over SSL: Yes
- Behind Proxy: Yes
- Daemon Port: 8080

Wings Configuration

1. Generate Configuration:

In Panel, navigate to your node settings
Click "Configuration" tab
Copy the generated configuration
Save as /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml in Wings container

2. Wings Configuration File:

debug: false
uuid: YOUR-NODE-UUID
token_id: YOUR-TOKEN-ID
token: YOUR-TOKEN
api:
  host: 0.0.0.0
  port: 8080
  ssl:
    enabled: true
    cert: /etc/ssl/certs/wings.crt
    key: /etc/ssl/private/wings.key
system:
  data: /var/lib/pterodactyl/volumes
  sftp:
    bind_port: 2022
allowed_mounts: []
remote: https://panel.yourdomain.com

Server Management

Creating Game Servers

1. Create Server via Panel:

Navigate to Admin Panel → Servers
Click "Create New"
Configure server details:
- Server Name: My Game Server
- Server Owner: Select user
- Node: Select configured node
- Egg: Choose game type

2. Resource Allocation:

# Example allocations
CPU: 100% (2 cores)
Memory: 4096 MB
Disk Space: 10240 MB
Block IO Weight: 500

Supported Games

Popular Game Server Types:

Game	Egg	Default Port
Minecraft Java	`minecraft:java`	25565
Minecraft Bedrock	`minecraft:bedrock`	19132
CS:GO	`source-engine:csgo`	27015
Rust	`rust:vanilla`	28015
ARK	`ark:survival_evolved`	7777
Garry's Mod	`source-engine:gmod`	27015
Team Fortress 2	`source-engine:tf2`	27015
Terraria	`terraria:vanilla`	7777
Valheim	`valheim:vanilla`	2456

User Management

1. Creating Users:

Navigate to Admin Panel → Users
Click "Create New"
Configure user details:
- Email: user@example.com
- Username: gaming_user
- First/Last Name: User Name
- Password: Auto-generate or set

2. Assigning Server Access:

Navigate to server details
Go to "Users" tab
Add users with appropriate permissions:
- Owner: Full control
- Subuser: Limited access

Advanced Configuration

SSL Certificate Setup

1. Cloudflare SSL:

Create A records for:
- panel.yourdomain.com → Panel IP
- node.yourdomain.com → Node IP
Configure SSL/TLS mode to "Full (strict)"
Generate Origin Certificate for Wings

2. Let's Encrypt (Alternative):

# Using Nginx Proxy Manager
# Configure proxy host with Let's Encrypt SSL
# Point to panel container on port 80

Reverse Proxy Configuration

Nginx Proxy Manager Setup:

Create new Proxy Host
Configure domain names:
- Domain: panel.yourdomain.com
- Forward Hostname/IP: pterodactyl-panel
- Forward Port: 80
Enable SSL with Let's Encrypt
Add WebSocket support for real-time features

Database Optimization

MariaDB Configuration (my.cnf):

[mysqld]
# Performance optimization
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 2G
innodb_log_file_size = 256M
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 2
innodb_flush_method = O_DIRECT

# Connection settings
max_connections = 200
max_allowed_packet = 256M

# Query cache
query_cache_type = 1
query_cache_size = 128M

Monitoring and Maintenance

Server Monitoring

Built-in Monitoring:

Real-time CPU, RAM, and disk usage
Network statistics and graphs
Player count and activity logs
Server startup/shutdown logs

Log Management:

# View panel logs
docker logs pterodactyl-panel

# View wings logs
docker logs pterodactyl-wings

# Access server console logs
# Available through Panel WebUI

Backup Configuration

1. Automated Backups:

Navigate to server "Backups" tab
Configure backup schedule:
- Frequency: Daily/Weekly
- Retention: 7-30 days
- Files to Include: Specify patterns

2. Manual Backup Commands:

# Create manual backup via Panel
# Navigate to Server → Backups → Create Backup

# Or via Wings API
curl -X POST "https://node.yourdomain.com:8080/api/servers/{uuid}/backup" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Panel Won't Load:

Check reverse proxy configuration
Verify SSL certificates are valid
Confirm database connectivity
Review panel container logs

Wings Connection Failed:

Verify Wings container is running
Check firewall rules for port 8080
Confirm SSL certificates match
Review Wings configuration file

Servers Won't Start:

Check available resources (CPU, RAM)
Verify port availability
Review server allocation settings
Check Wings daemon logs

Database Connection Issues:

Verify MariaDB container status
Check database credentials
Confirm network connectivity
Review database logs

Performance Optimization

Panel Optimization:

# config/app.php
'debug' => false,
'cache_driver' => 'redis',
'session_driver' => 'redis',
'queue_driver' => 'redis',

Wings Optimization:

# wings config.yml
system:
  sftp:
    bind_port: 2022
  data: /var/lib/pterodactyl/volumes
  check_permissions_on_boot: false

Log Analysis

Important Log Locations:

# Panel logs
/app/storage/logs/laravel.log

# Wings logs
/var/log/pterodactyl/wings.log

# Server-specific logs
/var/lib/pterodactyl/volumes/{uuid}/logs/

Security Best Practices

Access Control

1. User Permissions:

Limit admin access to essential personnel
Use subuser accounts for server management
Implement strong password policies
Enable two-factor authentication (if available)

2. Network Security:

Use SSL/TLS for all connections
Implement firewall rules
Regularly update containers
Monitor access logs

Container Security

1. Resource Limits:

# Prevent resource exhaustion
deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      cpus: '2.0'
      memory: 4G
    reservations:
      cpus: '1.0'
      memory: 2G

2. Network Isolation:

Use Docker networks for service isolation
Limit container permissions
Regular security updates

Special Thanks

Pterodactyl Development Team for their excellent game server management platform
To our fantastic Discord community and our Admins DiscDuck and Hawks for their input and documentation (as always)

Please support the developers and creators involved in this work to help show them some love. ❤️

Final Words

We hope you enjoyed this guide. It was conceptualized, written, and implemented by our Admin Sycotix.

Support Us

Our work sometimes takes months to research and develop.

If you want to help support us please consider:

Liking and Subscribing to our Youtube channel
Joining our Discord server
Becoming a paid member on our IBRACORP website
Donating via Paypal

Thank you for being part of our community!

Credits​

Feature List​

Prerequisites​

Installation​

Prerequisites Setup​

Pterodactyl Panel Installation​

Pterodactyl Wings (Daemon) Installation​

Configuration​

Initial Panel Setup​

Wings Configuration​

Server Management​

Creating Game Servers​

Supported Games​

User Management​

Advanced Configuration​

SSL Certificate Setup​

Reverse Proxy Configuration​

Database Optimization​

Monitoring and Maintenance​

Server Monitoring​

Backup Configuration​

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Performance Optimization​

Log Analysis​

Security Best Practices​

Access Control​

Container Security​

Special Thanks​

Final Words​

Support Us​