Minecraft Bedrock Server Management Scripts

This collection of bash scripts provides comprehensive management for a Minecraft Bedrock server on Linux, including automated updates, backups, and server control.

Features

• Automated Updates: Download and install the latest Minecraft Bedrock server
• Backup System: Automatic backups before updates with configurable retention
• Screen Management: Server runs in a screen session accessible by both mcserver user and root
• Graceful Shutdown: Player warnings before server stops
• Configuration Preservation: Keeps server settings and world data during updates
• System Integration: Optional systemd service and firewall configuration

Scripts Overview

Scripts Overview

setup.sh

Initial setup script that prepares the environment:

• Creates the mcserver user
• Sets up directories with proper permissions
• Configures screen for multi-user access
• Creates systemd service
• Sets up firewall rules (if UFW is available)
• Creates helpful command aliases

config.sh

Configuration file containing all customizable settings:

• Server paths and directories
• Backup retention settings
• Download URLs
• User and session names

update-server.sh

Downloads and installs the latest Minecraft Bedrock server:

• Automatically detects the latest version from minecraft.net
• Falls back to configured URL if detection fails
• Downloads the latest server version
• Creates backups before updating
• Preserves world data and configuration files
• Gracefully stops/starts the server
• Cleans up old backups

check-version.sh

Version checking utility:

• Compares installed version with latest available
• Shows detailed server information
• Supports automated version monitoring
• Useful for scripting and monitoring

start-server.sh

Starts the Minecraft server in a screen session:

• Checks for existing running instances
• Starts server as mcserver user
• Creates screen session accessible by root
• Provides connection instructions

stop-server.sh

Gracefully stops the Minecraft server:

• Sends warnings to players (60s, 15s, 5s countdown)
• Saves world data before stopping
• Supports force stop option
• Shows server status after stopping

server-manager.sh

Comprehensive management interface:

• Shows detailed server status
• Connects to server console
• Sends commands to running server
• Provides shortcuts for start/stop/restart operations

Installation

1. Clone or download the scripts to your preferred location:

   cd /path/to/scripts

2. Edit the configuration in config.sh if needed:

   nano config.sh

3. Run the setup script as root:

   sudo ./setup.sh

4. Download and install the server:

   sudo ./update-server.sh

5. Start the server:

   ./start-server.sh

Configuration

Edit config.sh to customize:

# Server configuration
SERVER_USER="mcserver"                          # User to run the server
SERVER_DIR="/home/mcserver/minecraft-server"    # Server installation directory
BACKUP_DIR="/home/mcserver/backups"             # Backup storage directory
SCREEN_SESSION_NAME="minecraft-server"          # Screen session name

# Download URL (update this for newer versions)
DOWNLOAD_URL="https://minecraft.azureedge.net/bin-linux/bedrock-server-1.21.44.01.zip"

# Backup retention
BACKUP_RETENTION_DAYS=30                        # Keep backups for 30 days

# Telegram Bot Configuration (optional)
TELEGRAM_ENABLED="false"                        # Enable/disable Telegram notifications
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=""                           # Bot token from @BotFather
TELEGRAM_CHAT_IDS=""                            # Chat ID(s) for notifications
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_UPDATE_START="true"             # Notify when update starts
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_UPDATE_SUCCESS="true"           # Notify when update succeeds
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_UPDATE_FAILURE="true"           # Notify when update fails
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_NO_UPDATE="false"               # Notify when no update needed

Telegram Bot Notifications

The scripts support optional Telegram bot notifications to keep you informed about server updates and status changes. This feature allows you to receive real-time notifications on your phone or computer whenever the server is updated, encounters errors, or when maintenance is performed.

Features

• Real-time Notifications: Get instant updates about server status
• Multiple Recipients: Send notifications to multiple users or groups
• Configurable Events: Choose which events trigger notifications
• Rich Formatting: Messages include emojis, timestamps, and server details
• Error Resilience: Script continues even if Telegram notifications fail

Setting Up Telegram Notifications

1. Create a Telegram Bot

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Start a chat and send /start
3. Send /newbot to create a new bot
4. Follow the prompts to name your bot and choose a username
5. Save the API token provided (format: 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz)

2. Get Your Chat ID

For personal notifications:

1. Search for @userinfobot in Telegram
2. Start a chat and send any message
3. Note the Chat ID from the response (e.g., 123456789)

For group notifications:

1. Add your bot to the group and make it an admin
2. Send a message mentioning your bot: @yourbotname hello
3. Visit https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/getUpdates
4. Find the "chat" object and note the "id" field (negative for groups: -987654321)

3. Configure the Scripts

Edit config.sh and update the Telegram settings:

# Enable Telegram notifications
TELEGRAM_ENABLED="true"

# Your bot token from BotFather
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz"

# Chat ID(s) where notifications will be sent
# For multiple recipients, separate with spaces: "123456789 -987654321"
TELEGRAM_CHAT_IDS="123456789"

# Choose which events to be notified about
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_UPDATE_START="true"     # When update process begins
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_UPDATE_SUCCESS="true"   # When update completes successfully
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_UPDATE_FAILURE="true"   # When update fails or errors occur
TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_NO_UPDATE="false"       # When script runs but no update needed

Notification Types

The script sends formatted messages for different events:

• 🔄 Update Start: Notifies when the update process begins, including current version
• ✅ Update Success: Confirms successful update with version change details
• ❌ Update Failure: Alerts about errors with troubleshooting information
• ℹ️ No Update Needed: Confirms server is already up to date (optional)

Example Notification

✅ Minecraft Server Update Completed

📅 Time: 2025-07-24 14:30:15
🖥️ Server: minecraft-server
📦 Updated: 1.21.44.01 → 1.21.50.07

🎮 Server is ready to play!

Testing Your Configuration

1. Enable notifications in config.sh
2. Temporarily set TELEGRAM_NOTIFY_NO_UPDATE="true"
3. Run the update script when no update is available
4. You should receive a "no update needed" notification

Troubleshooting Telegram

Bot doesn't send messages:

• Verify TELEGRAM_ENABLED="true"
• Check bot token is correct and complete
• Ensure chat ID is accurate
• Confirm you've started a chat with the bot (/start)

Messages not received:

• Check internet connectivity to api.telegram.org
• For groups, ensure bot has permission to send messages
• Verify bot is not blocked or restricted

Check logs for details:

tail -f /var/log/minecraft/minecraft-server.log

Security Notes

• Keep your bot token secure and never share it publicly
• Set restrictive file permissions on config.sh
• Consider using environment variables for tokens in production
• The bot can only send to chats where it's been explicitly added

Usage

Starting the Server

./start-server.sh

Stopping the Server

# Graceful stop (with player warnings)
./stop-server.sh

# Force stop (immediate)
./stop-server.sh --force

# Check status only
./stop-server.sh --status

Connecting to Server Console

# Using the manager script
./server-manager.sh connect

# Direct screen connection
screen -r minecraft-server

# As root user
sudo -u mcserver screen -r minecraft-server

Server Management

# Show comprehensive status
./server-manager.sh status

# Send command to server
./server-manager.sh command "say Hello players!"

# Quick start/stop/restart
./server-manager.sh start
./server-manager.sh stop
./server-manager.sh restart

Updating the Server

sudo ./update-server.sh

Checking for Updates

# Check current vs latest version
./check-version.sh

# Show detailed server information
./check-version.sh --detailed

# Just compare versions (for scripting)
./check-version.sh --check-only

Automatic Version Detection

The update script now automatically detects the latest Minecraft Bedrock server version using multiple methods:

1. Official Website Scraping: Downloads the Minecraft server page and extracts the latest version number
2. Azure CDN Testing: Tests likely version patterns against the download server
3. Fallback URL: Uses the configured URL from config.sh if automatic detection fails

The system validates all URLs before attempting downloads and provides clear error messages if detection fails.

Screen Session Management

The server runs in a screen session that can be accessed by both the mcserver user and root:

• Attach to console: screen -r minecraft-server
• Detach from console: Press Ctrl+A, then D
• Kill session: screen -S minecraft-server -X quit

Multi-user Screen Access

The screen configuration allows root to attach to the mcserver user's screen session:

# As mcserver user
screen -r minecraft-server

# As root user
sudo -u mcserver screen -r minecraft-server

Systemd Integration

The setup script creates a systemd service for automatic startup:

# Enable auto-start on boot
sudo systemctl enable minecraft-bedrock

# Start/stop via systemd
sudo systemctl start minecraft-bedrock
sudo systemctl stop minecraft-bedrock

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status minecraft-bedrock

Backup System

Backups are automatically created before each update:

• Location: $BACKUP_DIR/minecraft-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
• Retention: Configurable in config.sh (default: 30 days)
• Contents: Complete server directory including worlds and configuration

Manual Backup

# Force an update (which creates a backup)
sudo ./update-server.sh

File Structure

After setup, your file structure will look like:

/home/mcserver/
├── minecraft-server/           # Server installation
│   ├── bedrock_server         # Server executable
│   ├── server.properties      # Server configuration
│   ├── worlds/                # World data
│   └── ...                    # Other server files
├── backups/                   # Backup storage
│   ├── minecraft-backup-20231201-120000.tar.gz
│   └── ...
└── .screenrc                  # Screen configuration

/var/log/minecraft/            # Log files
├── minecraft-server.log

/path/to/scripts/              # Management scripts
├── config.sh
├── setup.sh
├── update-server.sh
├── start-server.sh
├── stop-server.sh
└── server-manager.sh

Firewall Configuration

The setup script automatically configures UFW if available:

# Manual firewall setup (if UFW not used)
# Open port 19132/UDP for Minecraft Bedrock
sudo ufw allow 19132/udp

# For other firewalls, ensure port 19132/UDP is open

Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start

1. Check if server executable exists and is executable:

   ls -la /home/mcserver/minecraft-server/bedrock_server

2. Check logs:

   tail -f /var/log/minecraft/minecraft-server.log

3. Verify user permissions:

   sudo -u mcserver ls -la /home/mcserver/minecraft-server/

Screen Session Issues

1. Check running screen sessions:

   screen -list
   sudo -u mcserver screen -list

2. Kill stuck sessions:

   screen -S minecraft-server -X quit

Permission Issues

1. Fix ownership:

   sudo chown -R mcserver:mcserver /home/mcserver/

2. Fix script permissions:

   chmod +x *.sh

Customization

Adding Custom Commands

Edit server-manager.sh to add custom management commands.

Changing Update URL

Update the DOWNLOAD_URL in config.sh when new server versions are released.

Custom Backup Schedule

Add a cron job to run backups periodically:

# Daily backup at 3 AM
0 3 * * * /path/to/scripts/update-server.sh > /dev/null 2>&1

Security Considerations

• The mcserver user has limited privileges
• Screen sessions are configured for specific user access
• Backups are stored with appropriate permissions
• Log files are accessible but not world-writable

Requirements

• Linux (64-bit recommended)
• bash
• wget
• unzip
• screen
• tar
• sudo
• systemd (optional)
• UFW (optional, for automatic firewall configuration)
• Internet connection (for downloads and Telegram notifications)

License

These scripts are provided as-is for managing Minecraft Bedrock servers. Use at your own risk and ensure you comply with Minecraft's terms of service.