Get Started with MCBDSHost

Complete deployment guide for Windows Server 2019/2022/2025

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

# Run PowerShell as Administrator
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Containers -All
Restart-Computer

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop

winget install -e --id Docker.DockerDesktop
# Restart after installation

Step 3: Download MCBDSHost

# Create directory and extract
New-Item -Path "C:\MCBDSHost" -ItemType Directory -Force
# Extract the downloaded mcbdshost-windows.zip to C:\MCBDSHost
Expand-Archive -Path "Downloads\mcbdshost-windows.zip" -DestinationPath "C:\MCBDSHost"
Set-Location "C:\MCBDSHost"

Step 4: Download Minecraft Bedrock Server

1. Visit https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server/bedrock
2. Scroll down to "Minecraft Dedicated Server Software"
3. Click "Download" for your platform (Windows or Ubuntu)
4. Accept the EULA and download the ZIP file

# Create bedrock-server directory
New-Item -Path "C:\MCBDSHost\bedrock-server" -ItemType Directory -Force
Set-Location "C:\MCBDSHost\bedrock-server"

# Extract the downloaded Minecraft Bedrock Server ZIP
# (bedrock-server-X.XX.XX.XX.zip from Minecraft website)
Expand-Archive -Path "Downloads\bedrock-server-*.zip" -DestinationPath . -Force

# Verify bedrock_server.exe exists
if (Test-Path "bedrock_server.exe") {
    Write-Host "? Bedrock Server installed successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green
}

Step 5: Configure Firewall

# Create firewall rules
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "MCBDSHost Web UI" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 5000 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "MCBDSHost API" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 8080 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Minecraft IPv4" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 19132 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Minecraft IPv6" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 19133 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow

Step 6: Start Services

Set-Location "C:\MCBDSHost"
docker compose -f docker-compose.windows.yml build
docker compose -f docker-compose.windows.yml up -d

# View logs
docker compose -f docker-compose.windows.yml logs -f

Deploy on Ubuntu, Debian, or compatible distributions

Step 1: Install Docker

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

Step 2: Download MCBDSHost

mkdir -p /opt/mcbdshost
cd /opt/mcbdshost
# Extract the downloaded mcbdshost-linux.zip
unzip ~/Downloads/mcbdshost-linux.zip -d .

Step 3: Download Minecraft Bedrock Server

1. Visit https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/download/server/bedrock
2. Download the Ubuntu (Linux) version
3. Accept the EULA

mkdir -p /opt/mcbdshost/bedrock-server
cd /opt/mcbdshost/bedrock-server

# Extract the downloaded Minecraft Bedrock Server
unzip ~/Downloads/bedrock-server-*.zip

# Make server executable
chmod +x bedrock_server

# Verify installation
ls -la bedrock_server

Step 4: Configure Firewall

sudo ufw allow 5000/tcp comment 'MCBDSHost Web UI'
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp comment 'MCBDSHost API'
sudo ufw allow 19132/udp comment 'Minecraft IPv4'
sudo ufw allow 19133/udp comment 'Minecraft IPv6'

Step 5: Start Services

cd /opt/mcbdshost
docker-compose -f docker-compose.linux.yml build
docker-compose -f docker-compose.linux.yml up -d

# View logs
docker-compose -f docker-compose.linux.yml logs -f

Run on Windows 10/11 Pro or Home with WSL2

Additional Tips for Home Servers

• Port Forwarding: Configure your router to forward ports 19132 (UDP) for external access
• Dynamic DNS: Use a service like No-IP or DuckDNS if you don't have a static IP
• Firewall: Ensure Windows Firewall allows the required ports
• Backups: Schedule automated backups during off-peak hours
• Resources: Monitor CPU/RAM usage to avoid impacting other applications

Port Forwarding Guide

1. Access your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
2. Find "Port Forwarding" or "Virtual Server" settings
3. Create rules for:
   • Web UI: TCP port 5000 (optional, for remote management)
   • Minecraft: UDP port 19132 (required for players)
4. Point to your server's local IP address
5. Save and restart router if needed