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Overview

Nests are categories of game server types (e.g., Minecraft, Source Engine, Voice Servers).
Eggs are specific server configurations within a nest (e.g., Minecraft Java, Minecraft Bedrock, Forge, Paper). Together, they define:
  • Docker images to use
  • Startup commands
  • Environment variables
  • Installation scripts
  • File configuration

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Nests

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What is a Nest?

A nest groups related eggs together. For example: 
Minecraft Nest
├── Vanilla
├── Paper
├── Forge
└── Bedrock

Source Engine Nest
├── Counter-Strike: GO
├── Team Fortress 2
└── Garry's Mod

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Creating a Nest

1

Navigate to nests

Go to Admin > Nests in the panel.
2

Create nest

Click Create Nest and provide:Name (required)
  • The nest category name
  • Example: “Minecraft”, “Source Engine”, “Voice Servers”
Description (optional)
  • Brief explanation of what servers this nest contains
  • Example: “Minecraft Java and Bedrock servers”
Author (required)
  • Your email or organization name
  • Used for credits and egg attribution
3

Add eggs

After creating the nest, add eggs to define specific server types.

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Managing Nests

Viewing Eggs Click on a nest name to see all eggs it contains. The badge shows the egg count: 
Minecraft (4 eggs)
Deleting Nests
You cannot delete a nest that contains eggs. Remove all eggs first.

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Eggs

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What is an Egg?

An egg is a complete server configuration that defines:
  1. Docker Image: Container image to run the server
  2. Startup Command: Command to start the server
  3. Environment Variables: Configurable settings
  4. Install Script: Script to install/update the server
  5. Configuration Files: Files to parse and modify

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Creating an Egg

1

Navigate to a nest

Go to Admin > Nests and click on a nest name.
2

Import or create egg

You can either:Import from JSON
  • Click Import Egg
  • Upload an egg JSON file
  • The egg is created with all settings
Create manually
  • Click Create Egg
  • Fill in all configuration details

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Egg Configuration

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Basic Settings

{
  "name": "Paper",
  "description": "High-performance Minecraft server",
  "dockerImage": "ghcr.io/pterodactyl/yolks:java_17",
  "startup": "java -Xms128M -Xmx{{SERVER_MEMORY}}M -jar {{SERVER_JARFILE}}"
}
Docker Image
  • Specifies the container environment
  • Must be available in a Docker registry
  • Common registries: ghcr.io, docker.io
Startup Command
  • Command to start the server process
  • Use {{VARIABLE}} for environment variables
  • Runs inside the container

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Environment Variables

Variables allow server customization without editing the egg.
1

Add variable

In the egg editor, scroll to Environment Variables and click Add Variable.
2

Configure variable

Name: Display name (e.g., “Server JAR File”)
Description: Help text for users
Environment Variable: Internal name (e.g., SERVER_JARFILE)
Default Value: Initial value (e.g., server.jar)
Validation Rules: Optional regex or rules (e.g., required|string)User Viewable: Users can see this variable
User Editable: Users can change this variable
3

Use in startup command

Reference the variable in the startup command:
java -jar {{SERVER_JARFILE}}
Common Variables: 
SERVER_MEMORY    # Allocated RAM in MB
SERVER_JARFILE   # Server executable filename
SERVER_PORT      # Server listening port
SERVER_VERSION   # Game/software version
MAX_PLAYERS      # Maximum concurrent players

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Install Script

The install script runs when a server is created or reinstalled. 
#!/bin/ash
# Install script runs in Alpine Linux container

cd /mnt/server

# Download server files
echo "Downloading Paper ${MINECRAFT_VERSION}..."
curl -o server.jar https://api.papermc.io/v2/projects/paper/versions/${MINECRAFT_VERSION}/builds/latest/downloads/paper-${MINECRAFT_VERSION}.jar

# Accept EULA
echo "eula=true" > eula.txt

echo "Installation complete!"
Script Fields:
  • Container: Docker image for installation (e.g., ghcr.io/pterodactyl/installers:alpine)
  • Entrypoint: Shell to use (e.g., ash, bash)
  • Script: Installation commands
Install scripts run with limited privileges. They cannot use sudo or access the host system.

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Egg Variables Reference

VariableDescriptionExample
SERVER_MEMORYAllocated RAM (MB)2048
SERVER_IPServer bind address0.0.0.0
SERVER_PORTServer listening port25565
STARTUPParsed startup commandAuto-generated
P_SERVER_LOCATIONNode locationus-east
P_SERVER_UUIDServer UUIDAuto-generated

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Stop Command

Defines how to gracefully stop the server: 
# Minecraft
stop

# Source Engine
quit

# Send SIGTERM
^C
If undefined, the container receives SIGTERM.

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Exporting Eggs

Share egg configurations with others:
1

Navigate to egg

Go to Admin > Nests > [Nest Name] and click on an egg.
2

Export

Click Export Egg to download a JSON file containing:
  • All egg settings
  • Environment variables
  • Install script
  • Docker configuration
3

Share or backup

Use the exported file to:
  • Backup egg configurations
  • Share with other panel instances
  • Version control egg changes

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Importing Eggs

Add pre-made eggs from the community:
1

Find egg JSON

Download eggs from:
2

Import to nest

  1. Navigate to Admin > Nests
  2. Click on the target nest
  3. Click Import Egg
  4. Upload the JSON file
3

Review and adjust

After import:
  • Review environment variables
  • Test the install script
  • Adjust Docker image if needed

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Example: Minecraft Paper Egg

{
  "name": "Paper",
  "description": "High-performance Minecraft server",
  "author": "[email protected]",
  "dockerImage": "ghcr.io/pterodactyl/yolks:java_17",
  "startup": "java -Xms128M -Xmx{{SERVER_MEMORY}}M -Dterminal.jline=false -Dterminal.ansi=true -jar {{SERVER_JARFILE}}",
  "configStop": "stop",
  "scriptContainer": "ghcr.io/pterodactyl/installers:alpine",
  "scriptEntry": "ash",
  "scriptInstall": "#!/bin/ash\ncd /mnt/server\n\nVERSION=\"1.20.4\"\nBUILD=\"latest\"\n\ncurl -o server.jar https://api.papermc.io/v2/projects/paper/versions/${VERSION}/builds/${BUILD}/downloads/paper-${VERSION}-${BUILD}.jar\n\necho \"eula=true\" > eula.txt",
  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "Server JAR File",
      "envVariable": "SERVER_JARFILE",
      "defaultValue": "server.jar",
      "userViewable": true,
      "userEditable": false,
      "rules": "required|string"
    },
    {
      "name": "Minecraft Version",
      "envVariable": "MINECRAFT_VERSION",
      "defaultValue": "1.20.4",
      "userViewable": true,
      "userEditable": true,
      "rules": "required|string"
    }
  ]
}

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Best Practices

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Organizing Nests

✅ Group by game/software 
Minecraft → Java, Bedrock, Modded variants
Source Engine → CSGO, TF2, GMod
Voice Servers → TeamSpeak, Mumble, Discord
❌ Don’t mix unrelated servers 
Game Servers → Minecraft, TeamSpeak, Database

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Variable Design

✅ User-friendly defaults
  • Set sensible defaults
  • Make common settings editable
  • Hide advanced variables
❌ Over-exposure
  • Don’t make every variable user-editable
  • Hide internal variables
  • Limit dangerous settings

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Install Scripts

✅ Robust scripts
  • Check for errors
  • Validate downloads
  • Provide progress output
if ! curl -f -o server.jar $DOWNLOAD_URL; then
  echo "Failed to download server!"
  exit 1
fi
❌ Fragile scripts 
curl -o server.jar $URL  # No error checking

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Troubleshooting

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Server won’t start

Check:
  • Docker image exists and is accessible
  • Startup command syntax is correct
  • Required variables are defined
  • Install script completed successfully

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Install script fails

Common causes:
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Invalid download URLs
  • Insufficient disk space
  • Missing dependencies in container

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Variables not substituting

Ensure:
  • Variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)
  • Variables are defined in the egg
  • Syntax is {{VARIABLE}} not $VARIABLE

Nodes

Deploy eggs on Wings nodes

Server Management

Create servers using eggs

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