mc run

mc run [OPTIONS]

Brings the instance in line with the manifest, then starts it. Anything missing or out of date is installed first: the Java runtime, the Minecraft binary, the mod loader, the mods (added, updated, and removed to match the manifest), and the tunnel agent when a tunnel is configured. The generated configuration files and player lists are rewritten from the manifest on every start. A warning is printed for every key in the manifest’s properties block that is not a known server property.

Only one running server is allowed per instance directory; a second mc run refuses to start.

While the instance runs, mc supervises it, and scheduled backups fire when enabled — see Backups. The instance’s console output is hidden unless --server-logs is passed; it is always written to instance/logs/ by the server itself. The console is not interactive; use the remote console (RCON) for live administration.

With a tunnel section, the tunnel agent starts beside the instance and is restarted if it stops on its own; the public address is printed at startup. The agent’s output is hidden unless --tunnel-logs is passed, and goes to .tunnel/playitd.log otherwise. The first start from a terminal prints a claim link to approve in a browser and saves the resulting secret under .tunnel/. Without a terminal and without a secret, mc run fails with instructions rather than waiting — see Tunnels.

Stopping

Ctrl-C (or SIGTERM, e.g. from a service manager, or SIGHUP, e.g. when the terminal that started the instance closes) asks the instance to save the world and shut down, and waits for it to exit before returning. If the instance hangs past a grace period, or a second signal arrives, it is forced down immediately.

A scheduled backup caught in flight is cancelled: it discards its partial archive and never damages stored backups — see Backups.

mc does not restart a crashed instance; run it under a supervisor for that — see Running under systemd.

Exit status

When the instance ends abnormally, mc run fails and propagates the instance’s exit code.

Options

• --manifest-path <PATH> — path to mc.kdl. Defaults to ./mc.kdl.
• --lockfile-path <PATH> — path to mc.lock. Defaults to ./mc.lock.
• --server-logs — show the instance’s console output in the terminal.
• --tunnel-logs — show the tunnel agent’s output in the terminal.