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The safest Linux backup is a scheduled job that identifies the world from server.properties, pauses writes by stopping the Bedrock service, creates a timestamped archive outside the live server directory, verifies that archive, and removes only backups older than your retention policy. The systemd-based example below works on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later and can be adapted to cron.
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What you need before automating backups
Mojang’s current download guidance requires Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later for the Linux Bedrock Dedicated Server. Microsoft’s getting-started documentation identifies Ubuntu as the supported Linux distribution family and documents launching the server with LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server from the extracted server directory.
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- A running Bedrock Dedicated Server installed in a known directory, such as
/srv/minecraft-bedrock. - A systemd service that can start and stop that server, for example
minecraft-bedrock.service. - A backup destination outside the live server tree, such as
/mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrockor a mounted external USB hard drive or SSD. - Root access, or an account with permission to stop the service, read the world, write the backup directory, and restore ownership.
- Enough free space for at least one complete compressed archive plus a temporary archive.
On first launch, Bedrock creates a worlds directory. The active world directory is derived from the level-name value in server.properties; it is not necessarily called world. Shared behavior_packs and resource_packs directories may also be created. A useful backup therefore includes the active world, the server properties, permissions and allowlist files, and any packs or project-specific files required to recreate the server.
Choose how the backup gets a consistent snapshot
Controlled stop: the dependable default
Stopping the service before copying guarantees that Bedrock is not writing chunks, player data, or level metadata while tar reads the files. It briefly makes the server unavailable, but it does not depend on a particular console, multiplexer, RCON implementation, or third-party command sender. The script in this article uses this method.
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save hold: shorter interruption when you have console control
Bedrock supports the console sequence save hold, archive the files, then save resume. This asks the running server to pause saves while the archive is made. Use it only when your service has a reliable way to send commands to the Bedrock console, such as the terminal multiplexer or management interface you already operate. Your cleanup handler must always attempt save resume, including after an archive or disk-space failure. Do not assume that a shell command written to standard input will reach a daemon started by systemd.
| Decision | Controlled stop | save hold |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Process is stopped; the filesystem is quiescent. | Writes are paused by the server command. |
| Downtime | From stop until the archive completes and the service restarts. | Usually shorter, depending on archive size. |
| Requirements | A working systemd service. | A tested command channel to the Bedrock console. |
| Failure recovery | Restart the service in an exit trap. | Always issue save resume in cleanup, then restart or verify the process. |
A robust shell script
Save the following as /usr/local/sbin/minecraft-bedrock-backup, then make it executable with chmod 750 /usr/local/sbin/minecraft-bedrock-backup. Change the four configuration values at the top to match your host. The script uses flock so overlapping timer runs cannot create competing archives.
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -Eeuo pipefail
SERVER_DIR='/srv/minecraft-bedrock'
BACKUP_DIR='/mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrock'
SERVICE='minecraft-bedrock.service'
RETENTION=7
LOCK_FILE='/run/lock/minecraft-bedrock-backup.lock'
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR" "$(dirname "$LOCK_FILE")"
exec 9>"$LOCK_FILE"
flock -n 9 || { echo 'A backup is already running' >&2; exit 1; }
if [[ "$BACKUP_DIR" == "$SERVER_DIR" || "$BACKUP_DIR" == "$SERVER_DIR"/* ]]; then
echo 'BACKUP_DIR must be outside SERVER_DIR' >&2
exit 1
fi
PROPERTIES="$SERVER_DIR/server.properties"
[[ -r "$PROPERTIES" ]] || { echo "Missing $PROPERTIES" >&2; exit 1; }
LEVEL_NAME="$(awk -F= '$1 == "level-name" { sub(/r$/, "", $2); print $2; exit }' "$PROPERTIES")"
[[ -n "$LEVEL_NAME" ]] || { echo 'level-name is missing or empty' >&2; exit 1; }
[[ "$LEVEL_NAME" != /* && "$LEVEL_NAME" != *'..'* && "$LEVEL_NAME" != */* ]] || {
echo 'Refusing an unsafe level-name' >&2
exit 1
}
WORLD_REL="worlds/$LEVEL_NAME"
[[ -d "$SERVER_DIR/$WORLD_REL" ]] || { echo "World directory not found: $SERVER_DIR/$WORLD_REL" >&2; exit 1; }
ITEMS=("$WORLD_REL" 'server.properties')
for item in permissions.json allowlist.json ops.json behavior_packs resource_packs; do
[[ -e "$SERVER_DIR/$item" ]] && ITEMS+=("$item")
done
WAS_ACTIVE=0
finish() {
rc=$?
if (( WAS_ACTIVE )); then
systemctl start "$SERVICE" || { echo "Could not restart $SERVICE" >&2; rc=1; }
fi
[[ -n "${TMP_ARCHIVE:-}" ]] && rm -f -- "$TMP_ARCHIVE"
exit "$rc"
}
trap finish EXIT INT TERM
if systemctl is-active --quiet "$SERVICE"; then
WAS_ACTIVE=1
systemctl stop "$SERVICE"
fi
STAMP="$(date -u +%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ)"
FINAL_ARCHIVE="$BACKUP_DIR/bedrock-$STAMP.tar.gz"
TMP_ARCHIVE="$BACKUP_DIR/.bedrock-$STAMP.partial"
tar -czf "$TMP_ARCHIVE" -C "$SERVER_DIR" "${ITEMS[@]}"
tar -tzf "$TMP_ARCHIVE" > /dev/null
chmod 600 "$TMP_ARCHIVE"
mv -- "$TMP_ARCHIVE" "$FINAL_ARCHIVE"
TMP_ARCHIVE=''
mapfile -t OLD < <(find "$BACKUP_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name 'bedrock-*.tar.gz' -printf '%T@ %pn' | sort -nr | awk -v keep="$RETENTION" 'NR > keep { sub(/^[^ ]+ /, ""); print }')
for archive in "${OLD[@]}"; do
rm -f -- "$archive"
done
echo "Created $FINAL_ARCHIVE"
The archive is built with paths relative to SERVER_DIR, so extracting it back into that directory recreates worlds/<level-name> and the selected files. The temporary filename prevents a partially written archive from looking like a valid backup. tar -tzf checks that the completed gzip stream and its index can be read before the file is renamed. The retention value is a policy, not a Bedrock requirement. Seven nightly archives is one example used by a 2026-indexed Caramania.ca tutorial; choose a number from your world size, change rate, available storage, and recovery-point objective.
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Schedule it with systemd
A service and timer provide status, journal logs, dependency ordering, and a clean place to add restore or maintenance operations.
Backup service
[Unit]
Description=Back up Minecraft Bedrock data
RequiresMountsFor=/mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrock
After=minecraft-bedrock.service
[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/local/sbin/minecraft-bedrock-backup
Save it as /etc/systemd/system/minecraft-bedrock-backup.service. The RequiresMountsFor line makes systemd wait for the backup mount; without it, a disconnected external disk could result in archives being written to an ordinary empty directory on the root filesystem.
Daily timer
[Unit]
Description=Nightly Minecraft Bedrock backup timer
[Timer]
OnCalendar=*-*-* 03:00:00
Persistent=true
[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target
Save this as /etc/systemd/system/minecraft-bedrock-backup.timer, then activate it:
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sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now minecraft-bedrock-backup.timer
systemctl list-timers minecraft-bedrock-backup.timer
sudo systemctl start minecraft-bedrock-backup.service
sudo journalctl -u minecraft-bedrock-backup.service -n 100 --no-pagerPersistent=true runs a missed timer after the host comes back online. Test a manual run before relying on the schedule; confirm that the service stops, an archive appears on the intended filesystem, and Bedrock starts again.
Cron is adequate for a minimal installation
If you already manage the server with cron and do not need timer status, use a root crontab entry:
sudo crontab -e
0 3 * * * /usr/local/sbin/minecraft-bedrock-backup >> /var/log/minecraft-bedrock-backup.log 2>&1Cron has fewer moving parts, but you must arrange log rotation and inspect the log yourself. The locking and restart behavior still come from the script.
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Put backups somewhere a disk failure cannot erase them
Separate local filesystem
A second internal disk or mounted volume protects against accidental deletion in the live server directory and makes retention predictable. It does not protect against a failed host, filesystem corruption affecting both disks, theft, or ransomware.
External USB storage
An external USB hard drive or SSD can be mounted at /mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrock. Ensure it is mounted before the timer runs, give the service account access, and use RequiresMountsFor as shown above. Keep the drive disconnected or read-only when it is not receiving a backup if your threat model includes destructive malware.
Off-site copy
Copy verified archives to another host or storage service after the local job completes. The local script does not establish encryption, transfer authentication, or provider availability; those should be implemented and tested separately. Never treat an archive as recoverable until you have extracted it successfully.
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Restore a Bedrock world safely
Restoration is a controlled replacement, not merely an extraction. Stop the service first so it cannot rewrite files while you restore.
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tar -tzf /mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrock/bedrock-YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ.tar.gz > /dev/null. - Stop Bedrock:
sudo systemctl stop minecraft-bedrock.service. - Preserve the current world and configuration rather than deleting them. For example, rename
worlds/<level-name>toworlds/<level-name>.before-restoreand copyserver.properties,permissions.json, andallowlist.jsonto a dated quarantine directory. - Extract the archive into the server directory:
sudo tar -xzf /mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrock/bedrock-YYYYMMDDTHHMMSSZ.tar.gz -C /srv/minecraft-bedrock. - Restore the ownership and permissions expected by the service account. A common pattern is
sudo chown -R minecraft:minecraft /srv/minecraft-bedrock; substitute the actual account and group used by your unit. - Start Bedrock and inspect its log:
sudo systemctl start minecraft-bedrock.service, followed bysudo journalctl -u minecraft-bedrock.service -n 100 --no-pager. - Connect as a player, confirm the expected world, packs, permissions, and allowlist, and only then remove the quarantined files.
For a restore helper managed by a higher-level tool, follow that tool’s documented order: stop the service, run its restore operation, then start the service. The order matters because restoring into a live process can produce a mixed world state.
Quick Recap
Common failures and fixes
- The wrong world is archived: inspect
server.propertiesand verify the exactlevel-name; do not hard-codeworldunless that is the configured value. - The archive is empty or written to the root disk: check the external mount with
findmnt /mnt/backups/minecraft-bedrockand confirm the systemd mount dependency. - The service does not restart: run
systemctl status minecraft-bedrock.serviceand inspectjournalctl. Correct the unit, executable path, or ownership before the next scheduled run. - Permission denied: run the timer as root or grant the service account read access to the server and write access to the backup mount. Keep archives mode
600because they contain player data and server configuration. - Backups consume all storage: measure archive sizes, set a retention count that fits the destination, and add monitoring for free space. Retention alone does not create off-site redundancy.
- Concurrent runs appear in logs: leave the
flocklock in place and investigate unusually long archive times rather than removing the lock. - A restore starts but the world is missing: list the archive contents and compare its
worlds/path with the currentlevel-name. The archive and configuration must agree.
Which operating model fits your server?
| Approach | Best fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Custom shell script with cron | One server and an administrator comfortable checking logs. | Smallest setup, but logging, alerts, and mount ordering are your responsibility. |
| Custom shell script with systemd timer | Servers where status, journal history, dependency ordering, and repeatable restores matter. | Slightly more configuration than cron. |
| Bedrock Server Manager | Operators who want a management interface with scheduled tasks, automatic backup, pruning, and update handling. | Less shell maintenance, but behavior and restore procedures depend on the manager’s version and configuration. |
Pre-flight checklist
- Confirm the host is running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later and launch behavior matches the documented
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_servercommand. - Run the script manually while watching the service status.
- Confirm the archive contains the active world,
server.properties, permissions or allowlist files, and required packs. - Confirm the destination is outside the live server tree and is mounted before scheduling.
- Record archive size and completion time so retention and the maintenance window are based on measurements.
- Perform a test restore to a separate directory or host before calling the backup strategy reliable.
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