The reliable pattern is a Linux VPS running Docker Compose, with Terraria’s data bind-mounted to the host and TCP port 7777 opened in every firewall layer. Use a vanilla image for an unmodded server or a pinned tModLoader image for mods; keep Worlds, configuration, and mod files outside the disposable container layer.
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This guide covers both variants, unattended startup, persistent saves, UID/GID permissions, updates, backups, and the fastest way to diagnose connection failures.
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What the finished setup looks like
A VPS supplies a public IP address and stays online when your home computer is off. Docker packages the dedicated server and its dependencies, while Compose records the port, storage mount, and restart policy in one file. If the container is replaced, the game state remains on the VPS because the important files live in a host directory.
Clients connect to the VPS public IP on Terraria’s documented server port, TCP 7777. That traffic must be allowed by Docker’s port publishing, the VPS operating-system firewall, and any provider-level cloud firewall or security group.
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- Vanilla Terraria: choose this when every player uses the unmodded game.
- tModLoader: choose this when the server runs mods. Every player must use a compatible tModLoader build and the same enabled mod set.
- Persistent storage: mount a host directory containing Worlds,
serverconfig.txt, Mods,enabled.json, bans, and any other files your selected image documents. - Controlled updates: pin an image or tModLoader release, back up first, then rebuild deliberately.
Prerequisites on the VPS
Choose a suitable Linux host
Use a Linux VPS or data-center virtual server with a public IPv4 address (or the address family your players will use), root or sudo access, and enough CPU, memory, and disk for your world and mod set. A universal CPU or RAM minimum is not specified; workload, view distance, player count, and mods determine the requirement. Leave free disk space for world growth, logs, and more than one backup archive.
Ubuntu, Debian, and other mainstream distributions with current Docker packages are practical choices. Apply operating-system updates before installing the server, and keep SSH available so you do not lock yourself out while configuring a firewall.
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Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin using your distribution’s supported package instructions. Then verify both commands:
docker --version
docker compose versionThe second command must work with a space between docker and compose; this is Compose V2 syntax. If your installation only provides the older hyphenated docker-compose command, install the Compose V2 plugin before continuing so the commands in this guide match the documented tModLoader workflow.
Choose vanilla Terraria or tModLoader
Vanilla server
A vanilla image is the simpler option when no mods are required. Players connect using the ordinary Terraria client, and the server’s world and configuration files are stored in the mounted data directory. Select a project that documents its data path, startup variables, and supported CPU architectures.
tModLoader server
tModLoader adds a separate server build and a mod directory. The server and every client need compatible tModLoader versions and an identical enabled mod list. A player with a different mod version, a missing mod, or an extra enabled mod can be rejected even when the network is configured correctly.
The official tModLoader Dedicated Server Utils documentation describes downloading its Dockerfile and Compose file, setting the container UID and GID to match the mounted files, starting with docker compose up -d, attaching to the console, and rebuilding with docker compose build when updating tModLoader. Follow the selected project’s documented data path rather than assuming that a vanilla and tModLoader image use the same internal directory.
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Pin the release
Use a specific image tag or release instead of an unqualified rolling tag when a stable world matters. A rolling tag can change the server or mod-loader version during a rebuild and introduce compatibility or save risks. Record the tag in your Compose file and change it intentionally after making a backup.
Create a persistent project directory
Keep the Compose file, optional Dockerfile, environment file, and game data together in a directory owned by the account that will operate the server:
mkdir -p ~/terraria-server/data
cd ~/terraria-server
touch docker-compose.ymlA practical layout is:
terraria-server/
├── docker-compose.yml
├── Dockerfile # only when the selected project requires one
├── .env # secrets or project-specific variables
└── data/
├── Worlds/
├── Mods/ # tModLoader servers
├── enabled.json # tModLoader servers
└── serverconfig.txtDirectory names vary by image. Some projects place the files directly under /data; others use a nested tModLoader directory. Read the image documentation and mount the host directory to the path that the image actually reads.
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The essential Compose shape is below. Replace your-pinned-image:version with the exact image and tag documented by your chosen project, and adjust the internal path only if that project specifies another one.
services:
terraria:
image: your-pinned-image:version
container_name: terraria
ports:
- "7777:7777/tcp"
volumes:
- ./data:/data
restart: unless-stopped7777:7777/tcp maps the VPS’s TCP port 7777 to TCP 7777 inside the container. The bind mount makes ./data on the VPS the durable location for worlds and configuration. restart: unless-stopped starts the service again after a Docker or VPS restart, while still allowing you to stop it deliberately.
Some tModLoader projects provide a Dockerfile rather than a ready-made image. In that case, place the supplied Dockerfile beside Compose and use the project’s documented build: section instead of inventing an image name. Do not mix environment-variable names or data paths from different projects.
Configure unattended startup
A server configuration file lets the process start without an interactive menu. Create serverconfig.txt in the mounted location expected by the image and point the service at it using the image’s documented variable or command option. The exact variable name is project-specific, so copy it from that project’s instructions.
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At minimum, the configuration normally identifies the world to load and the network port. Keep the file on the host, not only inside the container. If you recreate the container without a host copy, the server can appear to start with a new world or default settings.
Fix ownership before starting tModLoader
The official tModLoader Docker instructions require the files in the mounted tModLoader directory to have the same numeric UID and GID configured for the container. A mismatch commonly produces missing worlds, unwritable Mods directories, or a server that exits during startup.
First inspect the owner of the data directory and the UID/GID expected by the Compose file or project documentation:
stat -c '%u:%g %n' data
idThen apply the documented UID and GID recursively. For example, if the project instructs you to run as UID 1000 and GID 1000:
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Start the server and confirm it is healthy
- From the directory containing
docker-compose.yml, validate and start the service in detached mode:docker compose up -d - Check whether the container is running:
docker compose ps - Follow startup output until the server reports that it has loaded the world and is listening:
docker compose logs -f - If the image exposes a console, attach using the documented method, commonly:
docker attach terrariaDetach without stopping the process using the Docker detach sequence documented for your client. Do not press the terminal’s ordinary interrupt key unless you intend to stop the server.
- Use
docker execfor image-supported administrative commands or to inspect files. The exact command syntax is image-specific; check its documentation rather than assuming that a vanilla command works on tModLoader.
If the container exits, run docker compose logs --tail=200 and correct the first configuration or permission error shown. Repeatedly restarting a failing container can obscure the original message.
Open TCP 7777 at every firewall layer
Docker publishing
Confirm that Compose reports the mapping and that the service is running:
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docker compose psYou should see a published mapping equivalent to 0.0.0.0:7777->7777/tcp (the display can vary). If the mapping is absent, the client cannot reach the service regardless of VPS firewall settings.
VPS operating-system firewall
Keep SSH reachable before enabling a host firewall. With UFW, a typical sequence is:
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 7777/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw statusIf your distribution uses firewalld, nftables, or another firewall, create the equivalent inbound TCP 7777 rule and preserve your existing SSH rule. Restrict administrative access to SSH; do not expose Docker’s management socket or unrelated service ports publicly.
Provider cloud firewall or security group
Many VPS platforms apply a separate network policy outside the operating system. Add an inbound rule for TCP 7777 there as well, scoped to the public interface or source ranges you intend to allow. A missing provider rule is a common reason a server works locally on the VPS but not for friends on the internet.
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Connect from Terraria
Use the VPS’s public IP address and port 7777 in the multiplayer screen. Do not enter the container’s private address. If the server is tModLoader-based, launch the compatible tModLoader client and make sure its enabled mods and versions match the server exactly.
Test from a separate network, such as a friend’s connection or a mobile hotspot, rather than relying only on a client running on the VPS. A successful local test does not prove that the provider firewall permits public traffic.
Keep worlds and mods when replacing the container
Container writable layers are disposable. The bind mount is what survives docker compose down, image replacement, and container recreation. Keep these items in the host-mounted directory:
- World files and the containing
Worldsdirectory. serverconfig.txtand other startup configuration.- The tModLoader
Modsdirectory andenabled.json. - Ban lists, plugin or TShock data, and any image-specific configuration that the server needs.
Before removing or relocating the host directory, stop the service and verify its contents. A new empty directory mounted at the same path can make the server look as if the world disappeared even though the old files still exist elsewhere.
Back up before upgrades
Stop writes or stop the server before archiving a world so the archive is not taken during a save operation. A simple archive of the tModLoader worlds directory is:
cd ~/terraria-server
tar czf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz data/tModLoader/WorldsUse the actual path shown by your image; vanilla servers may store worlds directly under data/Worlds. Store the archive outside the live data directory or copy it to separate storage. Include configuration and mod metadata in a broader backup when you need a complete rebuild:
tar czf terraria-full-$(date +%F).tar.gz dataKeep multiple dated backups and periodically test restoring one into a temporary directory. A backup that has never been restored is only an assumption.
Update tModLoader or the image deliberately
- Announce maintenance and stop new connections.
- Create and verify a world backup.
- Record the current image tag, tModLoader build, enabled mod list, and Compose file.
- Change the image tag or Dockerfile version intentionally; avoid silently switching to a rolling tag.
- Rebuild when the project documents a build-based update:
docker compose build - Start the updated service:
docker compose up -d - Watch logs for startup completion, permission errors, and mod-loading failures:
docker compose logs -f - Connect with one test client before deleting the previous backup.
If the update fails, stop the service, restore the previous image or release pin, and restore the backed-up data only if the world was changed or damaged. Keep the failed version’s logs so you can identify whether the cause was the loader, a mod, ownership, or configuration.
Troubleshoot connection and startup failures in order
The container is stopped or repeatedly exits
- Run
docker compose psand inspectdocker compose logs -f. - Check the image tag, required environment variables, startup configuration, and mounted path.
- For tModLoader, correct UID/GID ownership and confirm the expected files are readable and writable.
Docker runs, but nobody can connect
- Confirm Compose publishes
7777:7777/tcp. - Confirm the server process is listening on port 7777 in the logs.
- Check the VPS host firewall for inbound TCP 7777.
- Check the provider cloud firewall or security group for the same rule.
- Verify that players are using the VPS public IP, not a private container address, and the correct port.
One player connects, but another cannot
Check that the second player is using the same public address and Terraria mode. For tModLoader, compare the loader build, enabled mod list, and mod versions with the server and with a working client. Network success for one client does not make incompatible mod sets valid for another.
The world or mods appear to be missing
- Inspect the host directory, not only the container’s writable layer.
- Confirm the Compose volume points to the directory containing the expected files.
- Check case-sensitive paths and the image’s documented internal data path.
- For tModLoader, verify UID/GID ownership and that
enabled.jsonand the Mods directory are present.
The server starts with the wrong world or defaults
Verify that serverconfig.txt is mounted and that the Compose command or environment variable actually points to it. A configuration file in a different host directory has no effect, even if its filename is correct.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Use a pinned vanilla or tModLoader image tag.
- Keep all world, configuration, mod, and ban data on a host bind mount.
- Publish only TCP 7777 for gameplay and keep administration on SSH.
- Allow TCP 7777 in Docker, the VPS firewall, and the provider firewall.
- Set the documented UID/GID for mounted tModLoader files.
- Use a restart policy such as
unless-stoppedor the project’s documentedalwayspolicy. - Review logs after every start, rebuild, and mod change.
- Back up Worlds before changing the image, loader, or mod set.
- Test a restore and a real external connection before considering the deployment finished.
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