How to Change Your Game Server's Startup Settings (Advanced)

The Startup page in the game panel controls how your server boots: the command it runs, the software image it runs on, and the variables that fill in things like the jar file name and game version. Adjusting these gives you fine-grained control over your server.

[!CAUTION] These are advanced settings. An incorrect Startup Command or Docker Image can stop your server from booting. Change one thing at a time, and if something breaks you can always click Reset to Egg Default to restore the original command.

[!NOTE] You'll need to be inside the game panel for your server before you start. If you're not sure how to get there, see How to Access Your Game Server first.

Step 1: Open the Startup Page

1. In your server's left sidebar, under CONFIGURATION, click Startup.

2. You'll see three sections you can edit: Startup Command, Docker Image, and Server Variables.

Step 2: Edit the Startup Command

1. The Startup Command box holds the template your server runs on boot — for example, java -Xms128M -XX:MaxRAMPercentage=95.0 -jar {{SERVER_JARFILE}}.

2. Edit the command as needed. Values inside double curly braces are placeholders that the panel fills in automatically — such as {{SERVER_MEMORY}}, {{SERVER_IP}}, {{SERVER_PORT}}, and your own variable names (like {{SERVER_JARFILE}}).

3. Click Save to keep your changes, or Reset to Egg Default to undo everything and restore the original command.

[!CAUTION] Only change the parts of the command you understand. Removing a required placeholder or flag can prevent the server from starting. When in doubt, copy the original somewhere safe before editing.

Step 3: Choose a Docker Image

1. The Docker Image is the software environment your server runs in — for a Minecraft server, this is the Java version (e.g., Java 25).

2. Open the dropdown and select the image you need. Some game versions require a specific Java version, so match this to your server's requirements.

3. Your selection saves with the Startup Command when you click Save.

[!NOTE] If your server runs fine, you usually don't need to touch this. Only change the Docker Image if a mod, plugin, or game version specifically calls for a different version.

Step 4: Update Server Variables

1. The Server Variables section holds individual settings your server uses, each shown with its variable name (the tag on the right, like SERVER_JARFILE or VANILLA_VERSION).

2. Common variables include:

   • Server Jar File (SERVER_JARFILE) — the name of the jar file to run, e.g., server.jar.

   • Server Version (VANILLA_VERSION) — the game version to install. Use latest for the newest release or snapshot for the newest snapshot build.

3. Edit a field and click Save to apply.

[!NOTE] Some variables only take effect after a reinstall. For example, after changing Server Version, go to Settings → Reinstall Server to apply it. A reinstall re-downloads the server files, so back up anything important first.

That's it — your startup settings are saved. If your server won't boot after a change, open the Console to read the error, then return to Startup and either fix the line you edited or click Reset to Egg Default to start fresh.