Hytale Server Docker

Docker container to run a Hytale server.

Requirements

• Docker and Docker Compose
• Hytale account with server access

Installation

Clone the repository and start the container:

docker-compose up -d

Configuration

Server files are saved in the ./server directory. On first startup, the container automatically downloads the required files via hytale-downloader.

Authentication

To complete OAuth login on first startup:

1. Attach to the container:

docker attach hytale-server

2. Run the authentication command:

/auth login device

3. Click the displayed link in your browser to authorize access

4. Detach from the container by pressing Ctrl+P followed by Ctrl+Q (detach without stopping the container)

Ports

The server exposes UDP port 5520. Modify the port mapping in docker-compose.yml if needed.

Management

Start the server:

docker-compose up -d

Stop the server:

docker-compose stop

View logs:

docker-compose logs -f

Automatic Daily Restart

Configure automatic daily restart at 5:00 AM using cron:

1. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x restart-server.sh

2. Add cron job (replace /path/to/hytale-server-docker with your actual path):

   crontab -e

   Add this line:

   0 5 * * * /path/to/hytale-server-docker/restart-server.sh

3. Test manually:

   ./restart-server.sh
   cat logs/restart.log

Updating Server Files

To force download and update the server files to the latest version:

Option 1 - Environment variable:

FORCE_UPDATE=true docker compose up

Option 2 - .env file:

echo "FORCE_UPDATE=true" > .env
docker compose up
# Remove or comment out after update

Note: The update preserves your world data (universe/), logs, and configurations. Only server binaries and assets are updated.

Updating the Downloader

To update the hytale-downloader tool itself, rebuild the Docker image:

docker compose build --no-cache

This will download the latest version of hytale-downloader from the official source.

Notes

• Server files are persistent in the ./server directory
• OAuth credentials are saved in ./server/.hytale-downloader-credentials.json
• The container automatically restarts unless manually stopped