AutoStopper

AutoStopper is a Velocity proxy plugin that automatically stops and starts Minecraft server containers based on player activity. It helps server administrators save resources by shutting down inactive Docker-based Minecraft servers.

Download links

• Modrinth

Features

• Automatically monitors server activity
• Stops inactive Docker containers after a configurable timeout
• Starts servers on-demand when players try to connect
• Seamlessly connects players to servers after starting them
• Maintains server state tracking

Requirements

• Velocity proxy server (3.3.0 or newer)
• Docker environment with itzg/minecraft-server containers
• Docker socket mounted to the Velocity container
• Java 21+

Installation

1. Download the latest AutoStopper JAR from the releases page
2. Place the JAR in your Velocity server's plugins directory
3. Start (or restart) your Velocity server
4. Edit the generated configuration file to match your setup

Configuration

After the first run, AutoStopper will generate a config.yml in the plugins/AutoStopper directory:

# Time in seconds before an inactive server is stopped
inactivity_timeout_seconds: 900

# List of servers AutoStopper should manage
monitored_servers:
  - server_name: purpur
    container_name: purpur-server
  - server_name: fabric
    container_name: fabric-server

Configuration Options

• inactivity_timeout_seconds: Time in seconds a server must be inactive before being shut down (default: 900 seconds/15 minutes)
• monitored_servers: List of server mappings
  • server_name: Name of the server in Velocity configuration
  • container_name: Corresponding Docker container name

Docker Setup

AutoStopper requires the Docker socket to be mounted in your Velocity container. Here's an example docker-compose.yml setup:

services:
  velocity:
    image: itzg/mc-proxy
    container_name: velocity-server
    environment:
      TYPE: "VELOCITY"
      ONLINE_MODE: "true"
      VELOCITY_VERSION: "latest"
      VELOCITY_BUILD_ID: "latest"
      REPLACE_ENV_VARIABLES: "true"
    ports:
      - "25565:25565"
    volumes:
      - ./velocity_server:/server
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock  # Required for AutoStopper
    networks:
      - mc-network
    restart: unless-stopped
    entrypoint: bash -c
    command: >
      "if [ ! -f /usr/bin/docker ]; then
        apt-get update && apt-get install -y docker.io && apt-get clean;
      fi &&
      SOCKET_GID=$$(stat -c '%g' /var/run/docker.sock) &&
      if ! getent group $$SOCKET_GID > /dev/null; then groupadd -g $$SOCKET_GID docker_sock; fi &&
      GROUP_NAME=$$(getent group $$SOCKET_GID | cut -d: -f1) &&
      usermod -aG $$GROUP_NAME bungeecord &&
      exec /usr/bin/run-bungeecord.sh"

  # Example Minecraft servers that can be managed by AutoStopper
  purpur:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:java21
    container_name: purpur-server
    environment:
      TYPE: "PURPUR"
      VERSION: "1.21.4"
      EULA: "TRUE"
      ONLINE_MODE: "FALSE"
    volumes:
      - ./purpur_data:/data
    networks:
      - mc-network
    restart: "no"  # Important: Let AutoStopper manage the container lifecycle

  fabric:
    image: itzg/minecraft-server:java21
    container_name: fabric-server
    environment:
      TYPE: "FABRIC"
      VERSION: "1.21.4"
      EULA: "TRUE"
      ONLINE_MODE: "FALSE"
    volumes:
      - ./fabric_data:/data
    networks:
      - mc-network
    restart: "no"  # Important: Let AutoStopper manage the container lifecycle

networks:
  mc-network:
    driver: bridge

Important Docker Configuration Notes

1. The Velocity container must have Docker CLI installed, which is why the entrypoint script installs it
2. The Docker socket must be mounted (/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock)
3. The script automatically handles permissions by detecting the socket group ID and adding the server user to it.
4. Set restart: "no" for managed servers so Docker doesn't automatically restart them
5. Keep any hub/lobby servers with restart: unless-stopped if you want them to always be available

Commands

• /autostopper or /as - Main command
• /autostopper help - Displays help information
• /autostopper status - Shows the status of all monitored servers
• /autostopper reload - Reloads the configuration (requires autostopper.admin permission)

Permissions

• autostopper.admin - Allows use of the reload command

How It Works

1. When a player attempts to connect to a monitored server:

   • If the server is running, the connection proceeds normally
   • If the server is stopped, AutoStopper:
     • Starts the Docker container
     • Waits for the server to fully initialize
     • Automatically connects the player once the server is ready

2. The plugin tracks the last activity time for each server

3. A scheduled task checks for inactive servers and stops them after the configured timeout period

4. Servers that are always needed (like hubs/lobbies) can be excluded from monitoring

Building from Source

1. Clone the repository

2. Build using Maven:

   mvn clean package

3. Find the JAR file in target/AutoStopper-1.1.2.jar

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

• Built for Velocity by Criseda
• Uses itzg/minecraft-server
• Uses itzg/mc-proxy