Swarm Hosts / Guides

Minetest (Luanti)

Minetest runs over UDP and stores persistent data in /var/lib/minetest. The current managed runtime is Minetest 5.6.1. Luanti is the project's newer name; choosing Minetest in Swarm Hosts does not install a newer Luanti release.

Quick facts

  • Game in the UI: Minetest
  • Protocol: UDP
  • Typical internal game port: 30000/udp
  • Managed default version: 5.6.1 stable
  • Older managed version: 5.6.1 stable (legacy config)
  • Persistent data: /var/lib/minetest
  • World path: /var/lib/minetest/worlds/<WORLD_NAME>
  • Mods path: /var/lib/minetest/mods

Swarm Hosts assigns the player UDP port automatically. Share the endpoint on the Swarm Server page rather than the default container port.

Launch

Minecraft Java remains the recommended first-server path for new users, while Minetest/Luanti is the lightweight public alternative.

  1. Open Launch.
  2. Choose Minetest.
  3. Select a Swarm Host or Swarm Zone.
  4. Set the server name, CPU limit, and memory limit.
  5. Review Server name, Description, Max players, Announce to public server list, Game ID, and the password and gameplay settings.
  6. Choose Launch Minetest and confirm the launch review.

Configuration

The launch settings create minetest.conf on the first start. After that file exists, File Manager edits are preserved across restarts. To change its server name, player limit, password, or gameplay rules, stop the server, create a backup, and edit Files & Backups → File Manager → minetest.conf.

Saving the initial values through Settings → Minetest Settings does not rewrite an existing minetest.conf. To regenerate it from those settings, back up and remove the file while the server is stopped, then start the server. This also removes any custom keys that you have not saved elsewhere.

Examples:

creative_mode = true
enable_damage = true

Mods & Content

Minetest has no managed Mods & Content page. Use Files & Backups → File Manager to upload compatible mod files under mods/ and manage worlds under worlds/. The current launch form does not offer world or mod ZIP uploads. For an existing world already on the Swarm Host, use Inspect Folder below.

Upload only content you trust, keep an original copy of the world, and create a platform backup before replacing an existing mod set. A changed mod set can alter or prevent an existing world from loading, so restart and review the logs before inviting players back.

Inspect and import an existing host folder

Open the Minetest Swarm Server and choose Server Tools → Inspect Folder. Enter the path to either a world folder or a Minetest data folder that contains exactly one world under worlds/<name>, then choose Inspect host folder. The read-only check leaves its latest result on the page.

The selected world must contain world.mt and a SQLite map.sqlite. The check accepts ordinary files and directories on one filesystem, rejects symbolic links and special entries, and stops at 50,000 entries, 50,000 files, or 50 GiB. It also rejects multiple world candidates or a folder that changes while it is being inspected.

Inspection does not upload, copy, import, reserve, or start the world. You can also choose a local world folder for a browser-only structural preview; those files stay in the browser and are not uploaded. A folder can change after either check, and neither preview proves that the world can start.

To adopt a host folder:

  1. Stop the Swarm Server and let any queued action finish.
  2. Inspect the host folder and review the detected layout, game, storage, file count, and size.
  3. Select Replace the configured Minetest world and keep the server stopped.
  4. Choose Import inspected world.

The import accepts only the exact current inspection. A changed source, server image, selected game, configured world, or server data causes a refusal; inspect the folder again instead of using the old result. After rechecking the source, a successful import creates and verifies a local recovery archive of the server data, replaces only the configured world, and keeps sibling worlds, configuration, and mods in place. The Swarm Server remains stopped. Start it manually, review the logs, and connect with a real client before inviting players.

If the import needs attention, use the reported target state:

  • Preserved means replacement did not complete. A stale-source refusal can happen before a recovery backup is created. Correct the source and inspect it again.
  • Restored means replacement failed after it began and the previous world was put back. Review the local recovery backup and logs before retrying.
  • Recovery required means the target needs manual attention. Leave the Swarm Server stopped, avoid further data changes, and look for an Available recovery backup under Backups. Contact support before retrying or starting the server; if no Available backup is shown, tell support that too.

An Available recovery backup records a completed local archive. It does not prove that a restore succeeds or that the imported world is playable. Keep an independent copy of every important world.

Server Actions

Minetest does not currently expose game-specific Server Actions. The following platform controls remain available without accepting arbitrary game console commands:

  • start, stop, and restart the Swarm Server;
  • inspect live and historical server logs;
  • edit minetest.conf through File Manager;
  • upload or replace trusted mods;
  • create a backup before world or configuration changes; and
  • restore persistent game data from an available backup.

Player moderation and live chat commands must be performed through trusted in-game administration or a deliberately installed server-side mod. Swarm Hosts does not translate free-form browser text into Minetest console input.

File Manager

After launch, open Files & Backups → File Manager to work directly in /var/lib/minetest.

Common tasks:

  • back up a world directory
  • upload or replace mods
  • edit minetest.conf and restart the Swarm Server for server-startup settings
  • edit world.mt

Connect

Players connect using the player hostname or IP and assigned UDP port shown on the Swarm Server page:

<PLAYER_HOSTNAME_OR_IP>:<ASSIGNED_PORT>

Use the host port shown on the Swarm Server detail page, not the container's default 30000.

Common paths

  • minetest.conf: /var/lib/minetest/minetest.conf
  • worlds: /var/lib/minetest/worlds
  • selected world config: /var/lib/minetest/worlds/<WORLD_NAME>/world.mt
  • mods: /var/lib/minetest/mods