🎮 Install Pterodactyl Panel via Script

This guide will teach you how to install Pterodactyl Panel and Wings on your VPS using the simplified automatic installation script. Pterodactyl is a free and open-source management panel for managing your game servers (Minecraft, FiveM, etc.).

📋 Prerequisites

• A VPS server with root access
• Minimum 1 GB of RAM (2 GB recommended)
• Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 11/12/13, Rocky Linux 8/9, or AlmaLinux 8/9
• A domain pointing to your VPS IP (optional but recommended)
• Ports 80, 443, 2022, and 8080 open (if you use a firewall)

💡 Infrastructure Recommendation

Pterodactyl Panel is ideal for managing resource-intensive game servers. For optimal performance, we recommend our Performance VPS which offer high-performance processors and DDR5 RAM, perfect for hosting multiple game servers simultaneously (Minecraft, FiveM, etc.).

🚀 Installing the Pterodactyl Panel

Server Preparation

Before installing Pterodactyl, prepare your server:

# Update the system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install curl if necessary
sudo apt install curl -y

# Verify that you are root or use sudo
whoami

Installation via Simplified Script

The automatic installation script greatly simplifies Pterodactyl installation:

# Launch the Pterodactyl installation script
bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

The script will guide you through the installation step by step:

1. Installation type selection:

   • Panel installation (Pterodactyl Panel)
   • Wings installation (daemon to manage servers)
   • Complete installation (Panel + Wings)

2. System configuration:

   • Automatic installation of dependencies (PHP, MySQL, Nginx, etc.)
   • Database configuration
   • Web server configuration (Nginx)
   • SSL configuration (Let's Encrypt)

Panel Installation Only

If you want to install only the Panel (to manage servers):

# Launch the script
bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

# Choose option "1" to install the Panel
# Follow the script instructions

Complete Installation (Panel + Wings)

To install the Panel and Wings on the same server:

# Launch the script
bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

# Choose option "3" for complete installation
# Follow the script instructions

⚙️ Panel Configuration

Initial Configuration

After Panel installation, you will need to configure:

1. Create an administrator account:

   • The script will ask you to create the first admin user
   • Choose an email and a secure password

2. Database configuration:

   • The script will automatically create a MySQL database
   • Note the database credentials

3. Domain configuration:

   • If you have a domain, the script will automatically configure Nginx
   • Otherwise, you can access via the server IP

Accessing the Panel

Once installation is complete, access the Panel:

# If you configured a domain
https://your-domain.com

# If you don't have a domain
http://YOUR_SERVER_IP

🛠️ Installing Wings (Daemon)

Wings is the daemon that actually manages game servers. You can install it on the same server as the Panel or on a separate server.

Installing Wings on the Same Server

# Launch the script
bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

# Choose option "3" for complete installation
# Or option "2" if you already installed the Panel

Installing Wings on a Separate Server

If you install Wings on a different server from the Panel:

# On the server where you want to install Wings
bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

# Choose option "2" to install Wings only
# Follow the script instructions

Wings Configuration

After installation, you will need to configure Wings:

1. Get the API key:

   • Log in to the Panel
   • Go to Administration → Configuration → Nodes
   • Create a new node or use the existing one
   • Copy the API key and FQDN

2. Configure Wings:

   # Edit the Wings configuration file
   sudo nano /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml
   
   # Paste the API key and FQDN from the Panel
   # Save and quit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter)

3. Start Wings:

   # Start the Wings service
   sudo systemctl start wings
   
   # Enable Wings on boot
   sudo systemctl enable wings
   
   # Verify status
   sudo systemctl status wings

🔧 Firewall Configuration (UFW)

If you use UFW, configure the necessary ports:

# Allow ports for Pterodactyl Panel
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp

# Allow Wings port (default 8080)
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp

# Allow Wings SFTP port (default 2022)
sudo ufw allow 2022/tcp

# Verify rules
sudo ufw status

📝 Post-Installation Configuration

Verify Installation

# Verify that the Panel works
curl -I http://localhost

# Verify that Wings works
sudo systemctl status wings

# Check Wings logs
sudo journalctl -u wings -f

Update Pterodactyl

To update the Panel or Wings:

# Relaunch the installation script
bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

# Choose the update option
# The script will detect the existing installation and offer an update

Useful Wings Commands

# Restart Wings
sudo systemctl restart wings

# Stop Wings
sudo systemctl stop wings

# View logs in real-time
sudo journalctl -u wings -f

# Reload Wings configuration without restarting
sudo wings --debug

🎮 Create Your First Server

In the Pterodactyl Panel

1. Create a user:

   • Go to Users → New User
   • Create an account for yourself (if not already done)

2. Create a server:

   • Click on "Create a new server"
   • Select a node (your Wings)
   • Choose an egg (Minecraft, FiveM, etc.)
   • Configure resources (RAM, CPU, disk)
   • Set the name and description

3. Start the server:

   • Once created, click on your server
   • Click on "Power" → "Start" to start

✅ Verification and Testing

Verify Everything Works

# Verify the Panel (should return HTTP 200)
curl -I http://localhost

# Verify Wings
sudo systemctl status wings

# Verify required services
sudo systemctl status nginx
sudo systemctl status mysql
sudo systemctl status redis

Test Panel → Wings Connection

In the Panel:

1. Go to Administration → Nodes
2. Verify that your node is online (green status)
3. If the node is offline, check Wings configuration

🆘 Troubleshooting

Panel Does Not Display

# Verify that Nginx works
sudo systemctl status nginx

# Check Nginx logs
sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log

# Restart Nginx
sudo systemctl restart nginx

# Verify Nginx configuration
sudo nginx -t

Wings Won't Start

# Check Wings logs
sudo journalctl -u wings -n 50

# Check configuration file
sudo nano /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml

# Verify configuration syntax
sudo wings --debug

# Verify that port 8080 is free
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 8080

Panel → Wings Connection Error

# Verify API key in config.yml
sudo cat /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml | grep -i "api\|token"

# Verify that FQDN is correct
sudo cat /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml | grep -i "remote"

# Verify network connectivity
curl -I https://YOUR_PANEL_DOMAIN

# Restart Wings
sudo systemctl restart wings

Database Problem

# Verify that MySQL works
sudo systemctl status mysql

# Connect to MySQL
sudo mysql -u root -p

# In MySQL, list databases
SHOW DATABASES;

# Verify that pterodactyl database exists
USE pterodactyl;
SHOW TABLES;

SSL/HTTPS Error

If you have problems with SSL:

# Verify Certbot
sudo certbot --version

# Renew SSL certificate
sudo certbot renew

# Verify Nginx SSL configuration
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

📚 Additional Resources

• Official Pterodactyl Documentation
• Wings Documentation
• Pterodactyl GitHub
• Installation Script
• Infrawire Support

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I install the Panel and Wings on separate servers?
A: Yes, it's even recommended for large deployments. Install the Panel on one server and Wings on one or more other servers. Then configure Wings to connect to the Panel via the API key.

Q: What is the difference between the Panel and Wings?
A: The Panel is the web interface to manage your servers. Wings is the daemon that runs on game servers and actually manages Docker containers and game servers.

Q: Can I install Pterodactyl without a domain?
A: Yes, you can use your server IP, but you will need to configure SSL manually or accept a self-signed certificate. It is strongly recommended to use a domain with Let's Encrypt.

Q: Does the script automatically install Docker?
A: Yes, the script automatically installs Docker and Docker Compose which are required for Wings.

Q: How do I update Pterodactyl after installation?
A: Relaunch the installation script. It will detect the existing installation and offer an update:

bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)

Q: Can I use another web server than Nginx?
A: The script automatically installs Nginx. You can use Apache instead, but you will need to configure manually after installation.

Q: How much RAM is needed to install Pterodactyl?
A: Minimum 1 GB of RAM, but 2 GB is recommended. To manage game servers, you will need additional RAM depending on the number and size of your servers.

Q: How do I create multiple game servers?
A: Once the Panel and Wings are configured, you can create as many servers as you want in the Panel. Each server will use a portion of your resources (RAM, CPU, disk).

Q: Can I use Pterodactyl for servers other than games?
A: Yes, Pterodactyl can manage any Docker container. You can use it for web applications, Discord bots, etc.