docker-compose

Simple Docker Compose example

This example contains a simple docker compose file for running the Windrose server on your machine (MacOS, Windows, Linux).

It demonstrates the usage of a Docker Volume to persist the Windrose server data.

Also check out my guide for setting up a Windrose dedicated server with Docker and Docker Compose.

Usage

Clone the repo and start the Windrose server:

git clone https://github.com/max-pfeiffer/windrose-dedicated-server-docker-helm.git
cd windrose-dedicated-server-docker-helm/examples/docker-compose
docker compose up -d

Stop the server:

docker compose down

And show the logs, option -f follows the logs:

docker compose logs -f

Automated Server Updates

When Kraken Express releases a Windrose update, you need to update your Windrose server as well. So you need a new, updated Windrose dedicated server image.

As the docker compose file uses the latest tag for the Windrose server image, the only thing you need to do is stopping/removing and creating/starting the container with docker compose. Docker then pulls the up-to-date Windrose server image and starts the server. And you are done with your server update. 😃

For instance, you can automate this with a cron job. Check out windrose-server-update.sh, which is a simple script you can add as a daily job to your /etc/crontab. That way you ensure your server is always up to date.

Transferring a local save game to the server

The compose stack shares the save-game volume (windrose-save-dir, mounted at /srv/windrose/R5/Saved) between the Windrose server and a file-manager web application, which serves that directory on port 8080 without authentication (FILES_ROOT: /srv/windrose/R5/Saved, AUTH_METHOD: none). All paths shown in the file manager are relative to R5/Saved.

Since game update 0.10.0.5.120, RocksDB_v2 is the runtime save folder (the official guide says "DO NOT TOUCH IT") and your actual, transferable saves live in RocksDB_v2_Backups. The steps below cover this RocksDB_v2_Backups method for the Steam game client.

1. Shut both sides down. Close the game client on your PC, and stop the server container (the official guide insists both are fully stopped before transferring):

   docker compose stop windrose-server   # file-manager keeps running

2. Locate the save on your gaming PC. Press Win+R and open:

   %localappdata%\R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\<YourSteamID>\RocksDB_v2_Backups\<GameVersion>\Worlds\
   

   Inside you find one folder per world backup, named by world ID. If there are several backups of the same world, take the _Latest one. Zip the entire world folder (right-click → "Compress to ZIP file") so the folder itself is inside the archive — do not rename it, the database relies on those IDs.
3. Upload via the file manager. Open http://<your-docker-host>:8080 in a browser and navigate to:

   SaveProfiles/Default/RocksDB_v2_Backups/<GameVersion>/Worlds/
   

   Create any missing directories along the way. <GameVersion> (e.g. 0.10.0) must match the server's version — you can check the existing directory name under SaveProfiles/Default/RocksDB_v2/ for the exact value; client and server versions must match or the guide warns of bugs. Then drag-and-drop the zip into Worlds/, extract it there with the file manager's archive-extraction feature, and delete the zip. Verify the result is Worlds/<WorldID>/<database files>, not a double-nested folder.
4. Fix file ownership. The file-manager container runs as root, so the uploaded files are root-owned, while the game server runs as unprivileged UID 10001. Re-run the init container to chown the volume:

   docker compose up init-container

5. Point the server at the world. In compose.yaml, uncomment WORLD_ISLAND_ID and set it to the exact name of the folder you uploaded:

   WORLD_ISLAND_ID: "<WorldID>"

   This is the containerized equivalent of the guide's "set WorldIslandId in ServerDescription.json" step — the container entrypoint writes it into that file on startup. The ID is also persisted on the volume, so the server keeps loading this world on future starts even if you later remove the variable.
6. Start and verify:

   docker compose up -d
   docker compose logs -f windrose-server

Related option: the image also supports AUTO_LOAD_LATEST_BACKUP_IF_HAS_BROKEN: "true", which tells the server to restore broken save files from backups on launch — useful insurance when working with transferred backups, but not required by the guide's procedure.