# Install Pterodactyl – Panel & Wings Step by Step Install Pterodactyl panel and Wings: Ubuntu, Docker, node setup, create first game server – complete guide. **Quick answer:** Install Pterodactyl fastest with the community installer on Ubuntu: `bash <(curl -s https://pterodactyl-installer.se)`, option 2 (Panel + Wings). Then set up node, allocations and Wings token. This guide shows you step by step how to install the Pterodactyl Panel and Wings on your server. Pterodactyl is a free, open-source game server management panel based on Docker containers. At the end you'll have a fully functional environment where you can create and manage game servers with just a few clicks. **Note:** Detailed subpages on configuration, troubleshooting and optimization can be found in the left navigation. ## Requirements - **Operating system:** Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04 or 24.04 (recommended) - **CPU:** At least 2 cores - **RAM:** At least 4 GB (8 GB recommended for multiple servers) - **Storage:** 20 GB free SSD storage - **Root access:** SSH access with root privileges - **Docker-capable:** KVM virtualization (not OpenVZ or LXC) - **Domain:** A domain or subdomain for panel access (optional, but recommended) ## Step 1: Basic server preparation Connect to your server via SSH: `ssh root@your-server-ip` Update the system: `apt update && apt upgrade -y` ## Step 2: Install Pterodactyl Panel Pterodactyl provides an official installation script that automates the entire process. Run the following command: `bash The script starts and walks you through the installation. Select **Option 2** – "Install Panel and Wings" to install both at the same time. ## Step 3: Answer installation questions During installation you'll be asked for various settings. Here's an overview with recommendations: Setting Recommendation Database name Press Enter (default: panel) Database username Press Enter (default: pterodactyl) Database password Set a secure password and save it Timezone e.g. Europe/Berlin or America/New_York Email for Let's Encrypt Your real email address Admin email Your email for panel login Admin username e.g. admin Admin password Secure password – you'll use this to log in FQDN (Domain) Your domain or server IP Configure firewall Yes (y) Let's Encrypt SSL Yes – only with domain, not with IP address ## Step 4: Complete installation The script now automatically installs: - Nginx as web server - PHP 8.1 with all required extensions - MariaDB as database - Redis for temporary data storage - Composer for PHP dependencies - The Pterodactyl Panel itself - Docker for container management - Wings as daemon for game servers The installation takes about 10-15 minutes. At the end you'll receive a summary with all access credentials. ## Step 5: Open the panel in your browser Go to your domain or server IP in the browser. You should see the Pterodactyl login page: `https://your-domain.com # or http://your-server-ip` Log in with the admin credentials you set during installation. ## Step 6: Create a node – connect Wings Nodes → Create → Allocations (ports) → Configuration → Generate Token → start Wings. To host game servers, you need to create a node and connect it with Wings: - Click **"Locations"** in the admin area on the left - Create a new location (e.g. "Germany") via "Create New" - Click **"Nodes"** on the left - Click **"Create New"** - Fill in the fields: - **Name:** e.g. "Node-1" - **Location:** Select your created location - **FQDN:** Your panel domain or server IP - **Total Memory:** Your total RAM in MiB (e.g. 16384 for 16 GB) - **Total Disk Space:** Your total storage in MiB (e.g. 102400 for 100 GB) - Click **"Create Node"** ## Step 7: Set up node allocations Allocation tab: enter IP + port range (e.g. 25565–25665 for Minecraft). Allocations are IP addresses and ports that your game servers use: - Click on your created node - Go to the **"Allocations"** tab - Enter your server IP and a port range (e.g. 25565-25665 for Minecraft) - Click **"Submit"** ## Step 8: Connect Wings with the panel - Click on the **"Configuration"** tab in your node - Click **"Generate Token"** - Copy the displayed command and run it in your SSH console - Start Wings with: `sudo systemctl enable --now wings` Switch back to the panel. The node should now be displayed as **online** (green heart). ## Step 9: Create your first game server - Click **"Servers"** on the left - Click **"Create New"** - Select your node - Choose a game (e.g. Minecraft) and configure memory, CPU and ports - Click **"Create Server"** Your server is created and can be started via the server management. ## Common problems and solutions **nginx won't start:** If the installation ends with an nginx error, edit the configuration: `nano /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/pterodactyl.conf` Replace `fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/phpX.X-fpm.sock;` with: `fastcgi_pass 127.0.0.1:9000;` Then restart nginx: `systemctl restart nginx` **Node stays offline:** Check if Wings is running: `sudo systemctl status wings` If not, start Wings in debug mode: `sudo wings --debug` Error messages help find the cause. **"Pool overlaps" error:** Docker networks are overlapping. Edit the Wings configuration: `nano /etc/pterodactyl/config.yml` Change the subnet under `docker.network.interfaces.v4.subnet` to a free range, e.g. `172.19.0.0/24` instead of `172.18.0.0/16`. ## Useful commands `# List all users php artisan p:user:list # Create a new admin user php artisan p:user:make # Delete a user php artisan p:user:delete` These commands must be run in the panel directory `/var/www/pterodactyl`. ## Quick checklist - Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 server with root access - Run installation script: `bash *Detailed guides on eggs, server configuration and troubleshooting can be found in the articles in the left navigation.* ## Related guides - [Optimize Pterodactyl](/en/server-panels/pterodactyl/optimize) - [Pterodactyl hub](/en/server-panels/pterodactyl) - [Set up VPS](/en/root-v-server/vps-einrichten) - [Firewall & ports](/en/root-v-server/firewall-ports) - [Game server hub](/en/gameserver)