Installing AzerothCore with Docker

AzerothCore provides a simple Docker setup that makes it easy to run your own Wrath of the Lich King server without manually compiling the core or configuring databases.

This guide covers:

• Installing AzerothCore
• Adding popular modules
• Configuring module settings
• Building and starting the server with Docker

Clone AzerothCore

Create a workspace and clone the repository:

mkdir -p ~/Workspace
cd ~/Workspace

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/azerothcore/azerothcore-wotlk.git
cd azerothcore-wotlk

Install Modules

Navigate to the modules directory and clone the desired modules:

cd modules

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/azerothcore/mod-autobalance.git
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ZhengPeiRu21/mod-leech.git
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/azerothcore/mod-npc-buffer.git

cd ..

Module Overview

Module	Description
mod-autobalance	Automatically scales dungeon and raid difficulty based on party size
mod-leech	Improves quest and experience sharing for grouped players
mod-npc-buffer	Adds an NPC that provides buffs and quality-of-life features

Build the Server

Build all Docker images:

docker compose build

The first build may take some time depending on your hardware and internet connection.

Start the Server

Launch all containers in the background:

docker compose up -d

Check running containers:

docker ps

Configure Modules

After the first build, AzerothCore generates configuration templates for installed modules.

Copy all module configuration templates:

cp env/dist/etc/modules/*.conf.dist env/dist/etc/modules/*.conf

Alternatively, copy them individually:

cp env/dist/etc/modules/mod-autobalance.conf.dist \
   env/dist/etc/modules/mod-autobalance.conf

cp env/dist/etc/modules/mod-leech.conf.dist \
   env/dist/etc/modules/mod-leech.conf

cp env/dist/etc/modules/mod-npc-buffer.conf.dist \
   env/dist/etc/modules/mod-npc-buffer.conf

Edit the configuration files as needed:

nano env/dist/etc/modules/mod-autobalance.conf
nano env/dist/etc/modules/mod-leech.conf
nano env/dist/etc/modules/mod-npc-buffer.conf

After making changes, rebuild and restart the server:

docker compose build
docker compose up -d

Access the Worldserver Console

Attach to the worldserver container:

docker attach ac-worldserver

Create a GM account:

account create admin password
account set gmlevel admin 3 -1

Detach from the console without stopping the container:

CTRL+P
CTRL+Q

Stop the Server

docker compose down

Update AzerothCore

Pull the latest changes:

git pull

Update modules:

cd modules/mod-autobalance && git pull
cd ../mod-leech && git pull
cd ../mod-npc-buffer && git pull

Rebuild and restart:

cd ../..

docker compose build
docker compose up -d

Quick Start

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/azerothcore/azerothcore-wotlk.git

cd azerothcore-wotlk/modules

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/azerothcore/mod-autobalance.git
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ZhengPeiRu21/mod-leech.git
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/azerothcore/mod-npc-buffer.git

cd ..

docker compose build
docker compose up -d

docker attach ac-worldserver

At this point, AzerothCore should be running with AutoBalance, Leech, and NPC Buffer installed and ready to use.