Managed Servers

A managed server is installed and run by Pano on a node — a machine running the pano-node daemon. The node connects outwards to Pano, so no port has to be opened on it. Nodes are managed from the node icon next to the server switcher and need the Manage Nodes permission.

Adding a node

Add node has four tabs:

Tab
Local	Pano's own machine, in one click. Runs on the Java Pano runs on. Files go to <pano-dir>/node-data/, the log to <pano-dir>/logs/pano-node.log.
Manual	Any machine: run the one-line command it shows, then approve the node.
SSH	Pano runs the install for you over SSH, after you confirm the host key. The login is never stored.
Coolify	Deploys the ghcr.io/panomc/pano-node container with a /data volume and the game ports.

The Manual command looks like this (the code rotates every 30 seconds):

curl -fsSL https://panel.example.com/api/node/install.sh | sh -s -- --pano 'https://panel.example.com' --code '123456'

Accept only nodes you set up yourself. When a node cannot reach your website URL (NAT, an SSH tunnel), set Pano address reachable from the node under Advanced.

A node with an older daemon shows Update available; updating takes a few seconds and its servers keep running. Removing a node deletes every server and backup on it.

Creating a server

Add server → Create a new server (needs Create Servers) walks through Source → Node → Software → Settings → Review.

• Software: Paper (recommended), Purpur, Folia, Spigot, Fabric, Vanilla, and the proxies Velocity (recommended), Waterfall and BungeeCord. Spigot is compiled on the node with BuildTools — the first build of a version takes about ten minutes, later ones reuse it. The build needs a JDK; the node downloads one when the host has none.
• Settings: name, memory, port (empty = a free one from 25565-25600), Java version, JVM arguments, Start with Pano, Restart after a crash, Whitelist (off by default; not for imports or proxies) and the Minecraft EULA.
• The node downloads the server, installs the Pano plugin already paired, and leaves the server Stopped, ready to start.
• On Fabric and Quilt, the Pano mod needs Fabric API, so the node installs it too (the build for that Minecraft version, from Modrinth) unless the server already has it. The Pano mod needs Minecraft 26.1+; on older versions, or with no Fabric API build, it is left out and the task says so.

Importing: as the source you can also pick an existing folder on the node (copied, never moved), a .zip upload (up to 1 GB) or a Modrinth modpack. Pano detects the software and version itself. Never import a folder whose server is still running.

A backend behind a proxy usually runs with online-mode=false — keep it unreachable from the internet, or anyone can join as anyone.

Server settings

Changes apply on the next start.

• Startup: Java version, memory, port, JVM arguments, Start with Pano, Restart after a crash.
• Memory is the server's whole memory, not just the Java heap: the JVM keeps 512 MB plus 15 % of it (at most 2 GB) and the heap gets the rest, never less than half — for example 2048 MB gives a 1229 MB heap and 4096 MB a 2970 MB heap. The panel shows the resulting heap under the field. Under the Docker runtime it is the container's limit. The heap starts at a quarter of its maximum and grows as needed; on Java 12+ an idle server hands memory back. Your own JVM arguments still win.
• Server properties: a form for server.properties. Only the keys you change are written; the rest of the file stays as it is.
• Java: on Automatic, the lowest version the Minecraft version supports — 25 for 26.1+, 21 for 1.20.5–1.21, 17 for 1.17–1.20.4, 16 for 1.16.5, 8 for older. A missing Java is downloaded by the node.
• Danger zone → Change software / Reinstall: switch to another software or version, keeping worlds, plugins and configuration where they fit. A backup is taken first, and a failed change is rolled back. Worlds kept on the way to an older Minecraft version stop the server at startup — the dialog warns about it; restore the pre-change backup to go back. Needs Create Servers and your password.
• Remove server: on a managed server this deletes its folder and its backups. A linked server is only removed from Pano.

When something goes wrong

• The node stays offline — the local node runs on Pano's own Java (11+); on LOCAL_NODE_JAVA_MISSING fix local-node.java-path or leave it empty. Otherwise read pano-node.log.
• The install fails — the node needs internet access to the download sites, and free disk space. The server header keeps showing The install failed with the reason and Reinstall / Change software buttons; the server cannot be started until an install succeeds. A failed reinstall of a working server puts the old server back instead.
• The server shows CRASHED — its console has the error. Exit code 137 means it was killed from outside, usually for running out of memory.
• The port is in use — change it in Startup, or leave it empty for a free one.