Keyboard shortcuts

Press ← or → to navigate between chapters

Press S or / to search in the book

Press ? to show this help

Press Esc to hide this help

Running the mooR Server

Once you understand the different ways to get involved with MOO and the importance of cores, you're ready to tackle the technical aspects of actually running a mooR server. This section covers the practical mechanics of getting mooR up and running.

Quick Start Guide

The fastest way to get mooR running is with the provided quick-start scripts, which handle Docker setup and environment isolation automatically.

  1. Clone the mooR repository
  2. Run one of the start scripts in the repository root:
    • For the modern Cowbell core: ./scripts/start-moor-cowbell.sh
    • For classic LambdaCore: ./scripts/start-moor-lambdacore.sh
  3. Connect to your MOO via http://localhost:8080/ -- or telnet (or your favourite MUD client) to port 8888

On the first start, the script imports the selected core's human-readable objdef source into a new persistent database. Later starts use that database directly. See Starting a MOO from Objdef Source for how this process works and what happens when you edit the source files.

For detailed instructions and other installation options, see the sections below.

Single-Process vs Clustered Deployment

mooR can run in two modes:

Single-process (default) runs the combined moor binary, which bundles the daemon, telnet host, web host, and curl worker into one process. This is the simplest path and is what the provided single-process Docker Compose configurations use by default. A combined Debian package can be built locally, while the published 1.0.2 channel contains the split-service packages. Most users should start with the single-process Docker configuration.

Clustered deployment (advanced) runs the daemon, hosts, and workers as separate processes that communicate over ZeroMQ sockets. This enables distributing components across multiple machines for security segmentation, load distribution, or horizontal scaling. See Clustered Deployment for when and how to use this mode.

Understanding mooR's Architecture

Before diving into installation, it helps to understand how mooR is structured. mooR is built from modular components that can run as one process or as separate processes.

👉 Server Architecture - Learn about mooR's components and how they work together

Installation Methods

mooR provides several ways to get up and running, each suited for different needs and environments:

The easiest and most reliable method for most users. The default Docker Compose configuration runs the single-process moor binary with the Meadow frontend, making it simple to get a complete MOO environment running.

👉 Docker Compose Setup - Complete guide to running mooR with Docker

Alternative Methods

For specific environments or use cases, mooR also supports traditional installation approaches, including Debian packages (single-process or split-service) and building from source.

👉 Alternative Installation Methods - Debian packages and building from source

Next Steps

Once you have mooR running, you'll need to:

  1. Understand the selected MOO core - See Understanding MOO Cores
  2. Configure your server - See Server Configuration
  3. Set up player access - Configure telnet and/or web interfaces
  4. Customize your MOO - Add content, modify settings, and create your virtual world

Getting Help

If you run into issues:

  • Check the specific installation guide for your chosen method
  • Review the server configuration documentation
  • Consult the mooR GitHub repository for troubleshooting tips
  • Ask the community for help in the forums or Discord