Add release selection for the GitHub-released server types by fewwan · Pull Request #4339 · itzg/docker-minecraft-server

fewwan · 2026-10-15T11:40:09Z

What this changes

Adds a consistent way to pick which upstream GitHub release a server type runs, via <TYPE>_RELEASE, defaulting to latest.

The actual release lookup lives in mc-image-helper (itzg/mc-image-helper#905): github download-asset gains --release-tag — when omitted it uses the latest release, otherwise it resolves /releases/tags/{tag}, so pre-releases are usable — and the command was renamed from download-latest-asset, which is retained as an alias. The image only passes --release-tag when <TYPE>_RELEASE is set to something other than latest, so latest keeps its meaning of "the latest release".

Server types covered here:

PUMPKIN_RELEASE
POSEIDON_RELEASE — also removes the placeholder TODO from start-deployPoseidon
NANOLIMBO_RELEASE
KETTING_RELEASE
CRUCIBLE_RELEASE / ARCLIGHT_RELEASE — moved off their direct api.github.com calls onto the shared helper, which drops the bespoke JSONPath asset matching and honours GH_TOKEN

When the variable is unset, each type keeps its existing latest behavior.

Testing

New setup-only tests pin a non-latest release for each type (pumpkin-release, poseidon-release, nanolimbo-release, ketting-release, crucible-release, arclight-release), alongside the existing latest-default tests for those types.

Depends on itzg/mc-image-helper#905.

itzg · 2026-10-15T11:54:34Z

Thank you for adding this.

I would really prefer to enhance mc-image-helper's github command to handle non-latest versions

https://github.com/itzg/mc-image-helper/tree/main/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/github

If that isn't feasible for you, then I could apply your changes here and follow up later porting over that missing part of the helper.

fewwan · 2026-10-16T09:45:00Z

Thanks @itzg. I've added the enhancement to mc-image-helper: itzg/mc-image-helper#905 adds a --release-tag option to github download-latest-asset (defaults to latest; any other value resolves that tag's release via /releases/tags/{tag}, so pre-releases work too). Once that's released I'll switch this PR over to use it and drop the direct-download workaround.

fewwan · 2026-10-16T10:40:47Z

Update: I've implemented your suggested approach in itzg/mc-image-helper#905:

github download-asset gains a --release-tag option (defaults to latest; any other value resolves /releases/tags/{tag}, so pre-releases work too)
the command was renamed from download-latest-asset to download-asset, with download-latest-asset kept as an alias

Once that's released I'll switch this PR over and drop the direct-download workaround. While I was at it, I generalised the same mechanism to the other server types that ship an asset in a GitHub release, so this PR will grow to cover:

PUMPKIN_RELEASE
POSEIDON_RELEASE (this finally replaces the placeholder TODO in start-deployPoseidon)
NANOLIMBO_RELEASE
KETTING_RELEASE
CRUCIBLE_RELEASE / ARCLIGHT_RELEASE — switched off their direct api.github.com calls onto the shared helper, which removes the bespoke JSONPath matching and honours GH_TOKEN for rate limit handling

Add a <TYPE>_RELEASE option so a specific release tag can be selected instead of always the latest, for the server types that download an asset from a GitHub release: - PUMPKIN_RELEASE - POSEIDON_RELEASE - NANOLIMBO_RELEASE - KETTING_RELEASE CRUCIBLE and ARCLIGHT already had a release option, but resolved the release with a direct api.github.com call. They now use the shared mc-image-helper 'github download-asset' command, which resolves the release and matches the asset. This removes the direct API calls, honors GH_TOKEN for rate limit handling, and allows a pre-release, such as a Crucible staging tag, to be selected. mc-image-helper treats an omitted --release-tag as the latest release, so the release tag is only passed when a specific release was requested. This keeps <TYPE>_RELEASE=latest meaning the latest release. Depends on itzg/mc-image-helper#905, which adds --release-tag, renames download-latest-asset to download-asset, and leaves the tag unset by default (keeping the old name as an alias). MC_HELPER_VERSION will need to be bumped once itzg#905 is released.

itzg

Sorry for the ripple effect of my "latest" request in helper.

itzg · 2026-10-16T13:40:19Z

And thanks for retrofitting the others.

itzg · 2026-10-16T22:05:39Z

java8 build is because the feature will need to be back-ported. I just now added more info about this

https://github.com/itzg/mc-image-helper/blob/main/DEVELOPMENT.md#java-compatibility

I can take care of doing that, if you want.

itzg · 2026-10-16T22:07:55Z

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+mc-image-helper assert fileExists "/data/pumpkin-*-Linux"


The java25-alpine build verification failed since it seems to include the -musl suffix

[init] Using Pumpkin server executable /data/pumpkin-X64-Linux-musl

…helper to 1.74.0

fewwan · 2026-10-17T08:12:25Z

Update on the java8 leg: I've opened the helper back-port per the process in DEVELOPMENT.md#java-compatibility.

java8: Port of github download-asset release tag support (#905) mc-image-helper#908 targets the java8 branch and ports --release-tag / the download-asset rename + download-latest-asset alias from SevTech: Ages modpack is started with 4GB of ram #905.
CI on that PR is green (test / build), and the classes verify as Java 8 (major 52).

Once it's merged and the next 1.51.x-java8 release is cut, this PR will need its mcHelperVersion: 1.51.4-java8 pins bumped (.github/workflows/build.yml x4 and .github/workflows/verify-pr.yml x1) so the java8 CI leg goes green. Happy to make that change here, or submit it separately, once the version is published.

itzg · 2026-10-17T13:18:41Z

The java8 release is https://github.com/itzg/mc-image-helper/releases/tag/1.51.5-java8 and that will be great to bump the pinned versions within this PR.

1.51.5-java8 back-ports the github download-asset release tag support (itzg/mc-image-helper#908), so the pre-Java 17 variants (java16, java11, java8, java8-jdk) can select a specific GitHub release. This fixes the java8 verify-pr leg, which failed with "Unmatched arguments ... 'download-asset'" against the pinned 1.51.4-java8.

fewwan · 2026-10-18T20:56:50Z

The java8 leg is green now — thanks for the back-port release.

Bumped the pinned helper from 1.51.4-java8 to 1.51.5-java8 since that release includes the download-asset / --release-tag support (itzg/mc-image-helper#908):

.github/workflows/build.yml — java16, java11, java8, and java8-jdk
.github/workflows/verify-pr.yml — java8

All checks now pass (java8/java17/java25/java25-alpine/java25-graalvm, docs, verify).

itzg

Thanks for all the work on this.

fewwan mentioned this pull request Oct 16, 2026

github: Support a specific release tag in github download-asset itzg/mc-image-helper#905

Merged

fewwan force-pushed the pumpkin-release branch from 6633d59 to 8d38ac2 Compare October 16, 2026 10:54

fewwan changed the title ~~Add PUMPKIN_RELEASE to select the Pumpkin version~~ Add release selection for the GitHub-released server types Oct 16, 2026

fewwan force-pushed the pumpkin-release branch from 8d38ac2 to 9a85767 Compare October 16, 2026 13:30

itzg reviewed Oct 16, 2026

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Comment thread scripts/start-deployArcLight Outdated

Comment thread scripts/start-deployCrucible Outdated

Comment thread scripts/start-deployKetting

Comment thread scripts/start-deployNanoLimbo

Comment thread scripts/start-deployPoseidon

Comment thread scripts/start-deployPumpkin

chore: tidy up after release-tag refactor

91d145c

itzg reviewed Oct 16, 2026

View reviewed changes

fix: update pumpkin-release verify for musl builds and bump mc-image-…

8fb1f9c

…helper to 1.74.0

fewwan force-pushed the pumpkin-release branch from 62b1ba9 to 8fb1f9c Compare October 17, 2026 06:56

fewwan and others added 2 commits October 18, 2026 22:31

Merge branch 'master' into pumpkin-release

55ecdd3

itzg approved these changes Oct 18, 2026

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itzg added the enhancement label Oct 18, 2026

itzg merged commit dbb0909 into itzg:master Oct 18, 2026
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		@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
		mc-image-helper assert fileExists "/data/pumpkin-*-Linux"

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