Complete Discord Bot Hosting Guide

Introduction to Discord Bot Hosting

Discord bots enhance server functionality by automating tasks, playing music, moderating content, and providing custom features. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about self-hosting Discord bots on OCNetworks infrastructure.

Prerequisites & Requirements

General Requirements

Before hosting any Discord bot, ensure you have:

• Discord Bot Token: Create a bot application at Discord Developer Portal
• Server Access: VPS or dedicated server with appropriate resources
• Basic Linux Knowledge: Command line familiarity recommended
• 64-bit Operating System: Most bots require 64-bit architecture

Creating Your Discord Bot

1. Visit Discord Developer Portal
2. Click "New Application" and give it a name
3. Navigate to the "Bot" section
4. Click "Add Bot"
5. Copy your bot token (keep this secure!)
6. Enable required privileged intents:
   • Presence Intent (for status tracking)
   • Server Members Intent (for member management)
   • Message Content Intent (for reading messages)
7. Save your changes

Inviting Your Bot

1. Go to OAuth2 → URL Generator
2. Select "bot" scope
3. Select required permissions (Administrator for simplicity, or specific permissions)
4. Copy the generated URL
5. Open the URL in your browser and select your server

Music Bots

JMusicBot - Java Music Bot

Features

• Easy to run (just Java required)
• Fast song loading
• No external API keys needed (except Discord bot token)
• Smooth playback
• Server-specific DJ role support
• Clean, beautiful menus
• Multi-source support: YouTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Twitch, local files, HTTP URLs
• Multiple format support: MP3, FLAC, WAV, Matroska/WebM, MP4/M4A, OGG, AAC streams
• Playlist support (web and local)

System Requirements

• Java 11 or newer (latest recommended)
• Minimum 512MB RAM (1GB recommended)
• Stable internet connection
• Disk space for cache and logs (~500MB minimum)

Installation Steps

# Install Java (if not already installed)
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre-headless -y

# Verify Java installation
java -version

# Create bot directory
mkdir -p ~/jmusicbot
cd ~/jmusicbot

# Download latest JMusicBot
wget https://github.com/jagrosh/MusicBot/releases/latest/download/JMusicBot-0.4.3.jar

# Create config file
touch config.txt

# Edit config with your settings
nano config.txt

Configuration

Edit the config.txt file with the following settings:

token = YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE
owner = YOUR_DISCORD_USER_ID
prefix = "!"
game = "DEFAULT"
status = ONLINE
songinstatus = false
altprefix = "NONE"
success = 🎶
warning = 💡
error = 🚫
loading = ⏳
searching = 🔎

Running the Bot

# Run directly
java -jar JMusicBot-0.4.3.jar

# Run with screen (recommended for persistent sessions)
screen -S jmusicbot
java -jar JMusicBot-0.4.3.jar
# Press Ctrl+A, then D to detach

# Run as systemd service (production recommended)
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/jmusicbot.service

Systemd Service Configuration

[Unit]
Description=JMusicBot Discord Music Bot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USERNAME
WorkingDirectory=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/jmusicbot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -Xmx512M -jar JMusicBot-0.4.3.jar
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# Enable and start service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable jmusicbot
sudo systemctl start jmusicbot
sudo systemctl status jmusicbot

Muse - TypeScript Music Bot

Features

• Livestream support
• Seeking within songs/videos
• Local caching for better performance
• No vote-to-skip (anarchy mode)
• Auto-converts Spotify playlists/artists/albums to YouTube
• Custom shortcuts (aliases)
• Multi-guild support
• Volume normalization
• SponsorBlock integration (skip non-music segments)

System Requirements

• Node.js 18.17.0 or latest 18.x.x LTS (required)
• FFmpeg 4.1 or later
• Minimum 1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
• 64-bit operating system

Required API Keys

• DISCORD_TOKEN: Your Discord bot token
• YOUTUBE_API_KEY: From Google Developer Console
• SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID: (Optional) From Spotify Developer Dashboard
• SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET: (Optional) From Spotify Developer Dashboard

Docker Installation (Recommended)

# Create docker-compose.yml
version: '3.4'

services:
  muse:
    image: ghcr.io/museofficial/muse:latest
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - ./muse:/data
    environment:
      - DISCORD_TOKEN=YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
      - YOUTUBE_API_KEY=YOUR_KEY_HERE
      - SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID=YOUR_ID_HERE
      - SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET=YOUR_SECRET_HERE
      - CACHE_LIMIT=2GB
      - ENABLE_SPONSORBLOCK=true

# Start the bot
docker-compose up -d

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f muse

Node.js Installation

# Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg nodejs npm -y

# Install Node.js 18 (if needed)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/museofficial/muse.git
cd muse

# Checkout latest release
git checkout v2.11.1

# Copy and configure environment
cp .env.example .env
nano .env

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start the bot
npm run start

Environment Configuration (.env)

DISCORD_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
YOUTUBE_API_KEY=your_youtube_key
SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID=your_spotify_id
SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET=your_spotify_secret

# Optional settings
CACHE_LIMIT=2GB
ENABLE_SPONSORBLOCK=true
BOT_STATUS=online
BOT_ACTIVITY_TYPE=LISTENING
BOT_ACTIVITY=Music

Aoede - Spotify to Discord Bot

Features

• Direct Spotify to Discord streaming
• Uses Spotify's own interface for control
• Follows a specific user's playback
• Autoplay similar songs option
• Custom device naming
• Perfect for Discord Stages

Docker Installation (Recommended)

# Create docker-compose.yml
version: '3.4'

services:
  aoede:
    image: codetheweb/aoede:latest
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - ./aoede:/data
    environment:
      - DISCORD_TOKEN=YOUR_BOT_TOKEN
      - SPOTIFY_USERNAME=YOUR_SPOTIFY_USERNAME
      - SPOTIFY_PASSWORD=YOUR_SPOTIFY_PASSWORD
      - DISCORD_USER_ID=YOUR_DISCORD_USER_ID
      - SPOTIFY_BOT_AUTOPLAY=true
      - SPOTIFY_DEVICE_NAME=Aoede

# Start the bot
docker-compose up -d

Multipurpose Bots

RedBot - Fully Modular Discord Bot

Features

• Fully modular - enable/disable any feature
• Music (YouTube, SoundCloud, local files)
• Moderation (kick/ban/softban/hackban, mod-log, filters)
• Trivia with included question lists
• Stream alerts (Twitch, YouTube, Picarto)
• Banking system (slot machine, user credits)
• Custom commands
• Imgur/GIF search
• Self-role assignment
• Cross-server announcements
• Extensive 3rd party cog ecosystem

System Requirements

• Python 3.10 or 3.11
• Minimum 512MB RAM (1GB+ recommended)
• Git (for installation)

Installation

# Install Python and dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3.11 python3.11-venv python3-pip git -y

# Create virtual environment
python3.11 -m venv ~/redbot-venv
source ~/redbot-venv/bin/activate

# Install Red-DiscordBot
pip install Red-DiscordBot

# Setup Red (interactive setup)
redbot-setup

# Follow the prompts to configure:
# - Bot token
# - Bot prefix
# - Data storage location
# - Choose storage type (JSON recommended for starters)

Running RedBot

# Activate virtual environment
source ~/redbot-venv/bin/activate

# Start bot (replace instancename with your chosen name)
redbot instancename

# Run with systemd (production)
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/redbot.service

Systemd Service for RedBot

[Unit]
Description=RedBot Discord Bot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USERNAME
WorkingDirectory=/home/YOUR_USERNAME
ExecStart=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/redbot-venv/bin/redbot instancename
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Installing Cogs (Extensions)

# In Discord, use these commands:
# Add a cog repository
[p]repo add repository-name https://github.com/username/repo

# List available cogs from repository
[p]cog list repository-name

# Install a cog
[p]cog install repository-name cog-name

# Load the cog
[p]load cog-name

# View installed cogs
[p]cogs

Ree6 - All-in-One Discord Bot

Features

• Music (YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud)
• Moderation tools
• Audit logging
• Twitch and Twitter notifications
• Leveling system
• Web interface
• Public REST API
• Free alternative to paid bot features

System Requirements

• Java 17 or newer
• Minimum 1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
• PostgreSQL or SQLite database
• Maven (for building from source)

Docker Installation (Recommended)

# Create docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'

services:
  ree6:
    image: ree6/bot:latest
    restart: always
    environment:
      - BOT_TOKEN=YOUR_BOT_TOKEN
      - DATABASE_TYPE=sqlite
    volumes:
      - ./ree6-data:/app/data

# Start the bot
docker-compose up -d

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f ree6

Manual Installation

# Install Java 17
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-17-jdk maven git -y

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/Ree6-Applications/Ree6.git
cd Ree6

# Build with Maven
mvn clean package -DskipTests

# Configuration
# Create config file with your settings
nano config.yml

Configuration (config.yml)

bot:
  token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
  prefix: "!"
  
database:
  type: "sqlite"  # or "postgresql"
  path: "ree6.db"
  
features:
  music: true
  leveling: true
  logging: true
  notifications: true

Specialized Bots

ATL Bot

Repository: ATLauncher/discord-bot
Language: Node.js
Purpose: Official ATLauncher Discord bot for the ATLauncher community
Features: Community management, ATLauncher-specific commands

Requirements

• Node.js 16.x or higher
• npm or yarn package manager
• Discord Bot Token
• 500MB RAM minimum

Installation

# Install Node.js
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/ATLauncher/discord-bot.git
cd discord-bot

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Configure
cp config.example.json config.json
nano config.json

Configuration (config.json)

{
  "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
  "prefix": "!",
  "guildId": "YOUR_GUILD_ID",
  "clientId": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID"
}

Running the Bot

# Start bot
npm start

# Or with PM2
pm2 start npm --name "atlbot" -- start
pm2 save

Bastion

Repository: TheBastionBot/Bastion
Language: Node.js
Purpose: Multi-purpose Discord bot for server automation, moderation, and engagement
Features: Administration, moderation, games, incentives, fun activities

Requirements

• Node.js 16.x or higher
• MongoDB (included in setup)
• Discord Bot Token with Privileged Gateway Intents
• 1GB RAM minimum
• Port 8377 for API (optional)

Installation

# Install Node.js
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/TheBastionBot/Bastion.git
cd Bastion

# Install dependencies
npm install

# First run - register slash commands
npm run commands

# The server will crash after registering commands - this is expected
# Change startup command to: npm start

Configuration

MongoDB is automatically running in the background. Use default Mongo URL or connect to external MongoDB:

mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@<ip>/?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Invite Link

https://discord.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=INSERT_APP_ID_HERE&scope=bot&permissions=8

Running the Bot

# Start bot (after commands are registered)
npm start

# With PM2
pm2 start npm --name "bastion" -- start
pm2 save

CorpBot

Repository: corpnewt/CorpBot.py
Language: Python
Purpose: A very clumsy python bot for Discord
Features: Customizable commands, moderation, utilities

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip package manager
• Discord Bot Token
• 512MB RAM minimum

Installation

# Install Python and dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip git -y

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/corpnewt/CorpBot.py.git
cd CorpBot.py

# Install Python dependencies
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# Configure
cp Settings-example.json Settings.json
nano Settings.json

Configuration (Settings.json)

{
  "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
  "prefix": "!",
  "owner": "YOUR_USER_ID",
  "status": "online"
}

Running the Bot

# Start bot
python3 Main.py

# Or with systemd service
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/corpbot.service

Systemd Service

[Unit]
Description=CorpBot Discord Bot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USER
WorkingDirectory=/path/to/CorpBot.py
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 Main.py
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Dynamica

Repository: dynamicabot/dynamica-v2
Language: Node.js/TypeScript
Purpose: Easy-to-use dynamic voice channel bot
Features: Automatic voice channel creation, customizable channel names, user limits

Requirements

• Node.js 18.x or higher
• TypeScript
• Discord Bot Token
• 1GB RAM minimum
• Custom web port (requires manual configuration in src/main.ts line 24)

Installation

# Install Node.js and TypeScript
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y
npm install -g typescript

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/dynamicabot/dynamica-v2.git
cd dynamica-v2

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Configure
cp .env.example .env
nano .env

# Build TypeScript
npm run build

Configuration (.env)

DISCORD_TOKEN=YOUR_BOT_TOKEN
CLIENT_ID=YOUR_CLIENT_ID
GUILD_ID=YOUR_GUILD_ID

Running the Bot

# Start bot
npm start

# With PM2
pm2 start npm --name "dynamica" -- start
pm2 save

fragbot

Repository: fragforce/fragbot
Language: Golang
Purpose: The golang based discord bot for FragForce - looking-for-group services
Features: LFG commands, community management

Requirements

• Go 1.19 or higher
• Discord Bot Token
• 256MB RAM minimum

Installation

# Install Go
wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.21.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go
sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.21.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/fragforce/fragbot.git
cd fragbot

# Build
go build -o fragbot

# Configure
cp config.example.yaml config.yaml
nano config.yaml

Configuration (config.yaml)

discord:
  token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
  prefix: "!"
  
database:
  type: "sqlite"
  path: "./fragbot.db"

Running the Bot

# Start bot
./fragbot

# Or with systemd service
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/fragbot.service

Game Server Watcher

Repository: a-sync/game-server-watcher
Language: Node.js
Purpose: Monitor game servers and display player counts in style 😎
Platforms: Discord, Telegram, Slack
Features: Real-time server status, player tracking, beautiful embeds

Requirements

• Node.js 16.x or higher
• Steam Web API key (for Steam games)
• Discord Bot Token
• 512MB RAM minimum
• Port 8081 for GSW Control Panel (default)

Installation

# Install Node.js
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install nodejs -y

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/a-sync/game-server-watcher.git
cd game-server-watcher

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Configure
cp config.example.json config.json
nano config.json

Configuration (config.json)

{
  "discord": {
    "token": "YOUR_DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN"
  },
  "steam": {
    "apiKey": "YOUR_STEAM_API_KEY"
  },
  "servers": [
    {
      "name": "My Game Server",
      "host": "server.example.com",
      "port": 27015,
      "type": "csgo"
    }
  ],
  "web": {
    "port": 8081
  }
}

Running the Bot

# Start bot
npm start

# With PM2
pm2 start npm --name "gsw" -- start
pm2 save

parkertron

Repository: parkervcp/parkertron
Language: Golang
Purpose: Purely a chatbot - runs as the Pterodactyl @Support Bot
Features: Simple chat responses, support automation

Requirements

• Go 1.19 or higher
• Discord Bot Token
• 256MB RAM minimum

Installation

# Install Go
wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.21.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go
sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.21.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/parkervcp/parkertron.git
cd parkertron

# Build
go build -o parkertron

# Configure
cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Configuration (.env)

DISCORD_TOKEN=YOUR_BOT_TOKEN
PREFIX=!
OWNER_ID=YOUR_USER_ID

Running the Bot

# Start bot
./parkertron

# Or with systemd
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/parkertron.service

pixel-bot

Repository: possatti/pixelbot
Language: Python
Purpose: Bot for pixelcanvas.io
Features: Pixel art automation, canvas monitoring

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pip package manager
• Discord Bot Token
• 256MB RAM minimum

Installation

# Install Python
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip git -y

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/possatti/pixelbot.git
cd pixelbot

# Install dependencies
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

# Configure
cp config.example.ini config.ini
nano config.ini

Configuration (config.ini)

[discord]
token = YOUR_BOT_TOKEN
prefix = !

[pixelcanvas]
# Add your pixelcanvas.io configuration here

Running the Bot

# Start bot
python3 bot.py

SinusBot

Website: sinusbot.com
Language: Binary (custom)
Purpose: Advanced music and radio bot with web interface
Features: Multi-platform (TeamSpeak3 + Discord), web UI, playlist management, radio streaming

Requirements

• Linux x64 system
• Discord Bot Token
• 2GB RAM minimum
• Port 8087 for Web UI (default)

Installation

# Download and install
cd /opt
wget https://www.sinusbot.com/dl/sinusbot.current.tar.bz2
tar -xjf sinusbot.current.tar.bz2
cd sinusbot

# Install dependencies
apt-get install x11vnc xvfb libxcursor1 ca-certificates bzip2 libnss3     libegl1-mesa x11-xkb-utils libasound2 libpci3 libxshmfence1     libglu1 libxcomposite1 libxrandr2 libxkbfile1

# Set permissions
chmod +x sinusbot
chmod +x ts3client_linux_amd64/ts3client_linux_amd64

# Configure
cp config.ini.dist config.ini
nano config.ini

Configuration (config.ini)

[Webserver]
ListenHost = "0.0.0.0"
ListenPort = 8087

[Discord]
Token = "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"

Running the Bot

# Start bot (first time)
./sinusbot

# Wait for "TSClient quit." message, then Ctrl+C and restart
./sinusbot

# Access Web UI at http://your-server-ip:8087
# Default credentials: admin / (see password in logs)

Systemd Service

[Unit]
Description=SinusBot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=sinusbot
WorkingDirectory=/opt/sinusbot
ExecStart=/opt/sinusbot/sinusbot
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Deployment Best Practices

Process Management

Use one of these methods to keep your bot running:

1. Systemd (Recommended for Production)

• Automatic restart on failure
• Starts on system boot
• Easy log management
• Standardized across Linux systems

2. Screen/Tmux (Good for Development)

# Using screen
screen -S mybotname
# Run your bot
# Ctrl+A, D to detach
screen -r mybotname  # Reattach

# Using tmux
tmux new -s mybotname
# Run your bot
# Ctrl+B, D to detach
tmux attach -t mybotname  # Reattach

3. PM2 (For Node.js Bots)

# Install PM2
npm install -g pm2

# Start bot
pm2 start npm --name "muse" -- start

# Manage bot
pm2 list
pm2 stop muse
pm2 restart muse
pm2 logs muse

# Auto-start on boot
pm2 startup
pm2 save

Security Best Practices

• Never share your bot token - treat it like a password
• Use environment variables for sensitive data
• Run bots as non-root user
• Keep software updated - bot, dependencies, system packages
• Use firewall rules to restrict access
• Monitor logs for suspicious activity
• Enable 2FA on your Discord account
• Backup configurations regularly

Resource Management

• Monitor RAM usage - music bots especially can use significant memory
• Set cache limits to prevent disk filling
• Log rotation to prevent log files from growing too large
• Regular cleanup of temporary files and caches

Monitoring

# Check bot process
ps aux | grep bot-name

# Check memory usage
free -h

# Check disk space
df -h

# View system logs
journalctl -u bot-service-name -f

# Monitor resource usage
htop  # or top

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Bot Won't Start

Bot Shows Offline

Music Not Playing

High Memory Usage

Commands Not Working

Getting Help

If you're still experiencing issues:

• Check the bot's GitHub issues page
• Join the bot's official Discord support server
• Review documentation and wiki
• Contact OCNetworks support at discord.gg/TuCg7cBqqV
• Check https://support.ree6.de/ for specific bot communities

Conclusion

Self-hosting Discord bots provides incredible flexibility and control over your server's functionality. Whether you're setting up a music bot for your community, a moderation bot for server management, or a specialized bot for unique features, OCNetworks provides the reliable infrastructure you need.