minio-server

runs MinIO object storage

TLDR

Start a single-node server on a directory

$ minio server [/data]

Pin the web console to a fixed port

$ minio server --console-address ":[9001]" [/data]

Set the root credentials

$ MINIO_ROOT_USER=[admin] MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD=[password] minio server [/data]

Bind the S3 API to a specific address and port

$ minio server --address "[127.0.0.1]:[9000]" [/data]

Start a distributed deployment across 4 hosts with 4 drives each

$ minio server http://[host]{1...4}/mnt/disk{1...4}

Use a custom TLS certificate directory

$ minio server --certs-dir [/etc/minio/certs] [/data]

Load the configuration from a YAML file

$ minio server --config [/etc/minio/config.yaml]

Output JSON logs without the startup banner

$ minio server --quiet --json [/data]

SYNOPSIS

minio server [options] DIR | URL...

minio server runs MinIO, an S3-compatible object storage server. With a single directory it runs as a single-node deployment; with several drives or hosts it uses erasure coding to survive drive and node failures.Credentials and most settings come from environment variables such as MINIO_ROOT_USER, MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD and MINIO_VOLUMES. Buckets are managed with the mc client or any S3 tool.

PARAMETERS

DIR | URL

Drive paths or endpoints; {1...n} expands to a range of hosts or drives.

--address ADDR:PORT

S3 API listen address (default :9000).

--console-address ADDR:PORT

Web console listen address (random port if unset).

--config FILE

Server configuration in YAML format.

--certs-dir, -S DIR

Directory with public.crt, private.key and CAs (default ~/.minio/certs).

--ftp KEY=VALUE

Enable and configure an FTP(S) server.

--sftp KEY=VALUE

Enable and configure an SFTP server.

--memlimit SIZE

Global memory limit per server (GOMEMLIMIT).

--log-dir DIR

Write the server log to a directory.

--quiet

Disable the startup banner.

--json

Output server logs in JSON format.

--anonymous

Hide sensitive information from logs.

--help

Display help information.

CAVEATS

The default credentials are minioadmin/minioadmin; always change them. Erasure-coded deployments need drives of equal size and a consistent drive order. The upstream community repository is no longer maintained: MinIO removed most admin features from the community web console in 2025, stopped publishing community binaries and Docker images (source-only), and archived the repository in 2026 in favour of the commercial AIStor editions.

HISTORY

MinIO was founded in 2014 by Anand Babu Periasamy and others as a Go-based, S3-compatible object store. It moved from Apache 2.0 to AGPLv3 in 2021, and the community edition went into maintenance mode in late 2025.

RESOURCES

Source code · Homepage