How to Run a Python Discord Bot on a Docker Application

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Introduction

Discord is a video, voice, and text communication platform that allows bots to perform automated tasks based on user commands. This article explains how to run a Python-based Discord bot on a Docker application.

1. Create a Discord Application

Go to the Discord Developer Portal and log in.
Click the New Application button.
Enter an application name and click Create.
Select the Bot tab from the Settings menu.
Click Add Bot then click Yes, do it!.
Click Copy to copy your bot's token to the clipboard. Save a copy to use later in this guide.

2. Install Prerequisites

Deploy a Docker application on Ubuntu 20.04 cloud server Instance from Vultr Marketplace Apps
Login as root

Install the Discord API wrapper for Python.

# pip install discord.py

3. Create the Discord Bot

Switch to your home directory.
```
# cd ~
```
Create a project folder.
```
# mkdir discord-bot
```
Switch to the project folder.
```
# cd discord-bot
```
Create a python file named discord_bot.py.
```
# nano discord_bot.py
```

Paste this sample code to your discord_bot.py file. Replace <YOUR BOT TOKEN> with the token you saved in section 1.

import discord

TOKEN = '<YOUR BOT TOKEN>'

client = discord.Client()

@client.event
async def on_ready():
    print('We have successfully loggged in as {0.user}'.format(client))

@client.event
async def on_message(message):
    if message.author == client.user:
        return

    if message.content.lower() == 'hello':
        await message.channel.send(f'Hello, {message.author.display_name}!')
        return

    if message.content.lower() == 'bye':
        await message.channel.send(f'See you later, {message.author.display_name}!')
        return

client.run(TOKEN)

The Discord bot should respond to commands such as hello, and bye.

Save and exit the file.
Create a Dockerfile.
```
# nano Dockerfile
```

Paste this to your Dockerfile.

FROM python:3
FROM gorialis/discord.py

RUN mkdir -p /usr/src/bot
WORKDIR /usr/src/bot

COPY . .

CMD [ "python3", "discord_bot.py" ]

Save and exit the Dockerfile.

4. Run the Discord Bot

Change to the Discord bot project directory.
```
# cd ~/discord-bot
```
Build the docker container for the Discord bot.
```
# docker build -t discord-bot .
```
Run the docker container.
```
# docker run -d discord-bot
```
Running the bot with -d flag runs the container in detached mode (it runs in the background).

Common Docker Commands:

List all docker processes:
```
# docker ps
```
Stop the docker container (discord bot):
```
# docker stop <CONTAINER ID>
```
Restart the docker container:
```
# docker restart <CONTAINER ID>
```

You can find the <CONTAINER ID> when you list all the Docker processes.

5. Invite the Bot to a Discord Server

Go to the Discord Developer Portal and log in.
Click the Application that you have created.
Navigate to the OAuth2 Tab from the Settings menu.
In the Scopes Section, select bot.
In the Bot Permissions Section, select Administrator. This gives the bot an Administrator Role from the Discord Server.
Click the Copy Button to copy the generated invite link.
Open the invite link on your browser.
Select the Discord server to add the bot to then click Continue.
Authorize the bot and complete the CAPTCHA.

The Discord bot is now up and running.

More Information

To learn more about Discord bots, please see these resources:

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