Dockify
Install

Getting started

What you need before you install, and the path from a fresh server to your first app live on its own domain.

#What you need

  • A fresh Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 server, on amd64 (x86_64) or arm64 (aarch64). Ubuntu 26.04 is accepted but untested; other Ubuntu versions get a warning, and other distributions are refused.
  • Root, or sudo over SSH.
  • A hostname for the dashboard, for real use. To try Dockify first, skip it: the dashboard starts on a temporary sslip.io address, and you can move it later.
  • One way in for traffic:
    • Direct mode: ports 80 and 443 free on the server and a public IPv4, plus an A record pointing at it if you give a hostname. An email address for Let's Encrypt is optional.
    • Tunnel mode (the default when you pass --domain): a domain on Cloudflare and an API token with Zone:DNS:Edit and Account:Cloudflare Tunnel:Edit.
  • Docker, or nothing: the installer adds Docker Engine from Docker's own repository when it is missing. An existing Docker must be Engine 25.0 or newer, with Compose 2.24 or newer.

#Size

We tested on 2 vCPU, 4 GB of memory and 49 GB of disk, on Ubuntu 22.04. Leave room for your apps and their builds: BuildKit alone may use up to 4 GB of memory while it builds.

#SSH on another port

The installer turns the ufw firewall on with incoming traffic denied, and allows the SSH port it finds. If SSH listens on a port other than 22, allow it before you install, or pass --no-ufw:

bash
sudo ufw allow 2222/tcp

#The path

  1. Install. Run the one-line installer on the server. It asks for a dashboard hostname, which you can skip with Enter, and in tunnel mode for your Cloudflare token. See Install.
  2. Create your account. Open the setup link it prints and paste the one-time setup token. That account is the first admin.
  3. Back up the master key. Copy /opt/dockify/secrets/master_key somewhere that is not this server. Without it, stored secrets and offsite backups cannot be opened.
  4. Add a repository. A public repository works by its https URL. Private repositories need a GitHub App for your instance: see Connect GitHub.
  5. Deploy. Create a project, add an app from a repository, and deploy it. See First deploy.
  6. Add a domain. Point a hostname at the app. See Domains and TLS.
  7. Add a backup destination. Until you add an S3-compatible bucket, backups stay on this server's own disk, which is not off the server. See Backups and restore.

#Releases

Dockify 1.0.1 is released. The one-line install reads the signed release feed, checks it against the key pinned in the installer, and pulls the images by digest. The changelog lists every release, and the Introduction says what has run on a real server so far.