Docker Deploy

Lygotype is designed for Docker-based production deployment. This guide covers deploying to a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 VPS.

Prerequisites

Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 / 24.04 VPS — 1 core, 512 MB RAM minimum (1 GB+ recommended)
Docker Engine 24+ and Docker Compose v2 installed (see below)
A domain name with an A record pointing to your VPS IP
Caddy for SSL and reverse proxy (see Caddy Setup)

Installing Docker

If Docker isn't on your server yet, the official convenience script is the fastest path:

``bash

`Install Docker Engine + Compose plugin in one step`


curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
Add your user to the docker group (so you don't need sudo every time)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker
Verify
docker --version        # Docker version 24+
docker compose version  # Docker Compose version v2+


> If you prefer manual installation, follow the [official Docker docs for Ubuntu](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/).
First deploy

`bash

`SSH into your server`


ssh root@your-server-ip
Create deploy directory
mkdir -p /srv/lygotype
cd /srv/lygotype
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mangopaws/lygotype.git .
Configure environment
cp server/.env.example server/.env
nano server/.env
Fill in BETTER_AUTH_SECRET, VITE_API_URL, and optionally Stripe keys
Build and start
docker compose up -d --build

The app will be available at http://your-server-ip:3001.

`Docker Compose configuration`

`yaml

`docker-compose.yml`


services:
  lygotype:
    build: .
    container_name: lygotype-app
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production
    env_file:
      - server/.env
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    networks:
      - web

networks: web: external: true`

The web network is shared with Caddy for reverse proxy routing. Create it if it doesn't exist:

`bash docker network create web`

`Ports and firewall`

Lygotype itself only binds to the internal Docker network — it does not expose a public port directly. Caddy handles all public traffic.

| Port | Protocol | Direction | Purpose | |---|---|---|---| | 80 | TCP | Inbound | HTTP (Caddy — redirects to HTTPS) | | 443 | TCP | Inbound | HTTPS (Caddy — proxies to Lygotype) | | 3001 | TCP | Internal only | Lygotype app (Docker network, not public) | | 22 | TCP | Inbound | SSH access to your server |

You do not need to open port 3001. Caddy reaches the app container over the shared web Docker network by container name, so port 3001 never needs to be exposed to the internet.

If you're using ufw (Ubuntu's firewall), here's the minimal required setup:

`bash sudo ufw allow 22/tcp # SSH — do this first or you'll lock yourself out sudo ufw allow 80/tcp # HTTP sudo ufw allow 443/tcp # HTTPS sudo ufw enable

sudo ufw status # Confirm rules`

`Data persistence`

Form data and responses are stored in SQLite at ./data/lygotype.db. The volumes mount ensures data persists across container restarts and rebuilds.

Always back up the ./data directory before major updates.

`Checking status`

`bash

`View running containers`


docker ps
View logs
docker logs lygotype-app
Follow logs
docker logs -f lygotype-app


Updating

`bash cd /srv/lygotype git pull docker compose up -d --build``

Database migrations run automatically on startup.