DigitalOcean

Use a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 x86_64 server with at least 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and 80 GB SSD, a public IPv4 address, an SSH key, and a domain you control. The cloud provider bills your account for the server, storage and traffic.

Create startup data

On your workstation, generate startup data with your domain and administrator email:

git clone https://github.com/grovs-io/self-host.git
cd self-host
python3 scripts/generate-cloud-init.py \
  --domain grovs.example.com \
  --email [email protected] > /tmp/grovs-cloud-init.yaml

The file installs Docker and the full Compose stack on first boot. It pins the stack source to a reviewed commit and defaults to image release 2.3.1. Use --version X.Y.Z to select another published release. Passwords are generated on the server; the startup file contains no generated credentials.

Create the Droplet

1. Create a Droplet using the plain Ubuntu 24.04 image and the resources above.
2. Add your SSH public key. Under Additional Options → Startup scripts, paste the complete generated file, including #cloud-config.
3. Create the Droplet. Attach a Cloud Firewall allowing inbound TCP 80/443 from the internet and TCP 22 only from your public IP. Allow outbound traffic.
4. Connect as root to its public IPv4 address.

See DigitalOcean's user-data instructions. Use a Droplet for this full-stack installation.

DNS and first login

Point the DNS records at the server's public IPv4. For grovs.example.com, this includes dashboard.grovs.example.com, api.grovs.example.com, the other fixed hosts, *.grovs.example.com, and *.test.grovs.example.com. Keep these records DNS-only if using Cloudflare. Caddy handles HTTPS; the DNS guide also covers certificates for mobile app links.

Connect with your SSH key and check provisioning:

sudo cloud-init status --wait
sudo systemctl status grovs --no-pager
sudo tail -100 /var/log/cloud-init-output.log
sudo cat /opt/grovs/.env

Read BOOTSTRAP_ADMIN_EMAIL and BOOTSTRAP_ADMIN_PASSWORD from .env locally; keep that file private. Open https://dashboard.grovs.example.com, log in, create a project and a link, then open the link and check analytics.

Maintain the server

The stack and configuration live in /opt/grovs; databases and uploads use Docker volumes on the server disk. grovs.service starts the existing stack after reboot. Follow upgrades and backups from that directory using root access.

If startup fails, inspect the log above and fix the reported error before running sudo bash /root/grovs-bootstrap.sh again. A successful cloud-init run starts the containers; check sudo docker compose --project-directory /opt/grovs ps -a and the migrate service logs if the dashboard is not ready.

Before removing the server, back up the databases, uploads and .env outside that server. Deleting a server or disk can destroy the stored data. Review the provider's console for any retained disks, IPs and backups that continue billing.