VPS installation and configuration guide for Coolify
Posted on - February 8, 2025 by Andy Cinquin
VPSCoolifyCloudflare
Complete Guide: VPS Setup and Coolify Installation
Introduction
This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up a VPS to host Coolify, including purchasing a domain name from Cloudflare. We'll cover all the necessary steps to achieve a secure and functional environment.
Table of Contents
- VPS Purchase and Initial Configuration
- Domain Name Configuration with Cloudflare
- Server Security Setup
- Coolify Installation
1. VPS Purchase and Initial Configuration
Choosing a Host
There are several reputable VPS providers:
- Hetzner
- Netcup (recommended)
- OVH
- Scaleway
- Contabo
For this tutorial, we recommend Hetzner or Netcup for their excellent value for money.
Recommended Minimum Configuration
To run Coolify comfortably, choose at minimum:
- 2 CPU cores
- 4 GB RAM
- 40 GB SSD storage
First Connection
After purchasing your VPS, you'll receive by email:
- Your server's IP address
- The initial root password
Connect via SSH:
ssh root@your_ip
Initial System Update
apt update && apt upgrade -y
Installing essential packages:
apt install sudo ufw curl wget git jq openssl vim tmux fish -y
2. Domain Name Configuration with Cloudflare
-
Create an account on Cloudflare.com
-
Add your domain to Cloudflare
-
In the DNS section, add two A records:
First record (main domain):
- Type: A
- Name: coolify (or your chosen subdomain, or your main domain)
- Content: Your_VPS_IP
- Proxy status: Disabled (gray icon)
Second record (wildcard for subdomains):
- Type: A
- Name: * (asterisk)
- Content: Your_VPS_IP
- Proxy status: Disabled (gray icon)
This wildcard configuration (
*.your-domain.com) will allow Coolify to automatically create subdomains for each of your deployed applications. For example:- app1.your-domain.com
- api.your-domain.com
- staging.your-domain.com
- etc.
All these subdomains will automatically point to your VPS server, and Coolify will handle routing traffic to the correct application based on the subdomain used.
3. Server Security Setup
Creating a Non-Root User
# Create user
useradd -m -s /bin/fish your_user
usermod -aG sudo your_user
passwd your_user
# Logout
exit
SSH Keys Configuration
On your local machine:
# Generate key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@domain.com"
# Copy public key to server
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub your_user@your_ip
Secure SSH Configuration
On the server:
sudo vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Modify/add the following lines:
PubkeyAuthentication yes
PasswordAuthentication no
PermitRootLogin yes
Restart SSH service:
sudo systemctl restart sshd
Firewall Configuration
# Enable essential ports
sudo ufw allow 22
sudo ufw allow 80
sudo ufw allow 443
sudo ufw allow 8000
sudo ufw allow 6001
sudo ufw allow 53
# Enable firewall
sudo ufw enable
4. Coolify Installation
System Prerequisites
Coolify requires Docker to be installed on the system. The automatic installer will handle this for us.
Automatic Installation
curl -fsSL https://cdn.coollabs.io/coolify/install.sh | sudo bash
Initial Setup
- Access your Coolify instance at:
http://your_ip:8000 - Create your admin account
- Configure the following settings:
- Custom domain name
- SSL activation with Let's Encrypt
- Backup configuration
Security Best Practices
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Configure regular backups
- Monitor logs regularly
- Keep the system updated
Maintenance
Updates
To update Coolify:
cd /data/coolify/source
sudo bash upgrade.sh
Backups
Configure automatic backups in the Coolify interface:
- Settings > Backups
- Configure frequency and retention
- Test restoration regularly
Conclusion
You now have a secure VPS server running Coolify, accessible via your custom domain name. Remember to:
- Regularly monitor security updates
- Maintain up-to-date backups
- Document your custom configurations
- Monitor resource usage
Additional Resources
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