Manual Docker Installation

This guide covers deploying Isekai Core on a barebone Linux VPS (Virtual Private Server) like Digital Ocean Droplet, Linode, Hetzner, or AWS EC2.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS recommended).
A domain name pointing to your server’s IP.
Docker Engine and Docker Compose installed.

Server Preparation

SSH into your server and install Docker:

# Update packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install Docker (Official Script)
curl -fsSL [https://get.docker.com](https://get.docker.com) -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

# Start Docker
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

Setup Project Files

You do not need to clone the entire repository. You only need the Docker Compose file and the Environment Variables file.

# Create directory
mkdir isekai-core && cd isekai-core

# Download production compose file
wget [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isekai-sh/isekai-core/main/docker-compose.yml](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isekai-sh/isekai-core/main/docker-compose.yml)

# Download env example
wget [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isekai-sh/isekai-core/main/.env.example](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isekai-sh/isekai-core/main/.env.example) -O .env

Configuration

Edit your environment variables:
Terminal window
```
nano .env
```
Start services:
Terminal window
```
docker compose up -d
```
Check logs to ensure everything is running:
Terminal window
```
docker compose logs -f
```

Reverse Proxy

By default, the app exposes ports 3000 (Frontend) and 4000 (Backend). Do not expose these directly to the internet via HTTP. Use a reverse proxy to handle HTTPS.

Option A: Caddy

Install Caddy:

sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https curl
curl -1sLf '[https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key](https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key)' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg
curl -1sLf '[https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt](https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt)' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install caddy

Create Caddyfile:
Terminal window
```
nano /etc/caddy/Caddyfile
```

Paste the following (adjust to your domain name):

example.com {
  reverse_proxy localhost:3000
}

api.example.com {
  reverse_proxy localhost:4000
}

Restart Caddy:
Terminal window
```
sudo systemctl restart caddy
```
Test deployment by visiting your domain.

Option B: Nginx + Certbot

Install Nginx:

sudo apt install nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Configure Nginx block:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/isekai

Paste the following configuration (replace example.com with your actual domain):

server {
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}
server {
    server_name api.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:4000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Enable the site and test the configuration:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/isekai /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t

Configure certbot
Terminal window
```
sudo certbot --nginx
```
Restart Nginx
Terminal window
```
sudo systemctl restart nginx
```
Test deployment by visiting your domain.