Answer

Application256MB+ RAM

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Deploy Answer in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Answer

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Self-Deploy Guide

DIY Answer Deployment

Learn how to self-host Answer with this hands-on deployment guide.

Open a Terminal Connection

Start by opening a terminal window and connecting to your VPS via SSH.

terminal

# Connect to your VPS
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Or with a specific SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-key root@your-server-ip

First time? Docker required! Install it with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Create Application Directory

Create a dedicated space for your application deployment.

terminal

# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/answer
cd ~/apps/answer

Create Deployment Configuration

Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following configuration:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  answer:
    image: answerdev/answer:latest
    ports:
      - "9080:80"
    environment:
      - DB_TYPE=postgres
      - DB_HOST=db
      - DB_PORT=5432
      - DB_USER=answer
      - DB_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - DB_NAME=answer
    volumes:
      - answer_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=answer
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - POSTGRES_DB=answer
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U answer"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  answer_data:
  postgres_data:

Setup Variables

PORTHost port(default: 9080)

DB_PASSWORDDB password

Launch Your Application

Deploy the stack and monitor the startup process.

terminal

# Spin up containers
docker compose up -d

# Verify deployment
docker compose ps

# Check logs for errors
docker compose logs -f

Enable External Access

Set up firewall rules to permit incoming connections.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 9080/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:9080

Skip the Terminal

Skip the command line. Deploy visually.

Let Server Compass handle the complexity. Deploy Answer with a simple, intuitive interface.

Visual config editor
Instant deployment
Automatic HTTPS
Smooth updates
Live monitoring
Quick rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

After deploying Answer with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

Complete setup wizard

Create admin account

Configure categories

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Answer FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Answer

How do I deploy Answer with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Answer from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.

What are the system requirements for Answer?

Answer requires a minimum of 256MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 1024MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing Answer data?

Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Answer backup and restore procedures.

How do I update Answer to the latest version?

Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Answer image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.

Is Answer free to self-host?

Answer is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.