BookStack

Application256MB+ RAM

Simple wiki and documentation platform

Download Server Compass View Documentation

wikidocumentationknowledge-base

Deploy BookStack in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select BookStack

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

CLI Deployment

Deploy BookStack Yourself

Want full control? Here's how to deploy BookStack yourself using Docker Compose.

Log into Your Server

Access your server's command line by opening a terminal and running the SSH command below.

terminal

# SSH into your server
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Using a custom SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@your-server-ip

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

Prepare the Install Location

Set up the folder structure for your Docker deployment.

terminal

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

Create docker-compose.yml

Set up your Docker Compose file with this configuration:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  bookstack:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/bookstack:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - APP_URL=<your-app-url>
      - DB_HOST=db
      - DB_DATABASE=bookstack
      - DB_USERNAME=bookstack
      - DB_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - bookstack_config:/config
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=bookstack
      - MYSQL_USER=bookstack
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
    volumes:
      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  bookstack_config:
  mysql_data:

Required Settings

PORTHost port(default: 8080)

APP_URLApp URL

DB_PASSWORDDB password

DB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password

Run the Deployment

Start all services defined in your compose file.

terminal

# Start the containers in detached mode
docker compose up -d

# Check if containers are running
docker compose ps

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

Configure Network Access

Open the port so you can access the application externally.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:8080

Skip the Terminal

Want one-click deploys? Try Server Compass.

Skip the terminal and deploy BookStack with a visual interface. Configure everything with clicks, not commands.

Visual configuration UI
One-click deployment
Automatic SSL setup
Zero-downtime updates
Built-in monitoring
One-click rollbacks

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

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

Change admin password

Create shelves, books, and pages

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

BookStack FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting BookStack

How do I deploy BookStack with Server Compass?

Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select BookStack 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 BookStack?

BookStack 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 BookStack data?

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

How do I update BookStack to the latest version?

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

Is BookStack free to self-host?

BookStack 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.