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Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select your VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
Back to all templates
BookStack
Application256MB+ RAM
Simple wiki and documentation platform
wikidocumentationknowledge-base
Deploy BookStack in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select BookStack
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy BookStack on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the BookStack template in Server Compass to deploy a self-hosted simple wiki and documentation platform on your VPS, then verify the BookStack login screen in a browser.
About 7 minutesBrowser verified
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Step 2Choose an app template
Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.
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Step 3Search for BookStack
Use the template picker search to find BookStack in the Server Compass template catalog.
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Step 4Select the BookStack template
Choose the BookStack template. Server Compass fills the BookStack image, MySQL service, persistent site volumes, database settings, and required secret value.
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Step 5Review the BookStack settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named bookstack-demo and used host port 8081.
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Step 6Deploy BookStack
Review the generated environment values, keep the database password masked, confirm the port is available, and click Deploy Now.
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Step 7Watch the deployment progress
Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the BookStack and MySQL images, starts the containers, and verifies the stack.
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Step 8Confirm BookStack is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the BookStack app is marked Running with its application URL available.
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Step 9Open BookStack in the browser
Click Open Application or open the application URL in a browser. The BookStack login screen confirms the deployed app is reachable and ready for first sign-in.
After BookStack Opens
- Log in with the default BookStack credentials, then change the admin password immediately.
- Keep the database password masked in screenshots and docs.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before inviting users or publishing content publicly.
- Create roles and permissions before publishing editorial workflows.
- Back up both the BookStack application volume and the MySQL data volume before storing production content.
Verified Result
The BookStack app loaded successfully in a browser and displayed the login screen.
BookStack deployment questions
What does the BookStack template deploy?
It deploys BookStack with a MySQL 8.0 database and persistent application and database volumes.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 8081, which maps to the BookStack Apache web server on container port 80.
Why does the browser verification stop at the login screen?
A fresh BookStack deployment is considered reachable when the login screen loads. Logging in would expose session state and default credentials in the capture flow, so the public guide verifies the safe pre-login screen.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the BookStack template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
CLI Deployment
Deploy BookStack Yourself
Want full control? Here's how to deploy BookStack yourself using Docker Compose.
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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-ipFirst time? Need Docker? Install it: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
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/bookstack3
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 URLDB_PASSWORDDB passwordDB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password4
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 -f5
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:8080Skip 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
1
Log in with default credentials
2
Change admin password
3
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.
Ready to Self-Host BookStack?
Download Server Compass and deploy BookStack to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
Download Server Compass