Discourse

Application2048MB+ RAM

Modern forum and community platform

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Deploy Discourse in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Discourse

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

CLI Deployment

Deploy Discourse Yourself

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

Establish SSH Connection

Connect to your remote server using SSH. Make sure you have your server credentials ready.

terminal

# Log into your server
ssh root@<your-server-ip>

# If using key-based auth
ssh -i ~/.ssh/my-key root@<your-server-ip>

First time? Docker not installed? Run: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Create Project Directory

Set up a directory to store your Docker configuration.

terminal

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

Configure Docker Compose

Add this configuration to your docker-compose.yml file:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  discourse:
    image: bitnami/discourse:latest
    ports:
      - "80:3000"
    environment:
      - DISCOURSE_HOST=<your-discourse-host>
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_HOST=postgresql
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_NAME=discourse
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_USER=discourse
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - DISCOURSE_REDIS_HOST=redis
      - DISCOURSE_USERNAME=admin
      - DISCOURSE_PASSWORD=<your-admin-password>
      - DISCOURSE_EMAIL=<your-admin-email>
    volumes:
      - discourse_data:/bitnami/discourse
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - postgresql
      - redis

  sidekiq:
    image: bitnami/discourse:latest
    command: /opt/bitnami/scripts/discourse-sidekiq/run.sh
    environment:
      - DISCOURSE_HOST=<your-discourse-host>
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_HOST=postgresql
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_NAME=discourse
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_USER=discourse
      - DISCOURSE_DATABASE_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - DISCOURSE_REDIS_HOST=redis
    volumes:
      - discourse_data:/bitnami/discourse
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - discourse

  postgresql:
    image: bitnami/postgresql:16
    environment:
      - POSTGRESQL_USERNAME=discourse
      - POSTGRESQL_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
      - POSTGRESQL_DATABASE=discourse
    volumes:
      - postgresql_data:/bitnami/postgresql
    restart: unless-stopped

  redis:
    image: bitnami/redis:7.2
    environment:
      - ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD=yes
    volumes:
      - redis_data:/bitnami/redis
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  discourse_data:
  postgresql_data:
  redis_data:

Required Settings

PORTHost port(default: 80)

DISCOURSE_HOSTHostname

ADMIN_USERAdmin user(default: admin)

ADMIN_PASSWORDAdmin password

ADMIN_EMAILAdmin email

DB_PASSWORDDB password

Start the Services

Execute the deployment and check the container status.

terminal

# Deploy the application
docker compose up -d

# Check container health
docker compose ps

# Monitor logs
docker compose logs -f --tail=100

Allow Incoming Connections

Enable network access by updating your firewall rules.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:80

Skip the Terminal

Too complicated? Let Server Compass handle it.

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

Intuitive dashboard
Deploy in 3 minutes
Free SSL included
Blue-green deploys
Real-time logs
Version history

Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license

After Deployment

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

Wait for app to start (requires working SMTP)

Create admin account on first visit

Configure site settings

Invite users

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

Discourse FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting Discourse

How do I deploy Discourse with Server Compass?

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

Discourse requires a minimum of 2048MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 4096MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.

Can I migrate my existing Discourse data?

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

How do I update Discourse to the latest version?

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

Is Discourse free to self-host?

Discourse 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.