1
Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select the tutorial-vps VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
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Apache Guacamole
Development512MB+ RAM
Clientless remote desktop gateway
remote-desktopgatewayvncrdp
Deploy Apache Guacamole in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Apache Guacamole
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Apache Guacamole on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Apache Guacamole template in Server Compass to deploy a clientless remote desktop gateway on your VPS, initialize the database schema, then verify the Guacamole login screen in a browser.
About 10 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.
3
Step 3Search for Apache Guacamole
Use the template picker search to find Apache Guacamole in the Server Compass template catalog.
4
Step 4Select the Apache Guacamole template
Choose the Apache Guacamole template. Server Compass fills the Guacamole web service, guacd service, MySQL service, persistent database volume, and web port.
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Step 5Review the Apache Guacamole settings
Confirm the app name and compose services. In this run, the app was named guacamole-demo and used host port 3001.
6
Step 6Deploy Apache Guacamole
Review the generated compose settings, confirm the web port is available, keep the generated database secrets hidden, 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 Guacamole, guacd, and MySQL images, starts the containers, and verifies the stack.
8
Step 8Confirm Apache Guacamole is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Apache Guacamole app is marked Running with its application URL available.
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Step 9Initialize the database and open Apache Guacamole
Initialize the Guacamole MySQL schema, restart the Guacamole container, then open the `/guacamole/` application URL in a browser. The login screen confirms the gateway is reachable.
After Apache Guacamole Opens
- Initialize the MySQL schema before first login if the template did not already do it for you.
- Log in with the default Guacamole administrator account, then immediately change or replace the default credentials.
- Add a domain and HTTPS before exposing browser-based remote desktop access publicly.
- Create named users and least-privilege RDP, VNC, SSH, or Kubernetes connections instead of sharing admin access.
- Back up the MySQL data volume before relying on Guacamole for production access.
Verified Result
The Apache Guacamole login screen loaded successfully in a browser after initializing the database schema.
Apache Guacamole deployment questions
What does the Apache Guacamole template deploy?
It deploys the Apache Guacamole web container, guacd proxy daemon, and a MySQL database with a persistent data volume.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 3001, which maps to the Apache Guacamole web UI on container port 8080.
Why does the browser verification stop at the first web UI screen?
A fresh Apache Guacamole deployment is considered reachable when the login screen loads. Creating remote desktop connections depends on your own hosts and access policies.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Apache Guacamole template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Terminal Deployment
Apache Guacamole CLI Deployment
Deploy Apache Guacamole the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.
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Connect to Your Remote Server
Begin by establishing a secure connection to your server through the terminal.
terminal
# Access your VPS
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
# With SSH key authentication
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-private-key root@YOUR_SERVER_IPFirst time? Ensure Docker is installed first: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Set Up Your App Folder
Create a dedicated folder for your application files.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/guacamole
cd ~/apps/guacamole3
Set Up Docker Compose
Create the following docker-compose.yml in your project directory:
docker-compose.yml
services:
guacamole:
image: guacamole/guacamole:latest
ports:
- "8080:8080"
environment:
- GUACD_HOSTNAME=guacd
- MYSQL_HOSTNAME=db
- MYSQL_DATABASE=guacamole
- MYSQL_USER=guacamole
- MYSQL_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
- guacd
- db
guacd:
image: guacamole/guacd:latest
restart: unless-stopped
db:
image: mysql:8.0
environment:
- MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
- MYSQL_DATABASE=guacamole
- MYSQL_USER=guacamole
- MYSQL_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
volumes:
- mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
mysql_data:
Deployment Settings
PORTHost port(default: 8080)DB_PASSWORDDB passwordDB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password4
Spin Up the Stack
Run Docker Compose to launch your application.
terminal
# Launch the stack
docker compose up -d
# Verify container status
docker compose ps
# Follow the logs
docker compose logs --follow5
Open the Application Port
Configure UFW to allow traffic to your application.
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
Make it simple with Server Compass.
Server Compass makes deploying Apache Guacamole effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.
- No terminal required
- Point-and-click setup
- Auto SSL certificates
- Rolling deployments
- Health monitoring
- Instant rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Apache Guacamole with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
1
Initialize database schema
2
Login and change password
3
Configure connections
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Apache Guacamole FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Apache Guacamole
How do I deploy Apache Guacamole with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Apache Guacamole 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 Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole requires a minimum of 512MB 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 Apache Guacamole data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Apache Guacamole backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Apache Guacamole to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Apache Guacamole image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Apache Guacamole free to self-host?
Apache Guacamole 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.
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