PicoShare

Infrastructure64MB+ RAM

Minimalist file sharing service

Download Server Compass View Documentation

filessharingminimal

Deploy PicoShare in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select PicoShare

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Do It Yourself

Deploy PicoShare via Command Line

Prefer the command line? Follow this step-by-step guide to deploy PicoShare manually on your VPS.

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_IP

First time? Ensure Docker is installed first: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Set Up Your App Folder

Create a dedicated folder for your application files.

terminal

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

Set Up Docker Compose

Create the following docker-compose.yml in your project directory:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  picoshare:
    image: mtlynch/picoshare:latest
    ports:
      - "4001:4001"
    environment:
      - PS_SHARED_SECRET=<your-shared-secret>
    volumes:
      - picoshare_data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  picoshare_data:

Configuration Variables

PORTHost port(default: 4001)

SHARED_SECRETShared secret

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 --follow

Open the Application Port

Configure UFW to allow traffic to your application.

terminal

# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 4001/tcp
sudo ufw reload

# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:4001

Skip the Terminal

Make it simple with Server Compass.

Deploy PicoShare with a beautiful UI instead. No SSH, no YAML editing, no terminal commands. Just click, configure, and deploy in under 3 minutes.

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 PicoShare with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup

Access with shared secret

Upload files

Share links

Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.

PicoShare FAQ

Common questions about self-hosting PicoShare

How do I deploy PicoShare with Server Compass?

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

PicoShare requires a minimum of 64MB 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 PicoShare data?

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

How do I update PicoShare to the latest version?

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

Is PicoShare free to self-host?

PicoShare 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.