Dockge Deployment Guide

What is Dockge?

Dockge (pronounced "dockee") is an open-source project created by Louis Lam, the developer behind Uptime Kuma. It provides an elegant solution for managing Docker Compose stacks through a modern web interface.

Key Advantages

• Compose-native approach
• Real-time terminal output
• Interactive editor with syntax highlighting
• Lightweight footprint
• Agent support for multiple hosts

vs Portainer

• Works with standard compose.yaml files
• No proprietary formats
• Simpler interface focused on Compose
• Lower resource consumption
• Full compose file visibility

Prerequisites

Before beginning, ensure you have:

Server Requirements

• RamNode VPS with 1GB+ RAM
• Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS
• Root or sudo access
• Domain name (optional, for SSL)

→ View Recommended VPS Plans

Required Ports

• 22/TCP: SSH access
• 5001/TCP: Dockge web UI
• 80/TCP: HTTP (for SSL)
• 443/TCP: HTTPS (for SSL)

Update System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Docker

Dockge requires Docker and Docker Compose. Install Docker using the official repository:

Install Dependencies & Add Docker Repository

# Install required dependencies
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

# Add Docker's official GPG key
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

# Add the Docker repository
echo \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Install Docker Engine

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Verify & Enable Docker

docker --version
docker compose version

sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

Create Directory Structure

Dockge requires two directories: one for its own data and another for your stacks.

Create Directories

sudo mkdir -p /opt/dockge/data
sudo mkdir -p /opt/stacks

Deploy Dockge

Navigate to the Dockge directory and create the compose file:

Navigate to Dockge Directory

cd /opt/dockge

Create compose.yaml

sudo nano compose.yaml

/opt/dockge/compose.yaml

version: "3.8"
services:
  dockge:
    image: louislam/dockge:1
    container_name: dockge
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "5001:5001"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - ./data:/app/data
      - /opt/stacks:/opt/stacks
    environment:
      - DOCKGE_STACKS_DIR=/opt/stacks

Start Dockge

sudo docker compose up -d

✅ Success! Dockge is now running. Access it at http://YOUR_VPS_IP:5001

Initial Setup

Access the Dockge web interface at http://YOUR_VPS_IP:5001

First-Time Configuration

1. Open your browser and navigate to your Dockge URL
2. Create an admin account with a strong password
3. Store your credentials securely
4. You're now ready to manage Docker stacks!

💡 Tip: Use a password manager to generate and store a complex password with at least 16 characters.

Configure Firewall

If you're using UFW, allow access to Dockge:

Configure UFW

# Allow SSH (if not already enabled)
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp

# Allow Dockge web interface
sudo ufw allow 5001/tcp

# Enable firewall if not already active
sudo ufw enable

# Check status
sudo ufw status

For production environments, restrict access to specific IP addresses:

Restrict Access to Specific IP

# Allow only your IP to access Dockge
sudo ufw allow from YOUR_IP_ADDRESS to any port 5001

Set Up Reverse Proxy with SSL

For production deployments, run Dockge behind a reverse proxy with SSL:

Install Nginx and Certbot

sudo apt install -y nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Create Nginx Configuration

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/dockge

/etc/nginx/sites-available/dockge

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name dockge.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5001;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_read_timeout 86400;
    }
}

Enable Site & Get SSL Certificate

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/dockge /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

# Obtain SSL certificate
sudo certbot --nginx -d dockge.yourdomain.com

Update Dockge to Listen on Localhost Only

Update compose.yaml ports

ports:
  - "127.0.0.1:5001:5001"

Restart Dockge & Update Firewall

cd /opt/dockge
sudo docker compose down
sudo docker compose up -d

# Update firewall
sudo ufw delete allow 5001/tcp
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp

Deploy Your First Stack

With Dockge running, deploy containerized applications through the web interface:

Quick Start

1. Click + Compose in the Dockge dashboard
2. Enter a name for your stack (e.g., nginx-demo)
3. Paste or write your compose configuration
4. Click Deploy

Example Stack: Nginx Demo

version: "3.8"
services:
  nginx:
    image: nginx:alpine
    container_name: nginx-demo
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./html:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro

Dockge will create the stack directory in /opt/stacks/nginx-demo/ and manage the compose file for you.

Managing Stacks

Dockge provides several management features through its web interface:

Start/Stop/Restart

Control stack lifecycle with one click

Logs

View real-time container logs with search

Terminal

Access container shells directly in browser

Edit

Modify compose files with syntax highlighting

Update

Pull latest images and recreate containers

Delete

Remove stacks and optionally their data

Backup Strategy

Implement regular backups for your Dockge installation:

Create Backup Script

sudo nano /opt/dockge/backup.sh

/opt/dockge/backup.sh

#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/root/backups/dockge"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Backup Dockge data
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/dockge-data-$DATE.tar.gz -C /opt/dockge data

# Backup all stacks
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/stacks-$DATE.tar.gz -C /opt stacks

# Keep only last 7 days of backups
find $BACKUP_DIR -type f -mtime +7 -delete

echo "Backup completed: $DATE"

Enable Daily Backups

sudo chmod +x /opt/dockge/backup.sh

# Add to crontab for daily backups at 2 AM
(crontab -l 2>/dev/null; echo "0 2 * * * /opt/dockge/backup.sh") | crontab -

Security Best Practices

Recommendations

✅ Use strong passwords: At least 16 characters
✅ Enable 2FA: When available in future versions
✅ Restrict network access: Use firewall rules to limit access
✅ Keep software updated: Regularly update Dockge, Docker, and OS
✅ Use SSL/TLS: Always access Dockge over HTTPS in production
✅ Monitor logs: Check Dockge and Docker logs for suspicious activity
✅ Limit Docker socket exposure: Be aware that Dockge has full Docker access

Updating Dockge

To update Dockge to the latest version:

Update Dockge

cd /opt/dockge
sudo docker compose pull
sudo docker compose up -d

💡 Tip: Check the Dockge GitHub repository for release notes before updating to review any breaking changes.

Troubleshooting

Dockge Won't Start

Check the container logs:

Check Logs

sudo docker logs dockge

Common issues: permission problems or port conflicts.

Cannot Connect to Web Interface

Verify container is running and check firewall:

Check Status

sudo docker ps
sudo ufw status

Stacks Not Appearing

Ensure the stacks directory is correctly mounted:

Check Stacks Directory

ls -la /opt/stacks

WebSocket Connection Issues

If using a reverse proxy, ensure WebSocket upgrade headers are properly configured and proxy timeouts are sufficient.

🎉 Congratulations!

Dockge is now managing your Docker Compose stacks on your RamNode VPS. Enjoy the convenience of a modern web interface while retaining full control over your container configurations.