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What a production Etherpad VPS looks like
The reliable topology is:
Internet → firewall (80/443) → reverse proxy → Etherpad on 127.0.0.1:9001
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Etherpad normally listens on TCP port 9001. Bind that port to the VPS loopback address instead of exposing it directly to the Internet. The reverse proxy receives requests for your public hostname, terminates TLS, and forwards them to http://127.0.0.1:9001. This is the production pattern described in Etherpad’s deployment documentation.
- Allow inbound TCP 80 and 443 in the VPS firewall so HTTP validation and HTTPS traffic can reach the proxy.
- Do not publish the Etherpad or database ports to the public network.
- Point a DNS name such as
pad.example.comat the VPS address before requesting a certificate. - Forward WebSocket upgrade requests; otherwise collaboration can fall back to slow long-polling or fail.
Choose Docker or a source installation
| Decision | Official Docker image | Source installation |
|---|---|---|
| Repeatable deployment | Pin an image tag and recreate the container when changing versions. | Pin the Etherpad release and Node.js dependencies yourself. |
| Configuration | Most settings are supplied as environment variables. | Settings are maintained in the installation’s configuration files. |
| Plugin and runtime control | Convenient, but you work within the image’s runtime and build process. | More direct control over plugins, Node dependencies, and local changes. |
| Rollback | Re-deploy the previously tested image tag. | Restore the prior source revision and dependency set. |
| Operations | Container logs and compose or Docker commands provide a reproducible workflow. | You must define how the process starts, restarts, logs, and upgrades. |
Docker is usually the shortest path for a new VPS because the application runtime is packaged. A source install is reasonable when you need custom plugin development, a nonstandard build, or tighter control over dependencies. Do not choose based only on the initial install: your database backups, uploaded files, plugin-managed files, and rollback process matter more after the first day.
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Prepare the VPS before installing Etherpad
1. Use a supported Linux account and hostname
Create a non-root administrator account, apply operating-system updates, and use SSH keys where your provider supports them. Set a fully qualified hostname in DNS, for example pad.example.com, and wait for it to resolve to the VPS before enabling public HTTPS.
2. Configure the firewall
- Permit SSH only from the addresses or VPN through which you administer the server.
- Permit TCP 80 and 443 to the reverse proxy.
- Keep TCP 9001 closed externally; Etherpad should receive traffic from the proxy over loopback.
- Keep database ports closed externally as well. Etherpad’s database connection should stay on a private interface or an internal network.
3. Decide where data and secrets live
Before starting the service, identify persistent storage for the database and for uploaded or plugin-managed files. A container’s writable layer is not a backup. Store administrator credentials and database passwords in protected environment files, a secret manager, or your service manager’s secret mechanism. Restrict permissions so ordinary users cannot read them.
Install Etherpad with Docker
Use an official image and a pinned tag
The official image is published as etherpad/etherpad on Docker Hub and mirrored as ghcr.io/ether/etherpad. The Docker documentation displays tag 2.6.1; verify the current release before deploying because tags change. Pin a known tag in production rather than relying on an unqualified floating tag.
Run a local-only test container
A minimal test command from the Docker documentation is:
docker run --detach --publish <DESIRED_PORT>:9001 <YOUR_USERNAME>/etherpadThe FAQ also shows:
docker run -p 9001:9001 etherpad/etherpadFor a VPS that already has a proxy, bind the host side to loopback so the editor is not directly reachable:
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docker run --detach --name etherpad
--publish 127.0.0.1:9001:9001
etherpad/etherpad:2.6.1Open the editor through the proxy hostname, not through the VPS address and port 9001. If you are only testing locally, temporarily publishing port 9001 is acceptable, but remove that exposure before production.
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The image reads most settings from environment variables. The key names are:
PORT(defaults to9001)DB_TYPE,DB_HOST,DB_PORT,DB_NAME,DB_USER, andDB_PASSTRUST_PROXY
Configuration-variable substitution happens when Etherpad loads its configuration; it does not rewrite settings.json on disk. Treat an environment file as a secret: keep it outside public web directories, set restrictive permissions, and do not commit it to source control.
Choose a database deliberately
The image documents DirtyDB as the default fallback and lists SQLite as another file-backed option. Those defaults are useful for evaluation, but production data deserves a deliberate database choice and a tested restore procedure. If the database is on another private host, allow only the Etherpad server to reach its database port and use encrypted transport when your database setup supports it.
Mount persistent storage using the directory and volume guidance for the exact image tag you deploy. Keep the database, uploaded assets, and plugin-managed files in your backup scope. Test that a newly created pad survives container recreation before inviting users.
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Install Etherpad from source
Use the documented convenience installer carefully
The Etherpad FAQ documents this one-line Linux, macOS, and WSL installer:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ether/etherpad/master/bin/installer.sh | shPiping a remote script directly to a shell is convenient, but it gives the downloaded script execution privileges. For a production VPS, download it first, inspect what it will install and change, confirm the revision or release policy you intend to use, and then run it as the appropriate non-root account. Pin the Etherpad release and Node.js dependency set rather than silently tracking a moving branch.
Make the source process a service
After installation, run Etherpad under a service manager that can restart it after a crash and start it after a reboot. Keep its listening address on 127.0.0.1 and its port at 9001 unless you have a specific reason to change them. Send logs to a location with rotation and monitoring; do not rely on an interactive SSH session.
Source deployments need an explicit upgrade recipe: record the checked-out revision, dependency installation command, plugin versions, configuration files, service definition, and rollback revision. Back up data before changing the application or dependencies.
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Put NGINX, Caddy, or Traefik in front
Caddy: the smallest configuration
Caddy’s documented Etherpad example is:
pad.example.com {
reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:9001
}Caddy handles WebSocket proxying and certificate issuance automatically in this pattern. Confirm that DNS already points to the VPS and that ports 80 and 443 are reachable so certificate validation can complete.
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NGINX: forward the WebSocket upgrade
With NGINX, proxy the public hostname to http://127.0.0.1:9001 and explicitly pass the WebSocket headers. A minimal server block has the following shape:
server {
listen 80;
server_name pad.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:9001;
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;
}
}Use your normal certificate-management method to add the HTTPS listener, then redirect HTTP to HTTPS. The essential behavior is not the spelling of the proxy product; it is preserving the upgrade and connection headers and passing the forwarded request information.
Traefik: fit it to an existing container or cluster stack
Traefik is a practical choice when your VPS already uses Docker labels or a Kubernetes ingress workflow. Define a router for the Etherpad hostname and a service targeting the container’s port 9001, then enable your existing certificate resolver. Verify the generated route passes WebSockets; do not assume that a route which serves the login page is also carrying collaborative editing traffic correctly.
Compare the proxy choices
| Proxy | Certificate handling | WebSocket behavior | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caddy | Automatic certificate issuance in the documented example. | Handled by the reverse-proxy configuration shown. | A single VPS where you want minimal configuration. |
| NGINX | Use your chosen certificate automation or install certificates manually. | Requires explicit upgrade and connection forwarding. | Operators who already standardize on NGINX and need detailed request control. |
| Traefik | Certificate automation is integrated with its resolver model. | Configure and test the route in the same way as any other WebSocket service. | Existing Docker or Kubernetes environments with dynamic routing. |
Enable HTTPS and trust the proxy
Recommended: terminate TLS at the proxy
Let the reverse proxy handle the public certificate and send HTTP to Etherpad over loopback. In Etherpad, set trustProxy: true when the proxy terminates TLS. This allows Etherpad to trust X-Forwarded-* headers, record the client address correctly, and mark cookies as secure. Only enable this when Etherpad is reachable through a proxy you control; do not trust arbitrary forwarded headers from an exposed application port.
Alternative: native Etherpad HTTPS
Etherpad can also serve HTTPS itself. Add an ssl block to settings.json containing the private-key path, certificate path, and, when needed, an intermediate CA path. Restart Etherpad after editing. Native TLS can be useful when no reverse proxy is available, but the proxy-termination pattern keeps certificate renewal, redirects, and virtual-host routing in one place.
Hosting Etherpad under a path
If the public URL is a subpath such as https://example.com/pad rather than a dedicated hostname, configure the proxy to send X-Proxy-Path. Without that header, Etherpad can generate incorrect asset and API URLs. A dedicated hostname is usually simpler, but a subpath works when the proxy is configured consistently.
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What to back up
- The complete Etherpad database, not only configuration files.
- Uploaded assets and files created or managed by plugins.
- Environment files, service definitions, proxy configuration, and certificate-renewal settings.
- The exact Docker image tag or source revision used for the deployment.
Make backups restorable
Keep backups away from the VPS and encrypt them when they contain private pads. Record when each backup was made and how long it is retained. A backup is not proven until you restore it into an isolated test instance, start Etherpad with the same compatible application version, and confirm that existing pads open correctly.
Plan for a failed disk or container
If a container disappears, recreate it from the pinned image, reconnect the persistent storage, restore the database if necessary, and reapply the proxy settings. If the proxy fails, Etherpad may still be healthy on 127.0.0.1:9001; check each layer separately instead of changing the application configuration first.
Update Etherpad without losing pads
- Read the current Etherpad release notices and identify the target version or image tag.
- Export or snapshot the database and copy uploaded and plugin-managed files.
- Record the running image digest or source revision so you can return to it.
- Deploy the new image or source revision in a test or maintenance window.
- Check application logs, the proxy route, certificate status, and WebSocket negotiation.
- Create a new pad, open it in a second browser, edit from both sessions, and reconnect after briefly interrupting one network connection.
- Keep the previous image or source revision available until the new deployment has passed those checks.
The admin interface can notify you when a newer release is available. Docker-based updates use the documented pull and compose-update workflow, but an update is not complete until the data restore and collaboration tests succeed.
Troubleshoot the failures that matter
The page loads but edits do not appear in real time
Inspect the browser network panel and proxy logs for a WebSocket connection. Confirm that the proxy sends both Upgrade and Connection headers and that it uses HTTP/1.1 to the upstream. A page that renders successfully can still be using slow long-polling if the upgrade is missing.
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The proxy returns 502 or connection refused
- Check that the Etherpad process or container is running.
- Confirm it listens on
127.0.0.1:9001, not on a different port set byPORT. - From the VPS, test the upstream locally; do not test only the public hostname.
- Check whether the container was published to loopback on the host and whether the proxy runs in a separate network that needs a different upstream address.
Cookies, client addresses, or redirects are wrong
When TLS ends at the proxy, set trustProxy: true and pass the X-Forwarded-Proto, X-Forwarded-For, and host headers. Remove stale cookies after changing HTTP to HTTPS and verify that the proxy is not creating a redirect loop.
Assets or API calls break under /pad
Send X-Proxy-Path from the proxy and check that the externally visible path matches the path used by the browser. A dedicated hostname avoids this class of path-rewriting error.
Pads disappear after a restart
Check whether the database and application files are on persistent storage rather than the container’s temporary writable layer. Confirm the configured DB_TYPE and database connection variables, then restore a known backup in a separate instance before changing the live data.
Quick Recap
Production hardening checklist
- Use a dedicated DNS name and HTTPS for every user-facing instance.
- Expose only ports 80 and 443 publicly; keep 9001 and database ports private.
- Set
trustProxy: trueonly behind your controlled proxy. - Use a protected secret store or environment file for administrator and database credentials.
- Pin the Docker image tag or source revision.
- Back up the database and plugin-managed files on a schedule and test restoration.
- Monitor process health, disk space, database errors, certificate renewal, and proxy logs.
- After every proxy or Etherpad change, test a new pad, two-browser editing, and reconnection after a network interruption.
A practical first-day deployment sequence
- Register or choose a hostname and point its DNS record at the VPS.
- Update the Linux system, create an administrator account, and restrict SSH.
- Open firewall ports 80 and 443; leave 9001 and database ports closed to the Internet.
- Start a pinned
etherpad/etherpadcontainer bound to127.0.0.1:9001, or complete the source installation and run the service on that address. - Configure persistent storage, database variables, and protected secrets.
- Configure Caddy, NGINX, or Traefik for the hostname and verify WebSocket forwarding.
- Enable HTTPS at the proxy, then set
trustProxy: truein Etherpad’s configuration. - Create a pad, edit from two browsers, refresh, and test a reconnect.
- Take the first backup and perform a test restore before treating the instance as production.
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