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The supported self-hosting route is to run OpenArchiver’s Docker Compose stack on a VPS, configure its secrets and persistent storage, start the containers, and complete the administrator setup at /setup. The default deployment includes the web interface, API, PostgreSQL, Redis-compatible queue services, and Meilisearch; your public URL, storage choice, backup plan, and mailbox volume determine how large and how carefully hardened the server must be.
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What you need before installing
OpenArchiver’s documented deployment target is a server or local machine with Docker, Docker Compose, and Git. A single-server installation should have at least 4 GB of RAM. The installation guide says 2 GB can be sufficient when PostgreSQL, Redis or Valkey, and Meilisearch run as external services instead of on the VPS. That lower figure is a special architecture choice, not a universal minimum.
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| Requirement | What to prepare | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Docker Engine | A current Docker installation on the VPS | Runs the application and supporting containers. |
| Docker Compose | The Compose plugin or other installation supported by your Docker package | Creates and manages the complete stack from the repository’s Compose file. |
| Git | Git installed and able to reach the repository | Downloads the project and later retrieves releases. |
| Memory | At least 4 GB for the bundled stack; 2 GB may work with the three data services external | PostgreSQL, the Redis-compatible queue, Meilisearch, the API, and the frontend share resources in the default arrangement. |
| Persistent disk | Capacity sized for messages, attachments, indexes, database data, and backups | Email archives and search data must survive container replacement. |
| Network identity | A stable VPS address and a hostname if you will publish the service through a reverse proxy | The application URL settings must match the address users actually open. |
There is no single official CPU, disk, or bandwidth formula. Plan those resources from the number of mailboxes, attachment volume, indexing concurrency, retention period, and backup policy. A small personal archive and a multi-mailbox compliance archive can have very different requirements even when both satisfy the memory baseline.
Understand the stack and choose an architecture
The repository describes a SvelteKit frontend, a Node.js/Express/TypeScript backend, BullMQ queues on Redis-compatible infrastructure, Meilisearch, PostgreSQL, and Docker Compose deployment. The default Compose project brings the application and its supporting services together, which is the simplest VPS layout.
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| Deployment choice | Advantages | Costs and responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled PostgreSQL, Redis/Valkey, and Meilisearch | One Compose project, fewer external dependencies, straightforward installation | More RAM and disk pressure on the VPS; you must back up the local data services. |
| External PostgreSQL, Redis/Valkey, and Meilisearch | Can reduce the application server’s memory requirement and separate operational concerns | External endpoints, credentials, network access, upgrades, and backups must be managed independently. |
Choose storage before you start ingesting mail. The default Compose setup uses local filesystem storage. You can instead use an S3-compatible service by changing the storage type and supplying the provider’s connection details.
| Storage arrangement | Configuration | Operational implication |
|---|---|---|
| Local filesystem | Set STORAGE_TYPE for local use and point STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT_PATH at the prepared directory |
Files reside on VPS-attached storage; disk capacity, permissions, snapshots, and off-server copies are your responsibility. |
| S3-compatible storage | Set STORAGE_TYPE=s3 and provide endpoint, bucket, access key, secret key, region, and any required path-style setting |
Archive objects live outside the VPS, but bucket access, retention, costs, and provider availability become dependencies. |
| Named Docker volume | Use the volume created by Compose, including the documented archiver-data volume where applicable |
Docker manages the mount location; inspect and back up the volume deliberately rather than assuming it is a normal host directory. |
| Bind mount | Change the Compose configuration to map a host directory directly | The files are visible at a predictable path, but host permissions and mount changes must be maintained carefully. |
Prepare the VPS before exposing OpenArchiver
Provision the machine and hostname
Choose a Linux VPS that meets the memory baseline for your selected architecture and has enough disk for the archive plus at least one independent backup copy. Point a DNS name at the VPS if you want a stable public address. If a reverse proxy will terminate HTTPS, decide that external URL now; it is the value that must be reflected in OpenArchiver’s URL settings.
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Install Docker Engine, Docker Compose, and Git using the package instructions for your Linux distribution. Verify that the account which will run the project can invoke Docker without errors. If Docker requires elevated privileges on your system, use the appropriate administrative method consistently; mixing users can create files that the application cannot later write.
Apply basic network hardening
Use HTTPS for any publicly reachable instance, restrict SSH to the administrators who need it, and avoid publishing PostgreSQL, Redis/Valkey, or Meilisearch directly to the internet. If you test the default web interface directly, the documented frontend port is 3000. In a production arrangement, expose only the reverse proxy’s public listener and keep internal service ports on the private Docker network.
Download the project and create its environment file
Clone the official repository and enter its directory:
git clone https://github.com/LogicLabs-OU/OpenArchiver.git
cd OpenArchiverThe repository is also available at https://github.com/LogicLabs-OU/OpenArchiver.git. Create your private environment file from the supplied example:
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cp .env.example .envKeep .env out of public repositories and general-purpose file shares. It contains database, queue, search, token, encryption, URL, and storage settings that collectively control access to the instance.
Configure persistent storage first
Local filesystem storage
If you will store mail and attachments on the VPS, create the directory before starting Compose. The installation guide uses /var/data/open-archiver as an example:
sudo mkdir -p /var/data/open-archiverSet ownership and permissions so the OpenArchiver containers can write to that directory. Use the UID and GID expected by the project’s Compose configuration rather than guessing a host account, and verify the result with a small write test after the stack starts. Point STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT_PATH in .env to the same absolute path.
S3-compatible storage
For object storage, set STORAGE_TYPE=s3 and fill in the endpoint, bucket, access key, secret key, region, and the provider’s path-style option when required. Confirm that the bucket policy permits the operations OpenArchiver needs, but do not make the bucket public. Treat the access key as a production secret and rotate it according to your organization’s policy.
Know where each volume lives
A named Docker volume and a bind mount are not interchangeable during backup or migration. The Compose project can create a named archiver-data volume; inspect it with Docker’s volume tools and include it in your backup plan. If you prefer a directly visible host directory, change the Compose volume mapping to a bind mount before importing mail, then verify that the container can read and write the new path.
Replace every secret in .env
Do not expose the installation with the sample credentials. The documented production settings include these values:
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| Setting | Action |
|---|---|
POSTGRES_PASSWORD |
Choose a unique database password. |
REDIS_PASSWORD |
Choose a unique password for Redis or Valkey access. |
MEILI_MASTER_KEY |
Replace the sample Meilisearch master key with a high-entropy secret. |
JWT_SECRET |
Set a long, unique signing secret; changing it later can invalidate existing sessions or tokens. |
ENCRYPTION_KEY |
Provide a 32-byte hexadecimal key. |
STORAGE_ENCRYPTION_KEY |
Optional but recommended for encrypting email and attachment files at rest. |
APP_URL and ORIGIN |
Set both to the public URL users and callbacks will use. |
Generate the required encryption material with OpenSSL:
openssl rand -hex 32Copy the resulting 64 hexadecimal characters into the relevant key setting. Keep a protected record of the secrets; losing an encryption key can make encrypted data unusable even when the files themselves still exist.
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Match the public URL and ports
The documented defaults use backend port 4000 and frontend port 3000. Those internal values can remain behind a reverse proxy, but APP_URL and ORIGIN must describe the externally visible scheme, hostname, and path. If the browser reaches OpenArchiver at an HTTPS hostname while the environment says HTTP or names a different host, redirects, cookies, or setup requests can fail.
Start the Compose stack
From the repository directory, start the services in detached mode:
docker compose up -dCompose pulls the required images, starts the frontend, backend, database, queue, and search services, and creates persistent volumes defined by the project. Check container state before opening the site:
docker compose psAll required services should remain running rather than repeatedly restarting. If one is unhealthy, inspect its recent output with the Compose logs command and correct the environment, permissions, or resource issue before attempting the browser setup.
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Complete the first administrator setup
Open the configured public URL in a browser after the containers are healthy. In the default arrangement, the web interface is documented on port 3000. The first visitor is redirected to /setup, where you create the administrator account.
- Open the public URL, including the correct HTTPS scheme and port if you are not using a reverse proxy.
- Follow the
/setupform to create the initial administrator. - Sign in and confirm that the dashboard loads without redirect or API errors.
- Only after this account exists, decide which additional users, mail sources, and network access the instance needs.
Do not share the URL while the setup page is still available to unauthenticated visitors. Once administration is complete, keep the account credentials in your organization’s password manager and protect the management interface with the same HTTPS and access controls as the archive.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Connect mail sources and begin indexing
Mail ingestion is configured after deployment and administrator creation. The official documentation lists these source types:
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- Microsoft 365
- Generic IMAP
- PST import
- EML import
Choose the source that matches your mail system, supply only the permissions required for archive access, and perform a small test import before scheduling a large mailbox migration. OpenArchiver provides full-text indexing across messages and attachments, so attachment-heavy archives consume both storage and search resources. Confirm that imported messages, attachment content, dates, and folders appear as expected before deleting or moving the original mail.
Design backups before the archive grows
Back up the database and the archive storage together. A database-only copy can lose message files; a file-only copy can lose metadata, users, and search configuration. Include every persistent Docker volume used by the Compose project and document whether archive files are in the named archiver-data volume, a bind mount, or an S3-compatible bucket.
A community project named openarchiver-backup documents an optional restic Docker Compose sidecar. It can target S3, SFTP/Storage Box, or local disk and requires the OpenArchiver project directory, storage path, and database/search volume names. It is not an official OpenArchiver component, so review its Compose file, credentials handling, retention settings, and restore procedure before relying on it.
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Test restoration, not only backup creation
- Record the exact Compose project directory and environment-file location.
- Record the storage path or bucket and every database, search, and archive volume name.
- Keep at least one backup copy outside the VPS.
- Encrypt backup destinations and credentials.
- Periodically restore into an isolated Compose project and verify login, message retrieval, and attachment access.
Update OpenArchiver safely
The documented upgrade sequence is:
git pull
docker compose pull
docker compose up -dRead the release notes before running it, especially when changing storage, database, or authentication settings. Database migrations are applied automatically when the application starts. Keep a tested backup of the database and archive storage before each upgrade so you can recover from an incompatible image, failed migration, or accidental configuration change.
After the containers return to a healthy state, sign in and test a representative message search, an attachment download, and any active ingestion source. Do not remove old volumes merely to “clean up” an upgrade; a volume is where persistent data may reside.
Troubleshoot the failures that matter most
The browser cannot connect
- Run
docker compose psand check whether the frontend and backend are running or restarting. - Confirm that you are opening the configured public URL and the documented default frontend port, 3000, when connecting directly.
- Check the VPS firewall, reverse-proxy listener, DNS record, and TLS certificate.
- Review Compose logs for a service that exited during startup.
Redirects, cookies, or setup requests fail
Compare APP_URL and ORIGIN with the exact URL in the browser, including HTTPS, hostname, and any non-default port. Correct the values, recreate the affected containers, and test in a fresh browser session.
The application cannot write archive files
Check that STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT_PATH is the directory actually mounted into the container, that the host directory exists, and that its ownership permits the container’s runtime UID/GID to write. A bind mount moved during an edit can look like an empty archive even though the original volume still contains data.
The VPS runs out of memory
Check whether PostgreSQL, Redis/Valkey, and Meilisearch are all bundled on the same machine. Move those services to managed or separately sized infrastructure, reduce concurrent ingestion, or choose a larger VPS. The 2 GB figure applies only to the external-services arrangement described in the installation guidance.
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Inspect the Compose volume mappings and confirm that the project is using the intended named volume or bind mount. Recreating containers should not be treated as a backup operation. Restore the correct volume or bucket from a tested backup if the wrong storage target was used.
Choose the right operating model
The open-source self-hosted edition is free according to OpenArchiver’s official pricing information. Enterprise is a separate commercial, per-seat edition with additional compliance and governance features. Choose self-hosting when you can operate Docker, secrets, storage, updates, monitoring, and backups; evaluate the commercial edition separately when governance requirements outweigh control of the underlying VPS.
For most personal and small-team deployments, the bundled Compose stack, local encrypted storage, an off-server backup, and a reverse proxy provide the least complicated starting point. External data services and S3-compatible storage become more attractive when archive growth, availability requirements, or memory pressure justify splitting responsibilities across systems.
Quick Recap
Launch checklist
- Docker Engine, Docker Compose, and Git are installed and working.
- The VPS meets the memory baseline for the selected architecture and has planned disk capacity.
- The repository was cloned and
.envwas created from.env.example. - Every placeholder credential was replaced, including the 32-byte hexadecimal
ENCRYPTION_KEY. - Local storage exists with container-writable permissions, or all S3 settings have been tested.
APP_URLandORIGINmatch the public URL.docker compose up -dcompleted and the services remain healthy.- The administrator was created at
/setupbefore the URL was shared. - A test mailbox import, message search, and attachment retrieval succeeded.
- Database, archive, and search data are included in an off-server backup that has been restored at least once.
- Release notes and a tested backup are part of every update using
git pull,docker compose pull, anddocker compose up -d.
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