docker · Sep 29, 2026
How to run several self-hosted apps on one server safely
A plain-English guide to running multiple Docker apps on one server without port conflicts, broken HTTPS, messy data, or one app taking everything down.
Server Manager blog
The Journal
Guides and stories about running your own server — without living in the terminal.
Best Apps to Self-Host in 2026 (and Where to Start)
A plain-English guide to the self-hosted apps that are worth your time in 2026, and the safest order to try them.
Self-hosting email: what's realistic and what isn't
A plain-English look at what you can safely self-host with email, where delivery gets painful, and what to avoid.
How to Self-Host Mattermost (Slack Alternative)
A plain-English guide to what Mattermost needs, what can break, and how to keep your self-hosted team chat understandable over time.
How to self-host Supabase for your app's backend
A plain-English guide to what self-hosting Supabase means, what you need, and where the sharp edges are before you use it for an app backend.
Moving a Docker Compose Stack to a New Server
A plain-English guide to moving a Docker Compose app to a new server without losing data, breaking domains, or forgetting how it was wired together.
How to Self-Host Plausible Analytics, a Google Analytics Alternative
A plain-English guide to what it takes to self-host Plausible Analytics, what can break, and how to keep the setup understandable over time.
How to migrate from Fly.io to your own VPS
A plain-English migration path from Fly.io to your own server, with the risks, order of work, and downtime traps made clear.
How to Move VPS to Another Provider Without Breaking Your Server
A plain-English migration plan for moving your server to another provider without losing files, domains, HTTPS, or your sanity.
How to migrate a Netlify site to a VPS
Move a Netlify site to your own server without losing domains, HTTPS, redirects, or the parts Netlify was quietly handling for you.
Shared Hosting to VPS Migration: How to Move Without Breaking Your Site
A plain-English migration plan for moving from shared hosting to your own server with less downtime, fewer surprises, and a cleaner setup.
How to migrate a database (Postgres/MySQL) to your own VPS
A plain-English guide to moving a Postgres or MySQL database to your own server without losing data, breaking your app, or making the setup impossible to understand later.
Reaching private services safely with an SSH tunnel
Use an SSH tunnel to access a private service without exposing that service to the public internet.
How to Check Your SSL Certificate Is Working From Outside
A plain-English way to confirm your HTTPS certificate works for real visitors, not just on your own machine.
Server Hacked? What to Do First
A plain-English first-response plan for containing a hacked server, preserving what matters, and getting back online safely.
How to Check Running Processes on a Linux Server
A plain-English guide to seeing what is running on your server, what is using CPU or memory, and what to do when something looks suspicious.
Is Self-Hosting Safe? An Honest Risk Breakdown
Self-hosting can be safe if you understand the main risks: exposed services, weak updates, broken HTTPS, missing backups, and forgotten setup details.
How to Close Open Ports on Linux You Don’t Need
A plain-English guide to finding open Linux ports, deciding what should stay reachable, and closing the rest safely.
How to Upload Files to a VPS: scp, sftp, and rsync
A plain-English guide to choosing scp, sftp, or rsync when moving files from your computer to your server.
How to Tell If Your Server Has Been Hacked
A plain-English guide to spotting hacked-server warning signs, checking safely, and getting back to a setup you can trust.
Why Your App Crashes Under Load: Linux Out of Memory Killed Process
A plain-English guide to why Linux kills apps when memory runs out, how to recognize OOM events, and how to prevent them.
"Site can't be reached" after deploying — how to diagnose
A plain-English path for finding where a newly deployed site stops: domain, server, firewall, web server, app, or HTTPS.
What is a Caddyfile and how do you write one?
A plain-English guide to what a Caddyfile is, what it controls, and how to write one without turning your web server into a mystery box.
How to fix "No space left on device" on Linux
A plain-English guide to finding what filled your Linux server, clearing safe space, and preventing the error from coming back.
How to Update Ubuntu Server Safely Without Breaking It
A plain-English guide to patching Ubuntu Server with backups, small steps, and checks that keep your sites and apps online.
How to Check Server Logs on Linux and Find What Actually Broke
A plain-English guide to reading Linux server logs so you can trace errors to the real cause instead of guessing.
Why your Docker container keeps restarting
A plain-English guide to Docker restart loops, the common causes, and how to get a container stable again.
How to fix "port already in use" (EADDRINUSE)
A plain-English guide to what EADDRINUSE means, why ports clash, and how to fix the problem without breaking another app on your server.
What Does Self-Hosting Actually Mean?
Self-hosting means running your own apps on a server you control, with more ownership and more responsibility than using a hosted service.
Create a non-root sudo user on a VPS and why root login is risky
A plain-English guide to creating a safer sudo user, avoiding root login mistakes, and keeping server access understandable over time.
Your domain isn't pointing to your server: DNS troubleshooting
A plain-English guide to checking why your domain is not pointing to your server, from nameservers and A records to www, IPv6, and HTTPS confusion.
How to fix an expired or untrusted SSL certificate
A plain-English guide to fixing SSL certificate expired and untrusted certificate errors without guessing.
How to fix "Permission denied (publickey)" over SSH
A plain-English checklist for fixing the SSH error "Permission denied (publickey)" without locking yourself out again.
DigitalOcean App Platform vs Droplet: Which Should You Choose?
A plain-English comparison of DigitalOcean App Platform and a DigitalOcean Droplet for small web apps, costs, control, maintenance, and long-term clarity.
Docker image vs container: what's the difference?
A plain-English guide to Docker images and containers, with the practical difference that matters when you deploy apps on a server.
Hetzner vs DigitalOcean vs Contabo: best VPS for beginners
A plain-English comparison of Hetzner, DigitalOcean, and Contabo for beginners choosing their first server provider.
Cloudron vs Coolify vs a Raw VPS for Self-Hosting
A plain-English comparison of Cloudron, Coolify, and a raw server so you can choose the right self-hosting path without creating a maintenance mess.
Docker vs no Docker: should you containerize your app?
A plain-English guide to when Docker helps your app deployment, when it adds needless weight, and how to choose the calmer path.
How to Host a Website on a VPS, Start to Finish
A plain-English path from empty server to live website, with domains, web servers, HTTPS, safety, and upkeep explained.
Managed Database vs Self-Hosted Postgres: Which Should You Choose?
A plain-English guide to choosing between a managed database and self-hosted Postgres, with the tradeoffs that matter for small teams and solo projects.
Self-hosted PaaS vs a plain VPS: do you even need Coolify?
A plain-English guide to when Coolify helps, when a plain server is enough, and how to avoid adding complexity too early.
What Are Ports, and Which Ones Matter for a Web Server?
Ports are numbered doors into your server, and a web server usually needs only a few of them open to serve websites safely.
Caddy vs Nginx vs Traefik: Which Reverse Proxy Should You Use?
A plain-English comparison of Caddy, nginx, and Traefik so you can choose the right reverse proxy without making your server hard to manage later.
Vibe-coded to production: the 8-step checklist AI builders skip
A plain-English deployment checklist for taking a vibe-coded app from a working demo to something real users can safely use.
Do You Need Docker to Deploy an App Built with AI?
Docker can help deploy an AI-built app, but it is not always the simplest or safest first step.
How to Keep Your App Running 24/7 After You Log Out
Learn why apps stop when an SSH session closes, and which safer options keep them running on your server.
How to self-host Uptime Kuma to monitor your sites
Self-host Uptime Kuma when you want simple uptime alerts for your websites, domains, certificates, and services without handing that job to a third party.
Put your AI-built app on your own domain with HTTPS
A plain-English guide to connecting an AI-built app to a custom domain and serving it safely over HTTPS.
How to self-host a Ghost blog
A plain-English guide to what you need, what can break, and how to keep a self-hosted Ghost blog understandable over time.
Why your AI app works in preview but not live
A plain-English guide to the common reasons an AI app succeeds in preview but fails after deployment, from missing secrets to domain, timeout, and storage differences.
Container vs virtual machine: what's the difference?
A plain-English guide to how containers and virtual machines differ, when each makes sense, and what that means for your server.
How to self-host n8n for automations
A plain-English guide to self-hosting n8n, what it needs, and the common problems to avoid before your automations depend on it.
Your AI App Needs a Backend — Where Does It Actually Run?
A plain-English guide to where an AI app backend lives, what it does, and how to choose a hosting setup that will not become a mystery later.
How to Install Node.js, Python, and PHP on a Fresh VPS
A plain-English guide to installing the right app runtime on a fresh server without creating version conflicts or mystery errors.
How to self-host Jellyfin for your media
A plain-English guide to self-hosting Jellyfin, including server size, storage, streaming issues, remote access, and how to keep the setup understandable over time.
Is it safe to let an AI run commands on your server?
AI can safely help with server commands only when its access is limited, visible, and backed by a way to recover from mistakes.
How to self-host Paperless-ngx for your documents
A plain-English guide to self-hosting Paperless-ngx, what it needs, and how to keep your document archive safe and understandable.
How to Move Your Website to a New VPS With Zero Downtime
A plain-English migration plan for moving a live website to a new server without visitors seeing a broken page.
How to self-host Immich (Google Photos alternative)
A plain-English guide to self-hosting Immich, including storage, backups, HTTPS, and the mistakes that make photo libraries painful later.
Cloud firewall vs server firewall: why your port is still blocked
A plain-English guide to why an open port can still be unreachable when both your cloud firewall and server firewall are involved.
How to migrate a WordPress site to a new server
A plain-English guide to moving WordPress to a new server without losing files, breaking links, or surprising visitors.
How to Turn On Automatic Security Updates on Ubuntu
Automatic security updates on Ubuntu help patch known risks without turning server maintenance into a daily chore.
How to Move from Render to Your Own VPS
A plain-English guide to moving an app from Render to your own server without losing track of domains, HTTPS, databases, or deployments.
SSH keys vs passwords on a VPS: log in the right way
A plain-English guide to why SSH keys are safer than passwords, what can go wrong, and how to keep server access understandable over time.
How to harden SSH on your server
A plain-English guide to making SSH safer without locking yourself out of your own server.
How to migrate from Railway to a VPS and cut the bill
A plain-English guide to moving a Railway app to your own server without breaking domains, databases, HTTPS, or your deployment notes.
How to Set Up Fail2ban to Stop Brute-Force Attacks
A plain-English guide to using fail2ban to block repeated login attempts before they become a real problem.
What Is a Firewall and How Does It Protect Your Server?
A plain-English guide to what a server firewall does, what it cannot do, and why it should be one of your first security steps.
New VPS Setup Checklist: What to Do in the First Hour
A plain-English first-hour checklist for making a new server safer, clearer, and easier to recover before you deploy anything important.
How to Move a Vercel App to a VPS
A plain-English migration guide for moving a Vercel app to your own server without losing domains, HTTPS, environment variables, or deploy sanity.
How to Migrate from Heroku to Your Own VPS
A plain-English guide to moving a Heroku app to your own server without losing data, breaking domains, or making the setup impossible to understand later.
VPS Security Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before You Go Live
A plain-English launch checklist for securing a server before real users, traffic, and data arrive.
Why your app works locally but not on the server
A plain-English guide to why an app works locally not in production, and how to find the missing assumption.
How does DNS work — and what does "pointing a domain" mean?
A plain-English guide to DNS, domain pointing, common DNS records, and why changes sometimes take time to appear.
How to fix "Connection refused" on your server
A plain-English guide to what the "Connection refused" error means, where it usually comes from, and how to narrow it down without guessing.
How to fix "502 Bad Gateway" from nginx
A plain-English guide to what nginx 502 Bad Gateway means, why it happens, and how to narrow the fix without guessing.
Render vs Railway vs a VPS: Which Should You Use?
A plain-English comparison of Render, Railway, and running your own server, with the trade-offs that matter after launch.
What is Docker, explained simply?
A plain-English explanation of Docker, containers, images, and when they help on a server.
Heroku vs a VPS in 2026: Is It Time to Switch?
A plain-English way to decide whether Heroku's convenience is still worth it, or whether your own server now fits better.
What Is a VPS — and Do You Actually Need One?
A plain-English guide to what a virtual private server is, when it makes sense, and when simpler hosting is enough.
Railway vs a VPS: Real Cost and Control
Compare Railway with your own server in plain English: what you pay for, what you control, and where the hidden work lives.
Vercel vs VPS for Next.js: which should you choose?
A plain-English guide to choosing between Vercel and your own server for a Next.js app, based on control, cost, maintenance, and failure modes.
Coolify vs Dokploy vs CapRover: which self-hosted PaaS should you pick?
A plain-English comparison of Coolify, Dokploy, and CapRover so you can choose the right self-hosted PaaS for your server.
What is an SSL certificate and why does your site need one?
A plain-English guide to SSL certificates, HTTPS, browser warnings, and the problems a good certificate setup prevents.
How to add a real database to your AI-built app
A plain-English guide to moving your AI-built app from temporary storage to PostgreSQL or MySQL without losing data, secrets, or your future sanity.
What Is SSH and How Does It Work?
A plain-English guide to SSH: what it is, how it protects remote server access, and what beginners should watch for.
You Built an App with AI. Here's the One Part It Can't Do: Run It
AI can help you build an app quickly, but hosting still means making it reachable, safe, and understandable after the code is generated.
How Do You Move a Replit App to Your Own VPS?
A plain-English migration guide for moving a Replit app to your own server without losing track of domains, environment variables, HTTPS, or restarts.
How to Connect to Your VPS Over SSH for the First Time
A plain-English first SSH login guide: what you need, what to type, and what the common connection errors mean.
From localhost to live: deploying a Cursor-built app
A plain-English guide to taking a Cursor-built app from localhost to a real production server without losing track of domains, HTTPS, databases, and runtime settings.
Deploying a v0 app outside Vercel: a plain-English guide
You can deploy a v0 app without Vercel, but you need to understand what v0 generated, what runs the app, and which hosting chores Vercel was quietly handling for you.
What Is a Reverse Proxy? In Plain English
A reverse proxy is the front door that receives web traffic and sends it to the right app behind the scenes.
How to deploy a Lovable app to your own server beyond static hosting
A plain-English guide to moving a Lovable app from static hosting to your own server when you need APIs, databases, HTTPS, and long-term control.
How to host a Bolt.new app on your own VPS
A plain-English guide to taking a Bolt.new app from generated code to a stable website on your own server.
How to Run Cron Jobs on a VPS Without Becoming a Sysadmin
Learn how scheduled tasks work on a server for backups, scripts, reminders, and recurring app jobs without turning your weekend into operations work.
SSH Keys on a VPS: A Safer Way to Log In Than Passwords
SSH key login replaces easy-to-guess server passwords with a paired lock-and-key system that is safer and easier to live with once you understand it.
Self-Host Jellyfin on a VPS or Home Server: Your Private Netflix-Style Media Server
Learn what it really takes to self-host Jellyfin, from storage and streaming limits to privacy, security, and keeping the setup understandable over time.
How to Send Email From a VPS Without Running Your Own Mail Server
Send website or app emails from your server safely by handing delivery to an external email provider instead of hosting mail yourself.
How to Keep a VPS Updated Without Breaking Everything
Learn which server updates are safe to automate, which ones deserve a slower look, and how to reduce security risk without turning maintenance into a gamble.
How to Read Server Logs When Something Breaks
Learn what server logs are, where errors usually appear, and how to use them to narrow down website or app problems without guessing.
Coolify, Dokploy, or a raw VPS: where the self-hosted PaaS tools stop
Coolify and Dokploy make deploying your app on your own server feel like Heroku. But they run on top of a server that someone still has to secure, update, and keep alive. Here's an honest map of where they end and the sysadmin part begins.
Docker on a VPS for Beginners: What It Is, When You Need It, and When You Don’t
A plain-English guide to Docker on your server: what it does, when it helps, and when it just adds another layer to manage.
Why Is My VPS Slow? A Beginner’s Guide to CPU, RAM, Disk, and Traffic Problems
Learn the common reasons a server feels slow, how to tell them apart, and what each one usually means.
How to Host Multiple Websites on One VPS Without Making a Mess
Run several sites or apps on one server by giving each project its own domain, route, HTTPS certificate, and tidy boundaries.
What Size VPS Do You Need? A Plain-English Guide to CPU, RAM, and Storage
Choose the right server size for a website, app, or self-hosted service without paying for power you do not need.
How to back up your server — and actually be able to restore it
Most people either have no backups or have never tested the ones they have. A backup you can't restore from isn't a backup. Here's what to save, where to keep it, and how to know it actually works.
How to deploy a small web app to a VPS without DevOps
Your app runs fine on your laptop — the hard part is the gap between "works on my machine" and "live on the internet." Here's what deploying actually involves, the four things every app needs, and how to skip the tooling.
How to move from cPanel shared hosting to your own VPS
Shared hosting got you started, but the renewal price, resource limits, and noisy neighbors add up. Moving to your own server sounds like a leap — it's really a short checklist. Here's what moves, in what order, without downtime.
Self-hosting Nextcloud: a private cloud you actually own
Your files live in someone else's cloud — paid for monthly, capped, and quietly scanned. Nextcloud is a self-hosted Dropbox or Drive you run yourself. Here's what it is, why it's worth owning, and what it takes to set up.
How to set up a firewall on your VPS (and why you need one)
A brand-new server is reachable by the entire internet within minutes — bots included. A firewall decides which doors stay open. Here's what it does, the one rule that keeps you safe, and the mistake that locks you out.
How to get free HTTPS on your own server
The padlock in the address bar isn't a luxury anymore — it's free, automatic, and expected. Here's what HTTPS actually does, why it stopped costing money, and how it gets set up without you ever managing a certificate.
I bought a VPS — now what? A beginner's first steps
You rented a server and got an IP address, a password, and a blinking cursor. Here's what a server actually is, the four things every new one needs, and how to get going without learning to be a sysadmin.
Managed hosting vs. your own VPS: which should you choose?
Managed hosting is easy, but you pay for it and give up control. A VPS is cheaper and fully yours, but you're the sysadmin. Here's an honest comparison — and a third option that splits the difference.
How to point a domain at your server (without editing config files)
You have a server with an IP address and a domain you bought somewhere else. Connecting them is one small DNS change — here's what it means, the single record you need, and how the padlock follows.
Self-hosting Vaultwarden: a password manager you actually own
Your passwords currently live on someone else's server. Vaultwarden is a lightweight, Bitwarden-compatible password manager you run yourself — here's what it is, why it's worth owning, and what it takes to set up.
Why isn't my website loading? The three layers that decide if it's reachable
You deployed your site, it works for you, but visitors get a spinning tab or "can't be reached." The problem is always one of three layers between a browser and your server — here's how to tell which.
How to host WordPress on a VPS without touching the terminal
You rented a server to run your own WordPress — then hit a wall of SSH, web servers, and DNS. Here's the shortcut: describe what you want in plain English and let the app do the sysadmin work.