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For a self-hosted Ghost publication, Ghost-CLI is the supported command-line control plane. Use ghost install for a production deployment built around MySQL 8.0, NGINX, systemd and SSL; use ghost install local for a development instance backed by SQLite. Manage settings with ghost config, apply them with ghost restart, create a recoverable archive with ghost backup, and treat every ghost update as a change that needs a backup and a rollback plan.
What Ghost-CLI actually manages
Ghost-CLI is Ghost’s official shell utility for installing and administering self-hosted Ghost. It does more than copy application files: a production installation can create the directory layout, download Ghost, configure the database, write an NGINX site configuration, request SSL, create a restricted Linux account, and generate a systemd service. That integration is why it is the recommended path when you want the standard self-hosting stack rather than a collection of hand-maintained services.
The commands operate on the Ghost instance in your current directory. When you are working from another location, add --dir /path/to/site to target that installation explicitly. Keeping the instance directory clear in scripts and maintenance notes prevents a command from being applied to the wrong publication.
Choose production or local mode before installing
Production: ghost install
Run ghost install for a public site. The installer performs environment checks, downloads Ghost, and invokes the production setup flow. That flow is designed for MySQL 8.0, NGINX, systemd and SSL, with Ghost running under a dedicated low-privilege ghost user rather than an administrator account.
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During setup, Ghost-CLI can create a restricted MySQL account, initialize or migrate the database, generate the NGINX configuration, request a certificate, create the Linux service account and write a systemd unit. Review each prompt instead of accepting values blindly: the public URL, database credentials, hostname and mail settings become operational dependencies for the site.
Development and evaluation: ghost install local
Use ghost install local when you need a local development or evaluation copy. This mode uses SQLite and a local process manager, not the production MySQL-and-systemd arrangement. It is useful for theme work, content experiments and learning the administration interface, but it is not a substitute for the production topology when the site is public.
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Pin a version when repeatability matters
If a controlled release is required, pass the release to the installer with ghost install <version>. Pinning is appropriate for a staging environment, a compatibility investigation or a deployment process that promotes a tested build instead of always taking the newest compatible release.
Install Ghost-CLI and create the instance
Install Ghost-CLI globally using the current Ghost installation method for your operating system. Then perform the installation as the non-root account that will own and operate the site; that account should have sudo available because the production setup needs to create system services, users and web-server configuration.
- Choose the owner and directory. Decide which ordinary Linux account will maintain the publication and where the instance will live. Do not make the live site a root-owned working directory unless a documented permission check requires a specific exception.
- Enter the target directory. Run the installation from the directory that should contain the Ghost instance, or use
--dirwhen invoking later commands from elsewhere. - Start the correct installer. Use
ghost installfor production orghost install localfor a local SQLite instance. Add a version to the production command when you need a pinned release. - Complete the setup prompts. Supply the site URL, database information, mail details and other values requested by the installer. The production flow may configure MySQL, NGINX, SSL, the service account and systemd; allow those steps to finish before treating the site as ready.
- Inspect the instance. Use
ghost lsto see the instance and its status. If setup reports an error, keep the terminal output and correct the underlying prerequisite rather than repeatedly rerunning the installer.
Know the generated layout before editing anything
A managed Ghost installation separates application versions, persistent content and configuration. You will normally see:
.config.[env].jsonfiles for environment-specific settings..ghost-clifor Ghost-CLI’s instance metadata.contentfor persistent site data such as images, themes and other uploaded material.current, a symlink identifying the active Ghost release.systemfor service-related material.versionsfor installed Ghost releases used by updates and rollback.
Treat content as durable site data and avoid rearranging the managed directories or replacing the current symlink by hand. Ghost-CLI relies on this layout when it starts a release, performs an update or reverts a failed update. Configuration belongs in the installation root and must remain valid JSON.
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Configure Ghost from the shell
ghost config is the supported interface for inspecting and changing the instance configuration. With no arguments it opens the configuration workflow; with a key it reads one value; with a key and value it writes a setting.
ghost config
# Read one setting
ghost config <key>
# Set one setting
ghost config <key> <value>
# Set the public URL
ghost config url https://example.com
# Apply the changed configuration
ghost restartThe public URL is the setting most often changed after an installation, but Ghost’s documented configuration also covers the admin URL, listening port and IP address, log transport, database client and credentials, mail or SMTP transport and credentials, and the process manager. Use the exact key names accepted by the Ghost version you have installed; do not guess at nested JSON paths.
Change a URL safely
- From the instance directory, run
ghost config url https://example.comwith the canonical scheme and hostname you intend visitors to use. - Inspect the resulting value with
ghost config url. - Run
ghost restart. Editing a configuration file without restarting leaves the running process with its previous values. - Check the site and the admin endpoint through the new hostname. If a reverse proxy or certificate is involved, confirm that its hostname and the Ghost URL agree.
Change database or mail settings
Use the same read-and-write pattern for database client, host, database name, user, password and mail transport values. Keep credentials out of shell history and shared scripts where your operating system or deployment process provides a safer secret mechanism. After changing any of these values, run ghost restart and watch the service status; an invalid database credential or SMTP setting usually becomes visible during startup or when the relevant feature is used.
Validate JSON and restart deliberately
The configuration file in the installation root must be valid JSON. A missing comma, an unescaped character or an accidental comment can prevent Ghost from starting. Make one logical change at a time, inspect the value with ghost config <key>, and restart immediately so that a failure is associated with the change that caused it.
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Ghost-CLI delegates process control to the configured process manager. In production that is normally systemd; a local installation uses its local process manager.
ghost start
ghost stop
ghost restart
ghost runghost start: starts the instance through its configured manager.ghost stop: stops the selected instance. It can also be used with the CLI’s instance-selection options when several sites are present.ghost restart: stops and starts the instance so changed configuration is loaded. Use it after every configuration edit that should affect the running process.ghost run: runs Ghost in the foreground. This is the best diagnostic route when a managed start fails but the service manager hides the useful exception; uncaught errors and startup messages remain visible in the terminal.
Use ghost start --enable when the service should be enabled to start on boot, or ghost start --no-enable when you want to run it without changing restart-on-boot behavior. Decide this explicitly on staging machines and temporary environments so a test process does not unexpectedly return after a reboot.
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Back up before maintenance
Run ghost backup before an upgrade and before other high-risk maintenance. The resulting ZIP is designed to make a Ghost content restore or migration practical. Ghost documents that the archive includes:
- Content JSON.
- A complete CSV export of members.
- All installed themes.
- Images and other media.
routes.yaml.redirects.yamlorredirects.json, depending on the installation.
Write the archive outside the live installation directory and make sure your operational process can retrieve and open it. A backup that exists only beside the files it is meant to replace is exposed to the same disk failure, permission problem or mistaken deletion. The Ghost archive covers the documented Ghost content, but it is not presented as a replacement for independent database, server or infrastructure backups. Keep those additional recovery layers when the publication’s availability or compliance requirements demand them.
A practical pre-maintenance check
- Confirm the instance directory with
ghost lsand, if necessary, use--dir /path/to/site. - Run
ghost backup. - Copy the resulting ZIP to storage outside the live host or live installation.
- Verify that the archive can be listed and that its content and theme files are present.
- Record the currently running Ghost release and the change you are about to make.
Update Ghost with a rollback path
The normal upgrade command is ghost update. It selects the latest compatible release. You can target a particular release with ghost update <version>, install without restarting with ghost update --no-restart, and revert the last failed update with ghost update --rollback.
# Latest compatible release
ghost update
# A selected release
ghost update <version>
# Install but leave the current process running
ghost update --no-restart
# Revert the last failed update
ghost update --rollbackBefore the update
Back up first, read the Ghost update guidance for the target release, and check for version-specific breaking changes, database requirements and theme compatibility. Ghost states that major releases arrive approximately every 12–18 months and can break backwards compatibility, so a major upgrade deserves a staged test rather than an unplanned production click.
During and after the update
For a routine maintenance window, run the update from the instance directory and allow the normal restart once you are ready to switch releases. The --no-restart option is useful when you need to install during a controlled window and perform the restart separately, but the new code is not active until the process is restarted.
After the restart, test the public site, the admin login, publishing, image uploads, member functions and mail delivery that matter to your installation. Check the logs and instance status before declaring the upgrade complete.
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If the update fails
Do not delete the installation or reinstall over it as a first response. Use ghost update --rollback to return the last failed update to the previous release, then inspect the foreground error with ghost run. A rollback addresses the last failed update; it does not repair unrelated permission, database or infrastructure problems, so fix the reported cause before attempting the upgrade again.
Permissions and production safety
Ghost-CLI creates a dedicated ghost system user and group for the production systemd service. The process runs with low privilege so a compromise of the application does not automatically grant full administrative control of the server. Preserve that separation when adding scripts, cron jobs or deployment automation.
Use the documented permission checks before changing ownership or modes. Prefer uploading images and themes through Ghost’s administrative interface, where the files are created with the expected owner and permissions. If a diagnostic check identifies an ownership problem, repair only the affected path and restore the account and group expected by the service; broad recursive permission changes can make the site less secure or prevent the service from reading its own files.
Ghost’s supported self-hosting guidance also assumes that the operating system, database, web server, runtime and other public-facing software remain current. Keeping the stack patched is part of maintaining Ghost, not a task that Ghost-CLI can perform on its own.
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| Approach | Database and process manager | Web server and TLS | What Ghost-CLI handles | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ghost install production |
MySQL 8.0 with systemd | NGINX and SSL setup are part of the guided flow | Environment checks, Ghost files, database setup, service account, systemd unit and related integration | Public self-hosted Ghost on the supported stack |
ghost install local |
SQLite with a local process manager | Local development rather than production proxying | Local Ghost process and development instance | Theme work, evaluation and isolated testing |
| Manual or custom deployment | Chosen by the operator | Chosen and maintained by the operator | Ghost-CLI’s managed integrations are replaced by your own configuration and runbooks | Specialized infrastructure that cannot use the standard stack |
Manual setup remains possible, but every integration becomes your responsibility: database creation and upgrades, proxy headers, certificates, service definitions, log handling, permissions, boot behavior and recovery. Ghost-CLI is the supported path when you want those pieces aligned with Ghost’s recommended architecture.
Troubleshoot by symptom
A configuration change appears to do nothing
Read the value with ghost config <key>, confirm that you changed the intended instance, and run ghost restart. If the process still uses the old value, check that the file in the installation root is valid JSON and that the command was not run in a different Ghost directory.
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The service will not start
Run ghost run in the instance directory to expose the startup exception. Invalid JSON, unreachable database credentials, an occupied listening port and an invalid mail or URL setting are more actionable in foreground output than in a generic service-manager failure. Correct one reported cause at a time and restart.
The command targets the wrong publication
Use ghost ls to identify instances and pass --dir /path/to/site when operating outside the target directory. Add the directory to maintenance scripts instead of relying on an interactive shell’s current location.
The site does not return after a reboot
Check whether the service was started with --no-enable. If restart-on-boot is intended, start it with ghost start --enable; if the service is enabled but still fails, use the service status and ghost run output to distinguish a boot-order, permission or application error.
An image or theme upload reports a permission error
Do not immediately make the entire installation writable. Confirm the documented ownership and permission checks, identify the path that is wrong, and restore it to the low-privilege service account. Use administrative uploads for routine media and themes so new files inherit the expected ownership.
An update cannot complete
Stop repeating the update until you know whether the problem is compatibility, a database requirement, a theme failure, a permission issue or a transient download problem. If the last update failed, run ghost update --rollback, inspect the error with ghost run, verify the backup, and consult the target release’s breaking-change notes before trying again.
A repeatable command-line maintenance routine
For each planned change, use a small, explicit runbook:
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ghost lsor an explicit--dir. - Record the current release and the reason for the change.
- Run
ghost backupand move the archive outside the live installation. - Change one configuration value with
ghost config, or select the intended release withghost update. - Restart deliberately with
ghost restartunless you intentionally used--no-restart. - Check the foreground output with
ghost runif startup or application behavior is abnormal. - Test the public site and the administrative functions that the change could affect.
- Keep the backup and change record until the observation period has passed.
This workflow keeps configuration, process control, backup and recovery connected. It also preserves Ghost-CLI’s managed release layout, low-privilege service account and supported production integrations instead of turning a routine maintenance task into an ad hoc server rebuild.
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