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The most reliable small-VPS design is to run OpenProject with the official Docker Compose deployment, keep its persistent data on the host, and put Nginx in front as the public HTTPS reverse proxy. OpenProject’s container does not terminate TLS itself, so Nginx must handle the certificate and forward the original host and HTTPS protocol headers.
This guide covers the Compose installation, hostname and storage settings, Nginx configuration, the package-installer alternative, HTTPS failures, backups, upgrades, and capacity planning. The commands use a generic Linux VPS and assume you control DNS for a public fully qualified domain name.
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For a small or isolated OpenProject installation, use Docker Compose. OpenProject’s installation guidance recommends Compose for smaller instances and Helm for larger installations. Compose keeps the application and its supporting services isolated from software already installed on the VPS, which is particularly useful when Nginx is already serving other sites.
The request path should look like this:
- A user requests
https://openproject.example.com. - Nginx listens on the public HTTP and HTTPS ports, redirects HTTP to HTTPS, and terminates TLS.
- Nginx proxies the request to the OpenProject container through a host port such as
8080. - The Compose-managed services handle the application, database, jobs, and persistent assets.
Do not expose the application container directly as your public TLS endpoint. The current Docker image does not use SSL by default; the edge proxy is responsible for certificates and encrypted client connections.
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What you need on the VPS
- A supported Linux server with root or sudo access.
- Docker Engine and the Docker Compose plugin installed and working for your distribution.
- A DNS name that resolves to the VPS. Use the same fully qualified domain name in OpenProject’s host setting and in Nginx’s
server_name. - Firewall access for the public HTTP and HTTPS ports, while keeping the Compose application port private to the VPS.
- Enough CPU, memory, disk, and backup capacity for your users, attachments, database growth, and background jobs.
There is no single official CPU, RAM, or storage number that fits every installation. A team with large attachments and frequent background work needs materially more capacity than a small project with few files. Start with a server sized for the expected workload, monitor it, and verify the current OpenProject system-requirements page before purchasing or resizing a VPS.
Docker Compose or the package installer?
Both approaches can work, but they suit different hosts. Use the following decision points rather than choosing solely by habit.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Decision point | Docker Compose | Package installation |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Small or isolated instances, especially when the VPS already runs Nginx or other software. | Only Linux distributions listed as supported by the current package documentation. |
| Newer distributions | Usually the safer route when the distribution is newer than the package support list. | OpenProject warns that packages are not built for new Linux versions such as Ubuntu 24.04. |
| Isolation | Application services run in containers and are separated from host packages. | OpenProject components are installed and managed directly on the operating system. |
| Reverse proxy | Nginx remains an external TLS terminator and proxies to the mapped container port. | The packaged process listens on 127.0.0.1:6000 by default; Nginx still terminates TLS and must send X-Forwarded-Proto: https. |
| Persistent data | Explicitly bind and back up the assets and database data outside the container lifecycle. | Back up the package installation’s database and asset locations according to its layout. |
| Scaling | Appropriate for smaller deployments; larger installations should evaluate Helm and a broader operations design. | Useful only where the distribution and package path remain supported. |
If the VPS already has Nginx, or you want repeatable isolated services and an uncomplicated upgrade workflow, Compose is the practical default. Choose packages only after confirming that your exact distribution release is supported.
Install OpenProject with the official Compose repository
1. Obtain the stable Compose files
Clone the stable branch into a directory named openproject. The command deliberately uses a shallow clone because the deployment needs the current Compose files, not the repository history.
git clone https://github.com/opf/openproject-docker-compose.git --depth=1 --branch=stable/17 openproject
cd openprojectThe branch name is part of the command. Check the current OpenProject documentation when you install, because image tags and supported branches can change.
2. Create and edit the environment file
Copy the supplied example file and edit the resulting .env file rather than modifying the example in place.
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nano .envSet OPENPROJECT_HOST__NAME to the public FQDN users will enter in their browsers, for example openproject.example.com. The two underscores in HOST__NAME are intentional. If you configure OpenProject’s collaborative features, set COLLABORATIVE_SERVER_URL to the URL of that service as required by your deployment.
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Review every value in the example file, especially data directories, ports, mail settings, and image or service options. Keep the file private: it can contain credentials and the deployment’s signing secret.
3. Create the persistent assets directory
If you use the example OPDATA location, create it on the host and give it to the UID expected by the container:
sudo mkdir -p /var/openproject/assets
sudo chown 1000:1000 -R /var/openproject/assetsPersistent assets must survive container replacement. Do not treat a container’s writable layer as a backup or as durable storage. Keep database backups and asset backups outside the container lifecycle, preferably on storage that is independent of the VPS itself.
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4. Start once for initial setup
Generate a long, unique value for SECRET_KEY_BASE; never reuse a value from another installation. For the initial local HTTP start, the documented command is:
SECRET_KEY_BASE=<your-secret-key-base> OPENPROJECT_HTTPS=false docker compose up -d --build --pull alwaysReplace the angle-bracketed value with the actual secret. The command pulls current images, builds where necessary, and starts the stack in the background. Inspect the output and container status if startup does not complete.
OPENPROJECT_HTTPS=false is useful for this initial local HTTP phase, but it disables secure session cookies and is strongly discouraged for production. It is not a substitute for a TLS reverse proxy. After Nginx and the certificate are ready, remove this flag from the production startup configuration and run the stack with HTTPS behavior enabled.
5. Change bootstrap credentials immediately
The quick-start documentation’s printed or default admin credentials are bootstrap credentials only. Sign in through the local or proxied URL, change the administrator password immediately, and create named accounts rather than sharing the bootstrap account.
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Treat SECRET_KEY_BASE like a password. It must remain unique and stable. Changing it invalidates cookies, active sessions, and remembered two-factor-authentication tokens, so rotate it only as a deliberate security operation with a plan to have every user sign in again.
Configure Nginx as the HTTPS reverse proxy
1. Point DNS and obtain a certificate
Create the DNS record for the OpenProject hostname and wait until it resolves to the VPS. Obtain a certificate and private key from a trusted certificate authority. The certificate must cover the exact hostname users will visit.
Nginx should be the only public service accepting HTTPS for this hostname. Keep the Compose-mapped application port bound to the VPS or another private interface rather than exposing it as a second public entry point.
2. Add an HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect and proxy server
The following is the documented Nginx shape adapted for a Compose container mapped to host port 8080. Substitute your real hostname, certificate paths, and mapped port.
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server {
listen 80;
server_name openproject.example.com;
return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name openproject.example.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/crt/server.crt;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/crt/server.key;
proxy_redirect off;
location / {
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 https;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
}
}The Host header lets OpenProject see the public hostname. X-Real-IP and X-Forwarded-For preserve the client address chain, while X-Forwarded-Proto https tells the application that the original request was encrypted even though Nginx talks HTTP to the container.
3. Test and reload Nginx
Check the configuration before reloading it:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginxOpen the HTTPS hostname in a private browser window, confirm that the certificate matches the hostname, and sign in with the administrator account whose password you changed. Test a page load, a form submission, file upload, and sign-out; these actions expose proxy or secure-cookie mistakes that a simple landing-page request can miss.
Set hostname, HTTPS, and persistence correctly
Keep OPENPROJECT_HOST__NAME, the browser URL, and Nginx’s server_name identical. A mismatch can produce redirects to the wrong host, rejected requests, or links that point to an internal address.
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OpenProject starts with HTTPS enabled by default in the Compose setup, but the Docker image does not perform SSL termination. That combination is why a correctly configured external proxy is essential. Nginx handles the client-side certificate; OpenProject receives the forwarded HTTPS indication and generates secure URLs and cookies.
Do not leave OPENPROJECT_HTTPS=false enabled after the local bootstrap phase. The official guidance recommends running production behind a TLS-terminated proxy and removing that flag before normal use.
Store assets on the host path with the documented ownership, and back up both the database and uploaded assets. A database-only backup cannot restore attachments, while an assets-only copy cannot restore project metadata, users, work packages, or configuration.
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ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR in the browser
- Confirm that Nginx is listening on port 443 and that the certificate and key paths are readable.
- Check that the HTTPS server block, not the HTTP redirect block, contains the SSL directives.
- Verify that DNS resolves to this VPS and that no other service is answering for the hostname.
- Make sure OpenProject is reached through Nginx rather than by opening the container’s HTTP port directly.
This error commonly appears when OpenProject’s HTTPS behavior is enabled but no correctly configured TLS-terminating proxy is in front of it.
Redirect loops or links that switch between HTTP and HTTPS
- Set
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;in the HTTPS location. - Use the public FQDN in
OPENPROJECT_HOST__NAME, not a container name, localhost address, or private IP. - Remove
OPENPROJECT_HTTPS=falsefor the production run. - Reload Nginx after testing the edited configuration.
Users see the wrong client IP in logs
Check that Nginx sends both X-Real-IP and X-Forwarded-For, using the values shown in the configuration. If another proxy or load balancer sits in front of Nginx, account for that additional hop and trust boundary rather than blindly accepting arbitrary forwarding headers.
Assets fail to upload or disappear after a rebuild
- Confirm that the host directory exists and is mounted at the path expected by the Compose file.
- Check ownership with
sudo chown 1000:1000 -R /var/openproject/assetswhen using the exampleOPDATApath. - Verify available disk space and inode capacity on the VPS.
- Ensure backups include the assets directory as well as the database.
The stack will not start after changing the secret
Changing SECRET_KEY_BASE is not a harmless configuration edit. It invalidates cookies, sessions, and remembered two-factor tokens. Verify that the value is present, stable, and free of accidental whitespace, then expect users to authenticate again. If the old value is still required to preserve current sessions, restore it and schedule a controlled rotation instead of repeatedly changing it during troubleshooting.
The package path fails on a new Ubuntu release
OpenProject specifically warns that packages are not built for newer Linux versions such as Ubuntu 24.04. Confirm the supported distribution list before spending time repairing a package installation. On an unsupported release, migrate to the Docker-based deployment rather than forcing incompatible packages.
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Capacity, monitoring, and backups
Plan capacity from workload, not a fixed recipe
Estimate the number of active users, concurrent sessions, attachment sizes, database growth, report generation, mail activity, and background jobs. Leave headroom for operating-system updates, image pulls, temporary database files, and backup staging. A server that has enough memory for a quiet test installation may fail under simultaneous imports, notifications, and file uploads.
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Watch CPU, memory, swap activity, disk usage, container restarts, database growth, and Nginx error logs. Set an alert before the disk reaches full capacity; a full filesystem can prevent both database writes and log rotation.
Back up what the containers do not guarantee
- Take consistent database backups on a schedule appropriate to the business value of the projects.
- Copy the persistent assets directory, including uploaded files, to independent storage.
- Keep at least one backup away from the VPS so a host failure or deletion does not remove production and backup together.
- Test restoration on a separate environment. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption, not a recovery plan.
Keep upgrades reversible
Before pulling new images or changing the Compose files, record the current configuration, confirm recent database and asset backups, and ensure you can access the VPS through an administrative channel. Pull and start changes during a maintenance window, then test sign-in, project pages, attachments, background work, and outbound notifications. Do not delete old data volumes until the new version has been verified and the rollback decision period has passed.
Recheck the current OpenProject documentation before each upgrade because image tags, supported distributions, environment variables, and proxy recommendations can change.
When a package installation is still reasonable
A package installation can be appropriate when the operating system appears on OpenProject’s supported package list, you prefer host-managed services, and no conflicting web stack complicates the installation. You still need Nginx or another edge proxy for public TLS. In the packaged layout, the internal process listens on 127.0.0.1:6000 by default; configure Nginx to proxy there and send X-Forwarded-Proto https.
Do not select packages simply because they avoid Docker commands. Distribution support, upgrade compatibility, service isolation, and your existing Nginx configuration matter more than the installation style. If the VPS runs a release such as Ubuntu 24.04 that is outside package support, Compose is the safer supported direction.
Quick Recap
A production-readiness checklist
- DNS for the public FQDN resolves to the correct VPS.
OPENPROJECT_HOST__NAMEmatches the browser hostname and Nginxserver_name.- The Compose stack uses a unique, protected, stable
SECRET_KEY_BASE. - The temporary
OPENPROJECT_HTTPS=falsesetting has been removed for production. - Nginx redirects HTTP to HTTPS and presents a valid certificate.
- Nginx forwards
Host,X-Real-IP,X-Forwarded-For, andX-Forwarded-Proto https. - The application port is not unnecessarily exposed to the public internet.
- The assets directory has the expected UID 1000 ownership when using the example path.
- Database and asset backups are stored outside the container lifecycle and tested by restoring them.
- The administrator bootstrap password has been changed, and normal users have individual accounts.
- CPU, memory, disk, logs, restarts, and backup jobs are monitored.
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