Managello ships as a Docker Compose stack and installs with a single command. This walks you through a clean first install on a fresh Ubuntu server.
What you need
- A fresh Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 VPS (2 GB RAM minimum; 4 GB+ recommended for production). "Fresh" matters — don't reuse a box already running other web software on ports 80/443.
- SSH access as a sudo user
- Ports 80 and 443 open (most providers open these by default)
- A domain or subdomain you control (recommended, for automatic HTTPS)
1. Point your domain first (recommended)
In your registrar's DNS settings, add an A record for your domain (e.g. portal.youragency.com) pointing at your server's public IP. Do this before installing so the certificate can be issued on the first load.
2. Run the installer
SSH into the server and run one command. With a domain (gives you automatic HTTPS):
git clone <your-repo-url> portal && cd portal
APP_DOMAIN=portal.youragency.com ACME_EMAIL=you@youragency.com ./install.sh
For local testing without a domain (plain HTTP at the server's IP):
git clone <your-repo-url> portal && cd portal
./install.sh
The installer is idempotent — safe to re-run. It installs Docker if needed, generates the secret keys unique to your server, runs preflight checks, then builds and boots every service (app, database, cache, background workers, web server) and runs the database setup. The first run takes a few minutes.
3. Open the setup wizard
When it finishes, the installer prints your setup URL (e.g. https://portal.youragency.com/setup). Open it and complete the wizard: system check → organization → admin account → SMTP → license → finish.
On the first load over a new domain, give it ~30 seconds — Caddy is fetching a fresh Let's Encrypt certificate in the background. A brief browser warning during that window is normal; wait and refresh.
4. You're in
Once setup completes you land on the staff dashboard. If anything gets stuck, see Troubleshoot the setup wizard and first login.
Prefer not to install it yourself? First-time installation help is included with your license, and the Agency Hosted plan lets us run the server for you.