# Self-Hosting

## Without Docker

### Install nodejs and npm

For Debian, Ubuntu: packages in the repository are so old,
consider installing them with [NodeSource](https://github.com/nodesource/distributions#installation-instructions).
Minimal required version is NodeJS 18.

Other distros:
```bash
# CentOS
sudo yum install nodejs
# Arch
sudo pacman -S nodejs npm
# Alpine
doas apk add nodejs npm
```

### User for txtdot

Almost all distros except Alpine:
```bash
sudo useradd -r -m -s /sbin/nologin -U txtdot
sudo -u txtdot bash
```

Alpine Linux with busybox + doas:
```bash
doas addgroup -S txtdot
doas adduser -h /home/txtdot -s /sbin/nologin -G txtdot -S -D txtdot
doas -u txtdot bash
```

### Build, config and launch

Clone the git repository, cd into it:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/txtdot/txtdot.git src
cd src
```

Copy and modify the sample config file (see the Environment section):
```bash
cp .env.example .env
nano .env
```

Install packages, compile TS:
```bash
npm install
npm run build
```

Manually start the server to check if it works (Ctrl+C to exit):
```bash
npm run start
```

Log out from the txtdot account:
```bash
exit
```

### Add txtdot to autostart
Either using systemd unit file:
```bash
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TxtDot/txtdot/main/config/txtdot.service
sudo chown root:root txtdot.service
sudo chmod 644 txtdot.service
sudo mv txtdot.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable txtdot
sudo systemctl start txtdot
```

Or using OpenRC script:
```bash
wget -O txtdot https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TxtDot/txtdot/main/config/txtdot.init
doas chown root:root txtdot
doas chmod 755 txtdot
doas mv txtdot /etc/init.d/
doas rc-update add txtdot
doas rc-service txtdot start
```

Or using crontab:
```bash
sudo crontab -u txtdot -e
# The command will open an editor
# Add this line to the end of the file:
@reboot sleep 10 && cd /home/txtdot/src && npm run start
# Save the file and exit
```

## With Docker

Docker Engine and Docker Compose are required.

Note that built images are not provided via Docker Hub.
If you can't or don't want to build them on your server
and don't want to setup a CI/CD system,
[let us know](https://github.com/txtdot/txtdot/issues),
we'll consider setting up a GitHub Actions workflow.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/txtdot/txtdot.git
cd txtdot
docker compose build
docker compose up -d
```