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Getting Started (Community Edition)

This guide walks you through using ComposeForge Community Edition to generate and run your own self-hosted services.

ComposeForge does not run anything for you, upload your configuration, or require an account. It generates files that you run and control — using standard tools and plain-text configuration.

Supported Systems (Quick Overview)

ComposeForge is designed for Linux systems and works best on:

  • Ubuntu (LTS recommended)
  • Linux Mint
  • Debian

It can also run on: - Raspberry Pi OS and other ARM-based Linux systems (with some limitations) - Other modern Linux distributions that support Docker

As long as Docker Engine and Docker Compose are available, ComposeForge can generate usable files.

If you’re unsure about your platform, start small — you can always regenerate later.

Who This Is For

ComposeForge is designed to be useful in two common situations:

If You’re Already Comfortable With Docker

  • You can review and edit everything ComposeForge generates
  • Nothing is hidden or abstracted away
  • The output is standard Docker Compose

If You’re New to Docker (But Comfortable With the Terminal)

  • ComposeForge can serve as a gentle introduction
  • Helper scripts are included to reduce setup friction
  • You can learn by reading and modifying real, working examples

You do not need to be a Docker expert to get started.

What You Need Before You Start

You’ll need:

  • A Linux system with terminal access
  • Basic command-line familiarity (copying files, running scripts)
  • Internet access to download container images
  • A domain or subdomain (recommended, but optional)

Docker does not need to be pre-installed — ComposeForge bundles can help with that.

Step 1: Select Your Apps

In the ComposeForge builder:

  1. Browse the available Community Edition apps
  2. Select only what you actually plan to use
  3. Start small — fewer services are easier to understand at first

You can regenerate a bundle at any time if your needs change.

Step 2: Choose Your Ingress Strategy

You’ll be asked how incoming traffic should reach your services.

External Ingress (Common Choice)

Choose this if: - You already run your own Nginx, Traefik, or similar reverse proxy - You want full control over TLS and routing

ComposeForge will: - Expose internal container ports - Leave ingress configuration up to you

ComposeForge-Managed Ingress

Choose this if: - You want a bundled Nginx + Certbot setup - You’re starting fresh or testing locally

Both options use standard Docker Compose files and can be changed later by regenerating the bundle.

Step 3: Download and Extract the Bundle

When you click Build:

  • A ZIP file is generated in your browser
  • Nothing is uploaded or stored remotely
  • ComposeForge does not retain your configuration

Download and extract the ZIP on the system where you plan to run the services.

Inside the extracted folder, you’ll typically find:

  • One folder per application
  • docker-compose.yml files in each application folder
  • .env.example files (sometimes copied to .env) in each application folder
  • Helper scripts and brief README files

Even if you plan to use the helper scripts, take a moment to skim the files. They are plain text and intended to be readable.

Step 5: Install Docker (If Needed)

If Docker and Docker Compose are not already installed, your bundle may include a helper install script that:

  • Installs Docker Engine
  • Installs the Docker Compose plugin
  • Uses the system’s package manager where possible

You can inspect this script before running it.

Typical usage:

./install-docker.sh