# How do I even install Discourse?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [April 30, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137 "2025-04-30T11:39:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/1 "2025-04-30T11:39:40Z")
I’ve been running nextcloud, vaultwarden, jellyfin etc in docker containers for years, but I cannot for the life of me figure out Dicourse.
The setup script gives me some error about not being able to connect on port 80 and 443. Probably because I’m setting it up on a new server which does not have those ports forwarded as I intend to use nginx proxy manager on my other server to reverse proxy to Discourse.
I’ve tried to write a compose file based on the variables in the files, but docker can’t find a manifest when I attempt to pull discourse/base.
I’ve tried the bitnami container but I end up with no admin account and the command bitnami says to use to setup one returns errors.
I have spent the past few days on this. Can someone please help?
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/3 "2025-04-30T11:41:13Z")
> [@Vixi](#):
>
> bitnami container
sounds like a non-[standard install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/142537?silent=true).
please note:
> [@Bitnami installations are unsupported](https://meta.discourse.org/t/bitnami-installations-are-unsupported/142538):
>
> Community support is only provided for installs that use the official instructions: [discourse/docs/INSTALL-cloud.md at main · discourse/discourse · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/main/docs/INSTALL-cloud.md) If you have installed with Bitnami and are having trouble, then you need to either follow the instructions or get help somewhere else. Last edited by @JammyDodger 2024-05-25T11:32:59Z (UTC) Last checked by @MarkDoerr 2026-03-19T23:46:16Z (UTC) play_button Check document
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/4 "2025-04-30T11:48:26Z")
Sounds like an automatic response that completely ignored the problems I am having with the [standard install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/142537?silent=true).
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### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/5 "2025-04-30T11:56:24Z")
It was an accurate response, your setup is not standard and therefore not a [standard install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/142537?silent=true). Free support is generally targeted at the [standard install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/142537?silent=true) because it then remains manageable for people to provide it (for free).
If looking for free support for a non-[standard install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/142537?silent=true) I suggest being a bit nicer to those who provide it …
Anyway have a look at this, might help:
> [@Run other websites on the same machine as Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/run-other-websites-on-the-same-machine-as-discourse/17247):
>
> @pfaffman edited this heavily 2022.02.24. Blame me if it’s broken. If you want to run other websites on the same machine as Discourse, you need to set up an extra NGINX or HAProxy proxy in front of the Docker container. NOTE: This is for advanced admins This guide assumes you already have Discourse working - if you don’t, it may be hard to tell whether or not the configuration is working. You cannot use ./discourse-setup to set up Discourse if another server is using port 80 or 443. You will…
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/6 "2025-04-30T11:57:15Z")
As stated in my original post, [standard install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/142537?silent=true) is the first thing I tried. It returns errors.
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### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/7 "2025-04-30T11:57:41Z")
Because yours isn’t!
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 11:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/8 "2025-04-30T11:59:42Z")
The guide you linked outright says it assumes I have Discourse working. Which I don’t. I’m also not trying to run other websites on the same machine as Discourse, I am trying to run Discourse on a second machine.
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### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/9 "2025-04-30T12:00:44Z")
Yes, but it handles the case where you have NGINX in front of the container … so in a way is a similar situation.
But I am but a lowly app-dev with some sys admin hobby experience. A sys admin guru is what you really need.
If someone doesn’t automatically chime in, consider posting in #Marketplace if you have budget.
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/10 "2025-04-30T12:06:28Z")
> [@What's the proper way to set up Discourse behind a reverse proxy?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/whats-the-proper-way-to-set-up-discourse-behind-a-reverse-proxy/30262/2):
>
> if you expose a port/ip, all traffic for that port will be handled. The only issue you need to resolve is IP forwarding. So you need to customize NGINX to allow for the forwarded IP addresses so it does not look like all traffic is coming from 1 IP, there is a post here on meta covering that.
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/11 "2025-04-30T12:11:43Z")
The problem is I can’t get the discourse-setup script past the port check and none of the launcher commands actually do anything. I had already edited the files mentioned in the guide merefield linked before I even posted here as the error message in discourse-setup reccomended, but I don’t know what to do from there.
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/12 "2025-04-30T12:13:33Z")
you mentioned bitnami - unfortunately if you are using bitnami it will be difficult to solve without their help.
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/13 "2025-04-30T12:15:59Z")
I’m asking for help with the official discourse docker.
I cannot get the official discourse docker to run at all
I can get the bitnami one to run and access the site but I haven’t been able to setup an admin account with theirs.
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/14 "2025-04-30T12:35:15Z")
where in this setup are you having problems exactly?
>
please post any error messages, backtraces (use code blocks), and any system details that may help.
Are you able to clone the [official discourse docker image](https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker)?
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/15 "2025-04-30T12:57:16Z")
sudo ./launcher rebuild app got it going. However, after filling in the details to sign up an admin account and go to the next page, I just get this. I haven’t received any confirmation email with either the smtp port set to 587 or 465
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### Author:  [@NateDhaliwal](https://meta.discourse.org/u/NateDhaliwal)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 1:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/16 "2025-04-30T13:40:59Z")
You should change `example.com` with your actual domain name. That domain is an example domain on the web, not actually your forum’s own domain.
Have you setup your domain name and DNS yet?
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/17 "2025-04-30T13:50:44Z")
yeah, changing [example.com](http://example.com) back to the server ip shows me the correct confirmation email page.
I found a DNS record typo and a mistake I made in the yml file, so email should hopefully work when I wake up.
The output of the sudo ./launcher rebuild app command also gives me some clues on what to tinker with to further customize the setup. Hopefully I’ll have a Discourse setup I’m happy with by the weekend! :slight_smile:
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### Author:  [@Andrew\_Rowe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Andrew_Rowe)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/18 "2025-04-30T17:59:42Z")
> [@Vixi](#):
>
> The problem is I can’t get the discourse-setup script past the port check
Sorry for butting in and not reading the whole thread but OP’s problem I had myself the first time I tried to setup Discourse. Port 80 and port 443 are not open because the app isn’t using them yet. The trick is to run skip-network-check or some such command (can’t remember and at work) and setup skips the port check and then goes forward with the setup. It is in the standard setup instructions but it is easy to miss
Sorry if someone else already got this
Thanks to Jay below command is
```plaintext
--skip-connection-test
```
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/19 "2025-04-30T19:33:37Z")
> [@Vixi](#):
>
> The setup script gives me some error about not being able to connect on port 80 and 443. Probably because I’m setting it up on a new server which does not have those ports forwarded as I intend to use nginx proxy manager on my other server to reverse proxy to Discourse.
Then you can’t use `discourse-setup` or you can run it with `--skip-connection-test`, but you’re on your own to make it work. You also need to comment out the ssl and https templates.
> [@Vixi](#):
>
> I’ve tried to write a compose file based on the variables in the files, but docker can’t find a manifest when I attempt to pull discourse/base.
That won’t work.
You should first install it on a machine that doesn’t have anything else using ports 80 and 443 to see how it works. If you’re not going to do that then you need to understand how it works before you do anything.
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### Author:  [@Vixi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Vixi)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2025, 5:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/20 "2025-05-01T05:52:50Z")
I fixed the issue with my email server can and other docker apps can use the email address I want to use with discourse, but discourse is still failing to send an email.
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### Author:  [@NateDhaliwal](https://meta.discourse.org/u/NateDhaliwal)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2025, 6:33am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137/21 "2025-05-01T06:33:14Z")
Perhaps check your email provider? It may be in the list of bounced emails.
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-even-install-discourse/364137.md?page=2)