# How to install Discourse locally?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-install-discourse-locally/185116>\
**Category:** Self-hosting\
**Created:** [April 1, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-install-discourse-locally/185116 "2021-04-01T14:43:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 12:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-install-discourse-locally/185116/11 "2021-05-07T12:13:16Z")

</div>

You need a domain name, but it does not need to be on a public ip. If your server can access the internet (to download discourse and it’s pieces) then you can turn off the let’s encrypt stuff and it should work. I think you just need to delete the ssl and let’s encrypt templates in the yml file, but you won’t be able to use `discourse-setup`. Copy the standalone sample and edit it by hand.

You still need a mail server.

---

_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-install-discourse-locally/185116)._