A novice’s step by step specific process for installing Discourse. From choosing a right server to configuring it, to SMTP, DNS & doing it all in the right order. Because of such a manual process with many branches with many options, I have many uncertainties & heard many setups go wrong when not do…

[image] Gid: Powerful, flexible, large / multiple server install: Advanced Docker install guide don’t even go near this right now. stick to the basics. get a domain name with a nameserver like namecheap. or since you have one you want to use already: [image] Gid: Not sure which I shoul…

[image] Lilly: Single Sign On (SSO) is not something you should even be thinking about yet since you still learning how to set up the most basic self-hosted install. get your forum up and running, then think about plugins. by the looks of existing documentation, configuring SSO with your wix web…

[image] Gid: oh.. this was quite important for me & was a reason behind me choosing self hosting. If this can be sorted out later without much difficulty then fine, but I wonder if this particular setup will harden this later? Pls lmk if I should I be doing something different now to allow for t…

[image] Whatever AI wrote that, it clearly does not understand that OpenID/SAML and Discourse Connect are entirely different things, so I wouldn’t trust the other things it’s saying either.

Thank you everyone for all those answers so far:folded_hands: [image] NateDhaliwal: Does the business email provide a transactional mail service? With >2 reps, I had this checked & confirmed. Their business email covers Discourse’s SMTP needs, without needing a provider like MailGun. They c…

[image] NateDhaliwal: You can still take backups of Discourse regularly in case something goes wrong, if you’re only hosting Discourse on the VPS. And you really really should take your own backups. And take those backups offsite. This is part of being your own sysadmin. If you leave every…

Personally, I’ve never used snapshots. (I think they are an extra-cost item, and I’m not certain of their usefulness when there’s a live database running.) The way I think about backup frequency, is how would I feel at the time I need to restore the backup? If I’d lost a month’s worth of member co…

Following negative experience with Contabo’s service, I’m considering an alternative VPS with OVHcloud. But if this ain suitable I’d have to settle with Contabo [Screenshot 2026-07-20 c] 1) If chosing distro with app, it shows only this limited option. Docker without Ubuntu as an option. So shoul…

I use OVHcloud with those exact specs to run my small forum and I use Debian and it works a treat

Huh! Nice to hear:) So far I’ve seen Ubuntu so much it felt like a requirement. The official guide also recommends it so I wonder if Debian could cause more difficulty for a rookie like me (in setups/modifications/latest updates/making things compatible)? Or is this a non issue

Installing Discourse on a self hosted VPS. A process with FAQs

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NateDhaliwal (Nate Dhaliwal) July 19, 2026, 11:27pm 13

How often would you think snapshots be taken? Once a month, with weekly backups/twice a week? Or is that overkill?

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Installing Discourse on a self hosted VPS. A process with FAQs

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