# \#advanced-setup **URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/tag/advanced-setup/481.md [Latest](https://meta.discourse.org/latest.md) · [Categories](https://meta.discourse.org/categories.md) · [Tags](https://meta.discourse.org/tags.md) --- ## [Move from standalone container to separate web and data containers](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-from-standalone-container-to-separate-web-and-data-containers/29413)
**Author:** [@5minpause](https://meta.discourse.org/u/5minpause)\ **Replies:** 138\ **Last updated:** [September 21, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-from-standalone-container-to-separate-web-and-data-containers/29413 "2026-09-21T16:23:04Z")
:warning: This is an advanced setup. Don’t follow this unless you are experienced with Linux server administration and Docker. You also need to pay close attention to commits to discourse\_docker to make sure you notice … --- ## [Run other websites on the same machine as Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/run-other-websites-on-the-same-machine-as-discourse/17247)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2026, 11:19am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/run-other-websites-on-the-same-machine-as-discourse/17247 "2026-06-30T11:19:56Z")
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 … --- ## [Serve Discourse from a subfolder (path prefix) instead of a subdomain](https://meta.discourse.org/t/serve-discourse-from-a-subfolder-path-prefix-instead-of-a-subdomain/30507)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [April 14, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/serve-discourse-from-a-subfolder-path-prefix-instead-of-a-subdomain/30507 "2026-04-14T21:15:09Z")
:warning: Discourse Official Statement about Subfolder setup We support subfolder setups for our hosted customers at the enterprise level and up. Due to heavy technical setup complexity we strongly recommend you do not… --- ## [Using Hidden Site Settings](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-hidden-site-settings/308773)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2024, 10:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-hidden-site-settings/308773 "2024-05-20T22:51:56Z")
:bookmark: This is a how-to guide about Hidden Site Settings, how to enable them, and why you might want to adjust them. :person\_raising\_hand: Required user level: Administrator :warning: Important: Console access is … --- ## [Hidden Site Settings Reference Guide](https://meta.discourse.org/t/hidden-site-settings-reference-guide/308774)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 20, 2024, 10:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/hidden-site-settings-reference-guide/308774 "2024-05-20T22:55:23Z")
:bookmark: This is a reference guide for describing all available Hidden Site Settings. :person\_raising\_hand: Required user level: Administrator Hidden site settings in Discourse are advanced configuration options th… --- ## [Configure direct-delivery incoming email for self-hosted sites with Mail-Receiver](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-direct-delivery-incoming-email-for-self-hosted-sites-with-mail-receiver/49487)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 76\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-direct-delivery-incoming-email-for-self-hosted-sites-with-mail-receiver/49487 "2026-03-27T01:20:21Z")
Discourse is all about enabling civilized discussion. While plenty of people like a web interface, e-mail is still the “hub” of many people’s online lives. That’s why sending e-mail is so important, and when you’re sen… --- ## [Allow SSL / HTTPS for your Discourse Docker setup](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-ssl-https-for-your-discourse-docker-setup/13847)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-ssl-https-for-your-discourse-docker-setup/13847 "2014-03-18T23:45:27Z")
This guide is likely out of date as there are now very few reasons not to use the built-in Let’s Encrypt certificate that Just Works. See also: 2023-04-10 @pfaffman says: This is left here mostly for historical purpos… --- ## [Multisite configuration with Docker](https://meta.discourse.org/t/multisite-configuration-with-docker/14084)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/multisite-configuration-with-docker/14084 "2014-03-25T05:21:03Z")
:warning: While multisite is supported in the Discourse application, this is an advanced sysadmin setup. If you don’t know what you’re doing, do not set up multisite. The Discourse team is unable to provide multisite c… --- ## [Customize direct-delivery Postfix configuration](https://meta.discourse.org/t/customize-direct-delivery-postfix-configuration/118759)
**Author:** [@mpalmer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mpalmer)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/customize-direct-delivery-postfix-configuration/118759 "2026-02-14T23:28:15Z")
If you have a mail receiver container which requires customised Postfix configuration, this is the topic for you. Herein are described the steps required to set Postfix main.cf configuration variables to whatever your h… --- ## [Add an offline page to display when Discourse is rebuilding or starting up](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-an-offline-page-to-display-when-discourse-is-rebuilding-or-starting-up/45238)
**Author:** [@fefrei](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fefrei)\ **Replies:** 140\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2026, 11:01am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-an-offline-page-to-display-when-discourse-is-rebuilding-or-starting-up/45238 "2026-02-03T11:01:35Z")
:warning: This guide is intended for advanced users, who are already using nginx outside the docker container. By following this guide you make your setup more complicated and will lose some speed benefits like HTTP2 if… --- ## [Deploy Discourse without Docker](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deploy-discourse-without-docker/351194)
**Author:** [@fokx](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fokx)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2026, 5:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deploy-discourse-without-docker/351194 "2026-01-08T17:05:01Z")
Though it is more convenient and safer to deploy Discourse following the official install guide, I want to dive deeper into the container and see how it can be deployed in Linux without Docker. I want to share the step… --- ## [Transient 503s after ./launcher rebuild appN when they’re fronted by HAProxy](https://meta.discourse.org/t/transient-503s-after-launcher-rebuild-appn-when-they-re-fronted-by-haproxy/383179)
**Author:** [@Ethsim2](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Ethsim2)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/transient-503s-after-launcher-rebuild-appn-when-they-re-fronted-by-haproxy/383179 "2025-09-26T17:04:39Z")
I had created a test forum with two web\_only containers, the mail-receiver container, Postgres and Redis on a Docker network. The two web containers nginx’s were fronted by HAProxy. They worked well, but i found on rebui… --- ## [Using Discourse with external PostgreSQL and Redis](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-discourse-with-external-postgresql-and-redis/283507)
**Author:** [@5hark](https://meta.discourse.org/u/5hark)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 26, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-discourse-with-external-postgresql-and-redis/283507 "2023-10-26T15:11:01Z")
There are multiple websites on my existing server, PostgreSQL (in Docker) and Redis (also in Docker). I would like to reuse existing Postgres and Redis with Discourse. Here is my containers/app.yml from Discourse: temp… --- ## [Configure Discourse - Environment AWS Linux 2 AMI and Apache2 (httpd)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-discourse-environment-aws-linux-2-ami-and-apache2-httpd/269022)
**Author:** [@Matthew\_Lucas](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Matthew_Lucas)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-discourse-environment-aws-linux-2-ami-and-apache2-httpd/269022 "2023-07-07T17:51:26Z")
Hi All I have been through the docs and read through the configuration setups and recommendations posted and have tried to modify the same for my unique situation. For something that appears to be quite simple, it is i… --- ## [Migrate quickly to separate web and data containers](https://meta.discourse.org/t/migrate-quickly-to-separate-web-and-data-containers/153355)
**Author:** [@mcdanlj](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mcdanlj)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2022, 2:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/migrate-quickly-to-separate-web-and-data-containers/153355 "2022-11-06T02:07:58Z")
:warning: Warning: If you are not comfortable working as a Linux systems administrator, and do not have experience with docker containers, moving to a multi-container deployment will cause you difficulty, and both staf… --- ## [Looking for someone to help me create 2 domains in discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/looking-for-someone-to-help-me-create-2-domains-in-discourse/242884)
**Author:** [@Joker\_Star](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Joker_Star)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 25, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/looking-for-someone-to-help-me-create-2-domains-in-discourse/242884 "2022-10-25T15:29:06Z")
I am going to create 2 domains in discourse forum. One is https for clearnet, one is onion for tor. Once I input onion address in browser’s url bar, It redirected https address automatically. I reference many articles… --- ## [Configure a Cloudfront reverse proxy for a subfolder install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-a-cloudfront-reverse-proxy-for-a-subfolder-install/204859)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-a-cloudfront-reverse-proxy-for-a-subfolder-install/204859 "2021-09-30T11:50:52Z")
This topic is a companion to another, which focuses on the Discourse configuration. Here we will set up a Cloudfront distribution as the reverse proxy before Discourse. :warning: The only time you need this combination… --- ## [Use multiple Docker containers without exposing ports](https://meta.discourse.org/t/use-multiple-docker-containers-without-exposing-ports/22283)
**Author:** [@jspdng](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jspdng)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [June 2, 2017, 9:24am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/use-multiple-docker-containers-without-exposing-ports/22283 "2017-06-02T09:24:03Z")
:warning: This is an advanced setup. Don’t follow this unless you are experienced with Linux server administration and Docker. Hello everyone! If you don’t want to mess with the firewall rules and security of your se… --- ## [Configure Apache proxy with Let's Encrypt](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-apache-proxy-with-lets-encrypt/46139)
**Author:** [@tarek](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tarek)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [June 21, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-apache-proxy-with-lets-encrypt/46139 "2016-06-21T18:06:35Z")
:warning: Using Apache as a proxy is not recommended as Apache Httpd uses thread-per-connection model, and will likely run out of threads very fast as Discourse uses long polling. (related). The goal of this post is t… --- ## [Use a subfolder (path prefix) to serve Discourse with multiple servers sharing a domain](https://meta.discourse.org/t/use-a-subfolder-path-prefix-to-serve-discourse-with-multiple-servers-sharing-a-domain/30514)
**Author:** [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [June 26, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/use-a-subfolder-path-prefix-to-serve-discourse-with-multiple-servers-sharing-a-domain/30514 "2015-06-26T20:57:34Z")
Let’s say you have a WordPress blog on http://=DOMAIN=, and you want to serve your Discourse forums (which run on a different server) from http://=DOMAIN==PATH=. How do you do that? Note: This won’t work for serving mu…