BookStack on Hostinger.Com KVM VPS

• The Beginner’s Guide
• Table Of Contents
• Introduction
• Deployment
• Prerequisites
• Resourses
• Server Setup
• Install Essentials
• Install Docker & Compose
• Allow your user to run Docker without sudo
• Enable firewall (UFW)
• Traefik & Let’s Encrypt
• Traefik Reverse Proxy
• Create Traefik File

The Beginner’s Guide

Table Of Contents

This book was written for newcomers who want to take a raw VPS and turn it into a **fully running
knowledge base**. You don’t need to be a Docker guru or a Linux wizard — every command and
config you’ll see here was tested on a **Hostinger KVM 2 VPS running Ubuntu 24**. The goal of this
guide is not just to show you *what* to type, but also to explain *why* we type it, so you walk away
with real confidence in managing your own stack.

Chapter 1 Introduction – What BookStack is and why we’re using Docker + Traefik.
Chapter 2 Prerequisites – VPS, domain, email, and tools you’ll need.
[Server Setup](../server-setup)
[Traefik Reverse Proxy](../traefik-reverse-proxy)
[BookStack Installation](../bookstack-installation)
[Domain & DNS Setup](../domain-dns-setup)
[Email Integration](../email-integration)
[First Login & Customization](../first-login)
[Troubleshooting](../troubleshooting)
[Maintenance & Updates](../maintenance)
[Conclusion](../conclusion)
[Appendices](../appendices)
You can read it straight through as a tutorial, or jump directly to the troubleshooting or update
chapters when you need quick answers.
3. **Server Setup** – Updating Ubuntu, installing Docker, and securing your VPS.
Table Of Contents
Chapters
Tip: Treat this book like a reference manual.
4. **Traefik Reverse Proxy** – Configuring SSL with Let’s Encrypt and automatic HTTPS.
5. **BookStack Installation** – Setting up the app and database with Docker Compose.
6. **Domain & DNS Setup** – Pointing your domain to your VPS.
7. **Email Integration** – Enabling password resets and notifications via SMTP.
8. **First Login & Customization** – Logging in, setting your admin, and branding your site.
9. **Troubleshooting** – Fixing common issues like DB errors or missing APP_KEY.
10. **Maintenance & Updates** – How to keep BookStack secure and updated.
11. **Conclusion** – Wrapping up and next steps for scaling your knowledge base.

Introduction

Deployment

BookStack is an open-source wiki & documentation platform, designed to be simple and selfhosted.
Think of it like your personal **company knowledge base** or **digital bookshelf**.
In this guide, we’ll walk through deploying BookStack on:
- **Hostinger KVM 2 VPS** (upgradeable to KVM 4 if needed)
- **Ubuntu 24 LTS**
- **Docker & Docker Compose**
- **Traefik** reverse proxy for HTTPS
- **Domain name:** `books.aimatrix.one`
- **Email account:** `books@aimatrix.one`
You’ll learn not just the “how” but also the “why” behind each step, so you can troubleshoot and
grow your setup confidently.

Prerequisites

Resourses

Before we begin, make sure you have:
A Hostinger VPS
- KVM 2 (2GB RAM, 1 CPU, 40GB storage) is enough for testing.
- KVM 4+ is recommended for production use.
Operating System
- Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS installed.
Domain
- Example: `books.aimatrix.one` pointing to your VPS IP.
Email Account
- Example: `books@aimatrix.one`
- With SMTP access (username, password, host, port).
Basic Linux knowledge
- Comfort with running commands in terminal.

Server Setup

Install Essentials

sudo apt install curl git ufw -y

 

Install Docker & Compose

# Add Docker repo
sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | \
sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
echo \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \
https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin -y

 

Allow your user to run Docker without sudo

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

 

Enable firewall (UFW)

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp
sudo ufw enable

 

Traefik & Let’s Encrypt

Traefik Reverse Proxy

Traefik is a reverse proxy that:

Routes requests from your domain to the right container.
Terminates SSL using **Let’s Encrypt**.
Handles automatic certificate renewals.

This means you don’t have to touch nginx config files or manually manage certs.

Traefik docker-compose.yml

Create a folder:

mkdir -p ~/traefik
cd ~/traefik

Create Traefik File

docker-compose.yml

networks:
proxy:
external: false
volumes:
traefik_letsencrypt: {}
services:
traefik:
image: traefik:v3.1
container_name: traefik
command:
- --providers.docker=true
- --providers.docker.exposedbydefault=false
- --entrypoints.web.address=:80
- --entrypoints.websecure.address=:443
- --entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entryPoint.to=websecure
- --entrypoints.web.http.redirections.entryPoint.scheme=https
- --certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.tlsChallenge=true
- --certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.email=books@aimatrix.one
- --certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json
ports:
- "80:80"
- "443:443"
volumes:
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
- traefik_letsencrypt:/letsencrypt
networks:
- proxy
restart: unless-stopped