# BookStack on Hostinger.Com KVM VPS

\*The Beginner’s Guide to BookStack on a Hostinger VPS is your step-by-step playbook for building a modern, self-hosted knowledge base from scratch.\*

# The Beginner’s Guide

Welcome to BookStack at Hostinger.Com KVM VPS: 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

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\*\*.

# 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

Before we begin, make sure you have

# 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
```