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Learn How to Deploy BookStack on Ubuntu VPS! This article provides a guide to deploy BookStack on Ubuntu VPS. What is BookStack? BookStack is a free, open-source, self-hosted documentation and wiki platform used to organize and store information. It is designed to be simple enough for non-technical users while still being useful for teams managing internal documentation, knowledge bases, SOPs, client docs, technical guides, company wikis, and tools like Confluence. Its structure is intentionally modeled after real books: Shelves → Books → Chapters → Pages For example, a hosting company might organize BookStack like this: Shelf: Internal Operations Book: VPS Support Procedures Chapter: Common Customer Issues Page: How to Troubleshoot SSH Login Failures Page: How to Handle Disk Space Alerts BookStack is built with PHP/Laravel and typically uses MySQL or MariaDB as its database. It is self-hosted, meaning you install it on your own VPS or server instead of relying on a hosted SaaS documentation provider. Common use cases include: Internal company knowledge base IT documentation Server administration notes Client-facing documentation Standard operating procedures Employee onboarding manuals Project documentation Private wiki replacement Open-source alternative to tools like Confluence or Notion-style documentation systems One of its biggest strengths is that it is opinionated and structured. Instead of giving you a blank wiki with endless organizational freedom, BookStack encourages users to organize content in a clean, book-like hierarchy. That makes it easier for teams to keep documentation tidy over time. Its project definition says the goal is a pleasant, simple experience where users only need basic word-processing skills to create content. In practical terms, BookStack is a good choice when you want a clean, self-hosted documentation system that is easy for staff or clients to navigate without needing a complex enterprise knowledge-management platform. Below is a production-oriented guide to deploy BookStack on Ubuntu VPS using Apache as the local backend, Nginx as the public reverse proxy, and Let’s Encrypt/Certbot for SSL with automated renewal. Prerequisites Before attempting to deploy BookStack on Ubuntu VPS, verify your environment meets the following minimal system requirements: BookStack is highly efficient and can run on minimal, low-cost cloud/VPS. CPU: 1-2 Core RAM: 1-2 GB Storage: 1+ GB Software Requirements Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 0r Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (preferred). PHP: Version 8.2 or higher. You must be able to run PHP from the command line interface (CLI) for maintenance and updates. PHP Extensions: The application requires several extensions, typically including BCMath, CURL, GD, Hash, MBString, OpenSSL, PDO, Tokenizer, XML, ZIP, and Tidy. Database: MySQL > 8.0 or MariaDB > 10.6. Web Server: Any PHP-compatible web server, though Nginx or Apache are the most common and recommended choices. Tools: Composer > v2.2.0 (PHP dependency manager) and Git version control are required for standard installation and ongoing updates. How to Deploy BookStack on Ubuntu VPS with Nginx Reverse Proxy To Deploy Bookstack on Ubuntu VPS, follow the steps below: Deployment Overview This guide installs BookStack on an Ubuntu VPS using the following architecture: Internet | | HTTPS :443 v Nginx reverse proxy | | HTTP :8080 on localhost v Apache + PHP | v BookStack application | v MariaDB/MySQL database This layout is useful when you want Nginx to manage public HTTP/HTTPS traffic, SSL certificates, redirects, and proxy headers while Apache serves the PHP application locally. The example values used in this guide are: Domain: docs.example.com BookStack path: /var/www/bookstack Backend Apache port: 127.0.0.1:8080 Database name: bookstack Database user: bookstackuser Replace these values with your real domain, database credentials, and server details. Prerequisites Before starting, make sure you have: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS VPS Root or sudo user access A domain or subdomain pointed to the VPS IP address Ports 80 and 443 open to the public At least 1 GB RAM, preferably 2 GB or more Check your Ubuntu version: lsb_release -a Check that your domain resolves to the VPS: dig +short docs.example.com Or: ping docs.example.com If the domain does not resolve to your VPS IP address yet, update your DNS A record before continuing. Update the Server Log in to your VPS: ssh root@your_server_ip Update the package index and upgrade installed packages: apt update apt upgrade -y Install basic tools: apt install -y software-properties-common curl wget unzip git nano ufw Reboot if the system installed a new kernel: reboot Reconnect after the reboot. Configure the Firewall Allow SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS: ufw allow OpenSSH ufw allow 80/tcp ufw allow 443/tcp ufw enable Check status: ufw status Expected result: OpenSSH ALLOW 80/tcp ALLOW 443/tcp ALLOW Do not expose Apache’s backend port publicly. Apache will listen only on 127.0.0.1:8080. Install Apache, Nginx, MariaDB, PHP, and Required Extensions Install Apache, Nginx, MariaDB, PHP, and common BookStack dependencies: apt install -y \ apache2 \ nginx \ mariadb-server \ php \ php-cli \ php-common \ php-mysql \ php-curl \ php-mbstring \ php-xml \ php-zip \ php-gd \ php-ldap \ php-tokenizer \ php-bcmath \ php-fpm \ libapache2-mod-php \ composer Check PHP version: php -v BookStack requires PHP 8.2 or newer. Enable Apache modules required for Laravel-style routing: a2enmod rewrite a2enmod headers Restart Apache: systemctl restart apache2 Enable services on boot: systemctl enable apache2 systemctl enable nginx systemctl enable mariadb Secure MariaDB Run the MariaDB secure installation helper: mysql_secure_installation Recommended responses: Switch to unix_socket authentication: Y Change root password: N, unless you specifically want one Remove anonymous users: Y Disallow root login remotely: Y Remove test database: Y Reload privilege tables: Y Log in to MariaDB: mysql Create the BookStack database and database user: CREATE DATABASE bookstack CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci; CREATE USER 'bookstackuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'CHANGE_THIS_STRONG_PASSWORD'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON bookstack.* TO 'bookstackuser'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; EXIT; Use a strong password and save it somewhere secure. Download BookStack Move to the web directory: cd /var/www Clone the stable BookStack release branch: git clone https://github.com/BookStackApp/BookStack.git --branch release --single-branch bookstack Enter the BookStack directory: cd /var/www/bookstack Install PHP dependencies: composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader If Composer warns you about running as root, confirm only if you are intentionally performing this installation as root on your VPS. Configure BookStack Environment Settings Copy the example environment file: cp .env.example .env Edit the .env file: nano .env Update the main settings: APP_URLhttps://docs.example.com DB_HOSTlocalhost DB_DATABASEbookstack DB_USERNAMEbookstackuser DB_PASSWORDCHANGE_THIS_STRONG_PASSWORD Because this deployment places BookStack behind Nginx, add a trusted proxy setting: APP_PROXIES127.0.0.1 For HTTPS cookies, you can also explicitly add: SESSION_SECURE_COOKIEtrue BookStack uses APP_URL to generate consistent URLs, so it should match the final public URL exactly. Do not use the backend Apache port in APP_URL. Save and exit. Generate the application key: php artisan key:generate --no-interaction --force Run database migrations: php artisan migrate --no-interaction --force Clear and rebuild caches: php artisan cache:clear php artisan config:clear php artisan view:clear Set ownership and permissions: chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/bookstack find /var/www/bookstack -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \; find /var/www/bookstack -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \; chmod -R ug+rwx /var/www/bookstack/storage /var/www/bookstack/bootstrap/cache /var/www/bookstack/public/uploads BookStack’s own troubleshooting guidance notes that blank-screen issues are often caused by incorrect permissions on bootstrap/cache, storage, and public/uploads. Configure Apache as the Local BookStack Backend Apache should serve BookStack only locally on port 8080. Edit Apache ports: nano /etc/apache2/ports.conf Change: Listen 80 To: Listen 127.0.0.1:8080 Disable the default Apache site: a2dissite 000-default.conf Create a BookStack Apache virtual host: nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/bookstack-backend.conf Paste: ServerName docs.example.com DocumentRoot /var/www/bookstack/public Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Require all granted ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/bookstack-error.log CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/bookstack-access.log combined Enable the site: a2ensite bookstack-backend.conf Test Apache configuration: apachectl configtest Restart Apache: systemctl restart apache2 Confirm Apache is listening only on localhost port 8080: ss -tulpn | grep apache Expected result should include something like: 127.0.0.1:8080 Test the backend locally: curl -I http://127.0.0.1:8080 A 200, 302, or similar HTTP response means Apache is responding. Configure Nginx as the Public Reverse Proxy Create an Nginx site file: nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/bookstack Paste the following temporary HTTP-only configuration: server { listen 80; server_name docs.example.com; client_max_body_size 100M; location / { proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080; proxy_http_version 1.1; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Port $server_port; proxy_redirect off; } } NGINX’s reverse proxy documentation describes the use of proxy_pass for passing requests to an upstream service and proxy_set_header for forwarding headers such as Host and client IP information. Enable the site: ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/bookstack /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/bookstack Remove the default Nginx site if it is enabled: rm -f /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default Test Nginx: nginx -t Reload Nginx: systemctl reload nginx Visit: http://docs.example.com At this stage, BookStack should load over plain HTTP. Install Certbot The official Certbot instructions recommend the snap-based installation method for most users and note that Certbot’s installed packages include a cron job or systemd timer for automatic renewal. Install snapd if needed: apt install -y snapd Update snap core: snap install core snap refresh core Remove any older apt-based Certbot package if present: apt remove -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx || true Install Certbot: snap install --classic certbot Create the Certbot command symlink: ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/local/bin/certbot Verify: certbot --version Request and Install the SSL Certificate Use Certbot’s Nginx plugin: certbot --nginx -d docs.example.com When prompted: Enter your email address Agree to the Terms of Service Choose whether to share your email with EFF Select redirect HTTP to HTTPS if prompted Certbot should modify the Nginx configuration automatically. After completion, visit: https://docs.example.com Confirm the site loads with a valid SSL certificate. Review the Final Nginx Configuration Open the Nginx site: nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/bookstack Certbot may have modified it. A good final configuration should resemble this: server { listen 80; server_name docs.example.com; return 301 https://$host$request_uri; } server { listen 443 ssl http2; server_name docs.example.com; client_max_body_size 100M; ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/docs.example.com/fullchain.pem; ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/docs.example.com/privkey.pem; include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf; ssl_dhparam /etc/letsencrypt/ssl-dhparams.pem; location / { proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080; proxy_http_version 1.1; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Port 443; proxy_redirect off; } } Test Nginx: nginx -t Reload Nginx: systemctl reload nginx Test Automated SSL Renewal Run a dry-run renewal test: certbot renew --dry-run A successful dry run confirms that renewal should work automatically. Check the systemd timer: systemctl list-timers | grep certbot You can also check snap timers: systemctl list-timers | grep snap.certbot The Certbot documentation notes that automatic renewal is normally installed through either a cron job or systemd timer, and renewal can be tested with: certbot renew --dry-run Create a Renewal Deploy Hook for Nginx Reload Certbot usually reloads Nginx when using the Nginx plugin, but adding a deploy hook is a good safety measure. Create a deploy hook: nano /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/reload-nginx.sh Paste: #!/bin/bash systemctl reload nginx Make it executable: chmod +x /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/reload-nginx.sh Test again: certbot renew --dry-run Log In to BookStack Open: https://docs.example.com Default BookStack login credentials are commonly: Email: admin@admin.com Password: password If those credentials do not work, create a new admin user from the command line: cd /var/www/bookstack php artisan bookstack:create-admin Follow the prompts to create an administrator account. Immediately after logging in: Change the admin email. Change the admin password. Configure your site name. Configure mail settings. Disable or remove any default test account if one exists. Configure Outbound Mail BookStack can operate without mail for basic use, but password resets, invitations, and notifications require SMTP. Edit: nano /var/www/bookstack/.env Example SMTP configuration: MAIL_DRIVERsmtp MAIL_HOSTsmtp.example.com MAIL_PORT587 MAIL_USERNAMEsmtp-user@example.com MAIL_PASSWORDCHANGE_THIS_SMTP_PASSWORD MAIL_ENCRYPTIONtls MAIL_FROMdocs@example.com MAIL_FROM_NAME"BookStack" Clear config cache: cd /var/www/bookstack php artisan config:clear php artisan cache:clear Restart Apache: systemctl restart apache2 Increase Upload Limits BookStack supports image and file uploads. If you need larger uploads, adjust PHP, Apache, and Nginx limits. Find the active PHP version: php -v Edit PHP Apache configuration. For PHP 8.3, for example: nano /etc/php/8.3/apache2/php.ini Update: upload_max_filesize 100M post_max_size 100M memory_limit 256M max_execution_time 120 Update Nginx upload size if not already set: nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/bookstack Inside the HTTPS server block, make sure this exists: client_max_body_size 100M; Restart services: systemctl restart apache2 systemctl reload nginx Add Basic Security Hardening Disable Apache public exposure by confirming it is bound only to localhost: ss -tulpn | grep ':8080' You should see: 127.0.0.1:8080 Confirm Apache is not listening on public port 80: ss -tulpn | grep apache Add security headers in Nginx: nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/bookstack Inside the HTTPS server block, add: add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always; add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always; add_header Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin" always; add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; modeblock" always; Do not add an overly restrictive Content Security Policy unless you test it carefully, because it can break application features. Test and reload: nginx -t systemctl reload nginx Set Up BookStack Backups At minimum, back up: The database The .env file The storage directory The public/uploads directory Create a backup directory: mkdir -p /root/bookstack-backups chmod 700 /root/bookstack-backups Create a backup script: nano /usr/local/sbin/backup-bookstack.sh Paste: #!/bin/bash set -e BACKUP_DIR"/root/bookstack-backups" DATE"$(date +%F-%H%M%S)" APP_DIR"/var/www/bookstack" mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR/$DATE" mysqldump bookstack > "$BACKUP_DIR/$DATE/bookstack.sql" cp "$APP_DIR/.env" "$BACKUP_DIR/$DATE/.env" tar -czf "$BACKUP_DIR/$DATE/bookstack-files.tar.gz" \ "$APP_DIR/storage" \ "$APP_DIR/public/uploads" find "$BACKUP_DIR" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -mtime +14 -exec rm -rf {} \; Make it executable: chmod +x /usr/local/sbin/backup-bookstack.sh Test it: /usr/local/sbin/backup-bookstack.sh Add a daily cron job: crontab -e Add: 30 2 * * * /usr/local/sbin/backup-bookstack.sh >/var/log/bookstack-backup.log 2>&1 This runs backups daily at 2:30 AM. For production, copy backups off-server using SFTP, rsync, object storage, or your VPS provider’s backup system. Updating BookStack Before updating, always run a backup. /usr/local/sbin/backup-bookstack.sh Update BookStack: cd /var/www/bookstack git pull origin release composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader php artisan migrate --no-interaction --force php artisan cache:clear php artisan config:clear php artisan view:clear chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/bookstack systemctl restart apache2 BookStack’s update documentation recommends backing up the database and uploaded files before updating. Troubleshooting Problem: Nginx shows 502 Bad Gateway Check Apache: systemctl status apache2 Check whether Apache is listening: ss -tulpn | grep 8080 Check logs: tail -n 100 /var/log/nginx/error.log tail -n 100 /var/log/apache2/bookstack-error.log Restart services: systemctl restart apache2 systemctl reload nginx Problem: BookStack redirects to HTTP instead of HTTPS Check .env: nano /var/www/bookstack/.env Confirm: APP_URLhttps://docs.example.com APP_PROXIES127.0.0.1 SESSION_SECURE_COOKIEtrue Clear cache: cd /var/www/bookstack php artisan config:clear php artisan cache:clear systemctl restart apache2 Also confirm Nginx is passing: proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Port 443; Problem: Blank white page Fix permissions: cd /var/www/bookstack chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/bookstack chmod -R ug+rwx storage bootstrap/cache public/uploads Check logs: tail -n 100 /var/www/bookstack/storage/logs/laravel.log tail -n 100 /var/log/apache2/bookstack-error.log Problem: CSS or images do not load Confirm APP_URL exactly matches the public URL: APP_URLhttps://docs.example.com Then clear caches: cd /var/www/bookstack php artisan config:clear php artisan cache:clear php artisan view:clear Restart Apache: systemctl restart apache2 Problem: Certbot renewal fails Run: certbot renew --dry-run Check Nginx config: nginx -t Check Certbot logs: tail -n 100 /var/log/letsencrypt/letsencrypt.log Confirm ports 80 and 443 are reachable: ufw status Confirm DNS still points to the server: dig +short docs.example.com Useful Service Commands Restart Apache: systemctl restart apache2 Restart Nginx: systemctl restart nginx Reload Nginx without dropping active connections: systemctl reload nginx Restart MariaDB: systemctl restart mariadb Check BookStack Laravel logs: tail -f /var/www/bookstack/storage/logs/laravel.log Check Nginx logs: tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log Check Apache logs: tail -f /var/log/apache2/bookstack-access.log tail -f /var/log/apache2/bookstack-error.log Final Verification Checklist Use this checklist before considering the deployment complete: DNS points docs.example.com to the VPS IP address. UFW allows ports 22, 80, and 443. Apache listens only on 127.0.0.1:8080. Nginx listens publicly on ports 80 and 443. HTTP redirects to HTTPS. SSL certificate is valid. certbot renew --dry-run succeeds. BookStack loads at https://docs.example.com. APP_URL uses the final HTTPS URL. APP_PROXIES is set to 127.0.0.1. Admin password has been changed. SMTP mail has been configured. Backups are scheduled and tested. Once all checks pass, BookStack is ready for production use behind an Nginx reverse proxy with automated SSL renewal. Conclusion You now know how to deploy BookStack on Ubuntu VPS

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