Questions people ask

Before you start#

Do I need a domain?#

No. Everything works on your own network at http://address:port, which is how most people start. Add a domain later if you want proper addresses and HTTPS from outside, or for apps that talk to other servers. Only two apps won't install without one: Mastodon and Authelia. See Domains and HTTPS.

Do I need to open ports on my router?#

Not to get started. To reach your apps from outside, a server at home needs one port forwarded for the LibrePortal VPN (UDP 51830), or none at all with LibrePortal Connect. A VPS needs nothing forwarded. You only forward 80 and 443 if you use a domain: Let's Encrypt checks the domain on port 80 before it hands out a certificate, and apps on the domain are served on 443.

What kind of machine do I need?#

A 64-bit PC or ARM board with Debian or Ubuntu, 2 GB of memory or more, and 20 GB of free disk plus room for your files. An old laptop or a small mini PC is ideal. See What you need.

Will it run on a Raspberry Pi?#

Yes, on a Pi 4 or 5 running a 64-bit system: Debian, or Raspberry Pi OS, which is based on Debian and installs with a warning. LibrePortal itself runs fine; a few apps only publish images for PCs. Get the 8 GB model if you can; memory runs out before anything else.

Can I install it on the computer I use every day?#

You can, but it's happiest on a machine of its own. It switches on a firewall, runs Docker, wants ports 80 and 443 if you add a domain, and its apps use memory your desktop would like. See Install LibrePortal.

Is it free?#

Yes, completely, with every feature. It's open source under the GNU AGPL. See The Promise.

Does LibrePortal send anything about me anywhere?#

No. There's no telemetry, no analytics and no account to create. Your server only fetches what it needs, like updates and your apps' images, and the website lists every place it contacts.

Signing in#

Which password is the WebUI password?#

Not the one the installer printed near the start as Generated password for the 'libreportal' system user; that belongs to the libreportal account on the machine. The WebUI has its own random username and password. Get them with:

sudo -u libreportal libreportal webui login show

See First login and setup.

Can I change the WebUI username and password?#

sudo -u libreportal libreportal webui login reset makes a new random pair and prints it. See Troubleshooting.

Day to day, change your own username and password on Admin → People or My account. If you've lost them, webui login reset gets you back in from the server's shell.

Can more than one person have a WebUI login?#

Yes. Add them on Admin → Users and choose what each person can do, from a full co-admin to someone who can only open the apps you pick. See Accounts and people. The people you share apps with still get accounts in those apps. Many apps have a Create User Account tool on their Tools tab for that.

Where's an app's admin password?#

In its Login Details, shown when the install finishes. Press Welcome on the app's page to see them again. See Installing apps.

Everyday use#

Will my apps update themselves?#

Most of them, between 06:00 and 08:00, with a backup first and an automatic rollback if the update fails. A few, like Funkwhale, wait for you on purpose, because their updates can't be undone. See Updates.

Does LibrePortal update itself?#

No, it tells you. The Update button in the top bar lights up, and you choose when. Over SSH, use libreportal update apply. See Updates.

Are my apps backed up?#

If you left backups on Automatic in the setup wizard, every app with Enable Backups switched on is backed up every night at 05:00, encrypted. But until you add a backup location that isn't on the server, a dead disk takes the backups with it. See Backups and restore.

Can I run two copies of the same app?#

For many apps, yes: a family Nextcloud and a work one, each with its own data. See More than one copy of an app.

My disk is filling up. What can I do?#

Add a second disk and move the big apps onto it. See Disks and storage. Admin → System → Storage shows which apps are using the space, and can reclaim space taken by old Docker images.

Can I get to my apps when I'm away from home?#

Yes. Turn on the LibrePortal VPN and add your phone, and your private apps work from anywhere as if you were at home.

Can I use LibrePortal without the WebUI?#

Yes. Everything the WebUI does has a command on the server. See The command line.

Moving and leaving#

Can I move to a new server later?#

Yes. Back up to somewhere the new machine can reach, install LibrePortal there, and choose Restore from backup in the setup wizard. See Backups and restore.

How do I remove LibrePortal completely?#

sudo libreportal-uninstall, after copying anything you want to keep off the machine. It removes your apps' data and the backups folder, even one you put on another disk. See Uninstalling.

Is my data locked into LibrePortal?#

No. Your apps are ordinary open-source apps running in Docker, and their data sits in ordinary folders under /libreportal-containers. The backups are ordinary restic repositories, which restic can open on any computer with the password.