SELF-HOSTING.md

Self-Hosting Workout-Cool

Deploy Workout-Cool on your own server using Docker. This guide provides two deployment options with step-by-step instructions.

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📑 Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Quick Start
  • Common Setup Steps
  • Option 1: Docker Compose (All-in-One)
  • Option 2: Docker Only (External Database)
• Management Commands
• Mapping Your Domain & Enabling HTTPS
• Troubleshooting
• Resources & Support

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📋 Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure your server meets these requirements:

• Operating System: Linux server or VPS (Ubuntu 20.04+ recommended)
• Docker: Install Docker
• Docker Compose: Install Docker Compose
• Git: Install Git
• Basic Knowledge: Familiarity with command line operations

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🚀 Quick Start

Prefer watching? Watch our 3-minute video guide on self-hosting Workout.Cool:

Common Setup Steps

These steps are required for both deployment options:

1. Connect to Your Server

ssh your-user@your-server-ip

2. Clone the Repository

mkdir -p ~/apps
cd ~/apps
git clone https://github.com/Snouzy/workout-cool.git
cd workout-cool

3. Configure Environment Variables

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Essential Environment Variables:

# Application Configuration (Required for both options)
BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://your-server-ip:3000
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-secret-key-here

# Optional: Seed sample data on first run
SEED_SAMPLE_DATA=true

4. Customize Sample Data (Optional)

nano data/sample-exercises.csv

📚 See Exercise Database Import section in the README.

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Option 1: Docker Compose (All-in-One)

This option automatically sets up both the application and PostgreSQL database.

Additional Environment Variables:

# Database Configuration (Docker Compose)
POSTGRES_USER=my-user
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=my-password
POSTGRES_DB=workout-cool
DB_HOST=postgres
DB_PORT=5432

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://username:password@postgres:5432/workout-cool

Deploy:

docker compose up -d

Access:

Visit http://your-server-ip:3000

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Option 2: Docker Only (External Database)

Use this option if you have an existing PostgreSQL database.

Additional Environment Variables:

# Database Configuration (External Database)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://username:password@your-db-host:5432/workout-cool

Deploy:

docker build -t workout-cool .
docker run -d --name workout-cool -p 3000:3000 --env-file .env workout-cool

Access:

Visit http://your-server-ip:3000

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🌐 Mapping Your Domain & Enabling HTTPS

Make your app accessible via your own domain and secure it with HTTPS. Here's how:

1. Point Your Domain

1. Log in to your domain registrar.
2. Create an A record for yourdomain.com pointing to your server's IP.
3. (Optional) Create a CNAME record for www pointing to yourdomain.com.

2. Set Up HTTPS with a Reverse Proxy

Option A: Caddy (Recommended)

Caddy provides automatic HTTPS and a simpler config.

1. Install Caddy:

   sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https
   curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg
   echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg] https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/deb/debian all main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install caddy

2. Configure Caddy:

   sudo nano /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

   Add:

   yourdomain.com {
       reverse_proxy localhost:3000
   }
   

3. Reload Caddy:

   sudo systemctl reload caddy

✅ Caddy will:

• Automatically request and install an SSL certificate via Let’s Encrypt
• Renew it automatically
• Proxy requests to your app running on port 3000

Option B: Nginx + Let's Encrypt

Use this if you're more familiar with Nginx.

1. Install Nginx & Certbot:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

2. Create Nginx config:

   sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/workout-cool

   Add:

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
   
       location / {
           proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
           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;
       }
   }
   

3. Enable and reload:

   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/workout-cool /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
   sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

4. Get an HTTPS certificate:

   sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

3. Update Environment

Update your .env file with the new domain

BETTER_AUTH_URL=https://yourdomain.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=https://yourdomain.com

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🛠️ Management Commands

Docker Compose Commands

# Start/Stop services
docker compose up -d
docker compose down

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

# Update and restart
git pull
docker compose down
docker compose up -d --build

Docker Commands

# Start/Stop container
docker start workout-cool
docker stop workout-cool

# View logs
docker logs -f workout-cool

# Update application
git pull
docker build -t workout-cool .
docker stop workout-cool
docker rm workout-cool
docker run -d --name workout-cool -p 3000:3000 --env-file .env workout-cool

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🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Application Won't Start

# Check logs
docker compose logs workout_cool  # or docker logs workout-cool

# Verify environment variables using docker compose
docker compose exec workout_cool env | grep DATABASE_URL  # or docker exec workout-cool env | grep DATABASE_URL

Database Connection Issues

# Test database connectivity (Docker Compose)
docker compose exec postgres psql -U postgres -d workout_cool -c "SELECT 1;"

# Check database status
docker compose ps postgres

Port Already in Use

# Check what's using port 3000
sudo lsof -i :3000

# Change port in docker-compose.yml
# ports:
#   - "3001:3000"  # Use port 3001 instead

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the logs: Use docker compose logs or docker logs
2. Verify configuration: Ensure all environment variables are set correctly
3. Database connectivity: Test database connection manually
4. Search existing issues or create a new one on GitHub
5. Join our Discord community for support

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📚 Resources & Support

Documentation

• Docker Documentation
• Docker Compose Documentation
• PostgreSQL Documentation
• Next.js Deployment Guide
• Caddy Documentation

Community & Support

• GitHub: Repository | Issues
• Discord: Join our community

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Last updated: July 2025