Ente Docker Self-Host Installer

Run Ente locally in minutes with Docker or Podman.

This repository is a local self-host deployment wrapper for Ente. It uses the official server image and does not modify Ente itself.

• Ente image: ghcr.io/ente-io/server:latest
• Runtime support: Docker and Podman
• Target: Linux (Ubuntu/Debian first)

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/subhangadirli/ente-docker.git
cd ente-docker
./install.sh

After install, the stack is up and managed with:

./ente start
./ente stop
./ente logs
./ente reset --yes

Features

• Docker support
• Podman support (preferred when available)
• Zero-config default mode
• Optional interactive setup (./install.sh --interactive)
• Secure auto-generated secrets
• Persistent local data directory (~/.ente-docker)

Architecture

flowchart LR
    Client[Local Client / Browser] -->|HTTP| Ente[Ente Server]
    Ente --> Postgres[(PostgreSQL)]
    Ente --> MinIO[(MinIO S3 Storage)]

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What install.sh Does

1. Detects runtime in this order: Podman, then Docker.
2. Installs Docker automatically on Debian/Ubuntu when no runtime exists.
3. Creates local working directory (~/.ente-docker by default).
4. Generates secure secrets and writes .env automatically.
5. Copies compose files into the working directory.
6. Starts the stack using the right compose command.
7. Prints URLs and management commands.

Runtime Commands

Installer and CLI automatically choose the correct compose command:

• Docker: docker compose (or docker-compose fallback)
• Podman: podman compose (or podman-compose fallback)

Configuration

Default install is non-interactive and requires no manual edits.

Optional flags:

./install.sh --interactive
./install.sh --engine podman
./install.sh --engine docker
./install.sh --data-dir ~/.ente-docker
./install.sh --minio-console yes

Environment template is available in .env.example. Generated runtime .env is stored in ~/.ente-docker/.env.

Ports and Networking

• Exposed by default:
  • 127.0.0.1:8080 -> Ente API
• Not exposed by default:
  • PostgreSQL
  • MinIO API
  • MinIO Console (optional)

Internal services communicate on a private compose network.

FAQ

Docker or Podman?

Both are supported. Podman is preferred automatically when available.

Do I need internet?

Only for pulling container images (and package installation if Docker must be installed).

Is data local?

Yes. Data is stored on your machine under ~/.ente-docker unless you choose a different path.

Troubleshooting

• Check runtime selection:

  ./ente config

• View logs:

  ./ente logs

• Recreate stack:

  ./ente stop
  ./ente start

• Reset all local data (destructive):

  ./ente reset --yes

Smoke test

After ./install.sh the installer attempts a basic smoke test against the API (localhost:8080) if curl is available. If the smoke test fails, check service logs with:

./ente logs

Where state is stored

Installer state and generated runtime artifacts are persisted under the data directory (default ~/.ente-docker). The state file is .ente.state in that directory.

Security Notes

• Secrets are generated locally by the installer.
• The default bind address is localhost.
• Review firewall rules if you expose services beyond localhost.