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What Happens During Server Setup

When you add a server to Appliku -- whether it is a DigitalOcean droplet, an AWS EC2 instance, a Hetzner Cloud server, or a custom server -- Appliku connects via SSH and runs an automated setup process.

Setup Steps

Appliku performs the following steps during server setup:

1. OS Package Updates

Appliku updates the system package index and upgrades installed packages to their latest versions, including a new kernel when the distribution has one. This ensures the server has the latest security patches.

apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade -y

On servers that Appliku creates at DigitalOcean, AWS EC2 or Hetzner Cloud, Appliku normally reboots the server into the new kernel at the end of the setup if a newer kernel was installed. The server page shows "Rebooting into the new kernel… the server will be marked ready once it is back." The server is ready when it is back online, or after 15 minutes if Appliku cannot confirm the reboot. In some cases the reboot is skipped; check the kernel status on the server page. Custom servers are not rebooted by the setup; see Kernel Security Updates.

2. Docker Installation

Docker is installed and configured as the container runtime. Appliku uses Docker to run your applications in isolated containers. Docker Compose is also installed for managing multi-container deployments on standalone servers.

3. Nginx Installation

Nginx is installed and configured as a reverse proxy. It handles:

  • HTTP routing -- directing traffic to the correct application container based on the domain name
  • SSL termination -- handling HTTPS connections so your application only needs to serve HTTP
  • Static file serving -- serving static assets efficiently

4. Firewall Configuration

Appliku configures UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) to secure the server. The default rules allow:

  • SSH (port 22, or your custom SSH port)
  • HTTP (port 80)
  • HTTPS (port 443)

All other incoming traffic is blocked by default.

5. Let's Encrypt Configuration

Let's Encrypt integration is configured for automatic SSL certificate provisioning. When you add a domain to your application, Appliku automatically obtains and renews SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt.

No agent installed

Appliku does not install any management agent on your server. All ongoing management -- deployments, monitoring, and configuration -- is performed entirely over SSH, with no footprint on server resources.

Monitoring Setup Progress

You can monitor the setup process on the server detail page in the Appliku dashboard. The Setup Logs tab shows the current step and any output from the setup process.

Setup typically takes 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the server's location and performance.

A new cloud server can need some time before it accepts SSH connections. While Appliku waits, the server page shows "Setting up the server… connecting to it now. Appliku keeps retrying until it comes online; this can take a few minutes." and the setup log shows lines such as "Server SSH is not ready yet …; will keep retrying". This is normal and is not a failure. Appliku gives each setup attempt 15 minutes. If the server does not come online or the setup does not finish in that time, the setup fails.

If Appliku is being updated, the setup can wait for a short time. The server page then shows "Platform update in progress. Server setup starts soon."

When Setup Fails

When the setup fails, the server page shows "Server setup failed." and a Retry setup button. The team also gets a notification with the reason, for example "The server did not come online in time." or "Authentication failed: …".

Click Retry setup to connect to the server again and run the setup from the start, with a new 15-minute limit. Check the setup log for the reason first: a retry does not help when, for example, the SSH key is wrong.

If you delete the server while its setup runs, the setup stops with an error status.

After Setup

Once setup is complete, the server status changes to Active. You can then:

Troubleshooting

If the setup process fails or gets stuck:

  • Make sure the server meets the requirements (supported OS, SSH access, fresh installation)
  • Check that no firewall on the provider side is blocking SSH access from Appliku
  • Verify the SSH credentials are correct
  • Click Retry setup on the server page
  • Try removing the server and adding it again

For persistent issues, check the Troubleshooting section or contact support.