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Install c9n on DigitalOcean

Your own server for design, knowledge and workflows.

You need a DigitalOcean account, an SSH key, the separately supplied c9n pilot image and the matching installer for the same version. The public download currently contains only the installer. Request the image before creating a paid server.

Request pilot image →
Deploy on DigitalOcean ↗

  1. Create a Docker server

    The button opens the official Docker Droplet template. Select a Linux amd64 server, region and SSH key. Review the displayed price and choose your backup options before creating the server. For a small test without local AI models, we suggest starting with 2 GB RAM; actual requirements depend on your workflows.

  2. Transfer the pilot package

    Upload the separately supplied application image and SHA256SUMS-application.txt to your server. Docker with Compose v2, Python 3 and curl must be available.

  3. Run the shell installer

    Replace VERSION with the version of your pilot image. Download and inspect the script before running it:

    curl -fL https://c9n.app/install.sh -o c9n-install.sh
curl -fL https://c9n.app/install.sh.sha256 -o c9n-install.sh.sha256
sha256sum -c c9n-install.sh.sha256
sh c9n-install.sh --image ./c9n-app-VERSION-linux-amd64.tar.gz

    The installer downloads the matching installation bundle, verifies both checksums and the image ID, generates the encryption key and starts c9n with persistent storage in the new ./c9n directory. Use sudo sh if Docker requires elevated permissions. Existing installations are never overwritten.

    Download shell installer ↓

  4. Create the first administrator

    Open an SSH tunnel from your own computer. Replace SERVER_IP with your Droplet address:

    ssh -N -L 8765:127.0.0.1:8765 root@SERVER_IP

    Open http://127.0.0.1:8765 in your browser and create your administrator. Port 8765 stays closed to the Internet.

  5. Set up team access and backups

    Configure your domain and an HTTPS reverse proxy for team access. Set COOKIE_SECURE=1 in the Compose configuration and recreate the app container. Back up the data volume and .env together. Configure model providers in c9n under Connections; this server does not automatically run models.

Full installation guide →

Why a Droplet? c9n currently uses a local database and files. DigitalOcean App Platform has no persistent local storage and does not support volumes. This button therefore opens Docker Droplet setup. DigitalOcean: App Platform limits ↗