Discourse Installation Script for Ubuntu

This script automates the installation of a production-ready Discourse site on Ubuntu. It simplifies the process of setting up Discourse by handling the installation of dependencies, configuration, and deployment using Docker.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later
• Sudo privileges
• A domain name pointing to your server's IP address

Installation

1. Clone this repository or download the install_discourse.sh script to your Ubuntu server.

2. Create a .env file in the same directory as the script with the following content:

   DISCOURSE_HOSTNAME=your_domain.com
   DISCOURSE_DEVELOPER_EMAILS=your_email@example.com
   DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS=smtp.example.com
   DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT=587
   DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME=your_smtp_username
   DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD=your_smtp_password
   LETSENCRYPT_ACCOUNT_EMAIL=your_email@example.com
   DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password  # Optional
   REDIS_PASSWORD=your_redis_password  # Optional
   

   Replace the placeholder values with your actual information.

3. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x install_discourse.sh
   

4. Run the script with sudo privileges:

   sudo ./install_discourse.sh
   

5. Follow the on-screen prompts and wait for the installation to complete.

6. Once the installation is finished, visit https://your_domain.com to complete the Discourse setup process.

Configuration

The script uses the values provided in the .env file to configure Discourse. Here's what each variable means:

• DISCOURSE_HOSTNAME: Your domain name (e.g., forum.example.com)
• DISCOURSE_DEVELOPER_EMAILS: Email address of the admin user
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: SMTP server address for sending emails
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: SMTP server port (usually 587 for TLS)
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: SMTP username
• DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: SMTP password
• LETSENCRYPT_ACCOUNT_EMAIL: Email address for Let's Encrypt notifications
• DB_PASSWORD: (Optional) PostgreSQL database password
• REDIS_PASSWORD: (Optional) Redis password

If DB_PASSWORD and REDIS_PASSWORD are not provided, the script will generate random passwords.

Important Notes

• This script is intended for a fresh installation on a clean Ubuntu system. Running it on a system with existing Docker configurations or another web server might cause conflicts.
• Make sure your domain's DNS is properly configured to point to your server before running the script.
• The script will install Docker and Docker Compose if they are not already present on your system.
• After installation, it's recommended to secure your server further by setting up a firewall and keeping the system updated.
• Regularly backup your Discourse data and keep your system and Discourse installation up to date.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during installation:

1. Check the Discourse logs:

   cd /opt/discourse
   sudo ./launcher logs app
   

2. Ensure all required ports (80, 443) are open and not in use by other applications.

3. Verify that your .env file contains all required variables and that they are correctly set.

4. If you need to rebuild the Discourse container:

   cd /opt/discourse
   sudo ./launcher rebuild app
   

For more detailed troubleshooting and customization options, refer to the official Discourse Docker documentation.

Support

For issues related to this installation script, please open an issue in this repository.

For general Discourse support, visit the official Discourse meta forum.

Remember to keep your .env file and any logs containing sensitive information secure and never share them publicly when seeking support.