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caprover

Expert guidance for CapRover, the open-source PaaS that turns any Linux server into a Heroku-like platform with automatic HTTPS, one-click app deployment, and Docker-based containerization. Helps developers deploy applications, configure custom domains, and manage the CapRover cluster.

#self-hosted#paas#deployment#docker#one-click
terminal-skillsv1.0.0
Works with:claude-codeopenai-codexgemini-clicursor
Source

Usage

$
✓ Installed caprover v1.0.0

Getting Started

  1. Install the skill using the command above
  2. Open your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Cursor)
  3. Reference the skill in your prompt
  4. The AI will use the skill's capabilities automatically

Example Prompts

  • "Deploy the latest build to the staging environment and run smoke tests"
  • "Check the CI pipeline status and summarize any recent failures"

Documentation

Overview

CapRover, the open-source PaaS that turns any Linux server into a Heroku-like platform with automatic HTTPS, one-click app deployment, and Docker-based containerization. Helps developers deploy applications, configure custom domains, and manage the CapRover cluster.

Instructions

Installation

bash
# Prerequisites: Ubuntu 20.04+, Docker installed, ports 80/443/3000 open

# Install CapRover
docker run -p 80:80 -p 443:443 -p 3000:3000 \
  -e ACCEPTED_TERMS=true \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  -v /captain:/captain \
  caprover/caprover

# Install CLI
npm install -g caprover

# Set up server (interactive)
caprover serversetup
# → Enter: IP address, root domain (*.apps.myserver.com), email for SSL, password

# Login
caprover login
# → URL: https://captain.apps.myserver.com

Deploy Applications

Deploy via CLI, Git, or Dockerfile:

bash
# Method 1: CLI deploy from current directory
caprover deploy -a my-api

# Method 2: Deploy with a captain-definition file
cat > captain-definition << 'EOF'
{
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "dockerfilePath": "./Dockerfile"
}
EOF
caprover deploy -a my-api
json
// captain-definition — Deployment configuration
// Option A: Dockerfile-based
{
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "dockerfilePath": "./Dockerfile"
}

// Option B: Image-based (pre-built)
{
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "imageName": "ghcr.io/myorg/my-api:v1.2.3"
}

// Option C: Docker Compose (multi-container)
{
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "dockerComposeFileLocation": "./docker-compose.yml"
}

One-Click Apps

Deploy popular software instantly through the web UI:

markdown
## Available One-Click Apps (examples)
- **Databases**: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, MariaDB
- **CMS**: WordPress, Ghost, Strapi, Directus
- **DevOps**: GitLab, Drone CI, Jenkins, Portainer
- **Monitoring**: Grafana, Prometheus, Uptime Kuma, Plausible
- **Communication**: Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, n8n
- **Storage**: MinIO, Nextcloud, Filebrowser
- **Analytics**: Matomo, PostHog, Umami

API for Automation

typescript
// scripts/caprover-api.ts — CapRover API client
const CAPROVER_URL = "https://captain.apps.myserver.com";

async function caproverApi(path: string, data?: any) {
  const token = process.env.CAPROVER_TOKEN!;
  const response = await fetch(`${CAPROVER_URL}/api/v2${path}`, {
    method: data ? "POST" : "GET",
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      "x-captain-auth": token,
    },
    body: data ? JSON.stringify(data) : undefined,
  });
  const result = await response.json();
  if (result.status !== 100) throw new Error(result.description);
  return result.data;
}

// Create a new app
async function createApp(appName: string) {
  return caproverApi("/user/apps/appDefinitions/register", {
    appName,
    hasPersistentData: false,
  });
}

// Update environment variables
async function setEnvVars(appName: string, envVars: { key: string; value: string }[]) {
  return caproverApi("/user/apps/appDefinitions/update", {
    appName,
    envVars,
  });
}

// Enable SSL for app
async function enableSsl(appName: string) {
  return caproverApi("/user/apps/appDefinitions/enablecustomdomainssl", {
    appName,
    customDomain: `${appName}.apps.myserver.com`,
  });
}

// Scale app
async function scaleApp(appName: string, instanceCount: number) {
  return caproverApi("/user/apps/appDefinitions/update", {
    appName,
    instanceCount,
  });
}

// Add custom domain
async function addCustomDomain(appName: string, domain: string) {
  return caproverApi("/user/apps/appDefinitions/customdomain", {
    appName,
    customDomain: domain,
  });
}

Persistent Storage

Configure volumes for stateful applications:

bash
# Via CLI or captain-definition, define persistent directories
# In CapRover dashboard: App → App Configs → Persistent Directories

# Example persistent paths:
# /app/uploads    → Store user-uploaded files
# /app/data       → Application data directory
# /var/log/app    → Log files

Multi-Server Cluster

Scale beyond a single server:

bash
# On the main server: get join token
# Dashboard → Cluster → Add Worker Node

# On the worker server:
docker swarm join --token SWMTKN-xxx manager-ip:2377

# CapRover automatically distributes containers across nodes
# Use placement constraints for specific workloads:
# Dashboard → App → App Configs → Node Placement

Examples

Example 1: Setting up Caprover for a microservices project

User request:

I have a Node.js API and a React frontend running in Docker. Set up Caprover for monitoring/deployment.

The agent creates the necessary configuration files based on patterns like # Prerequisites: Ubuntu 20.04+, Docker installed, ports 80/4, sets up the integration with the existing Docker setup, configures appropriate defaults for a Node.js + React stack, and provides verification commands to confirm everything is working.

Example 2: Troubleshooting deploy applications issues

User request:

Caprover is showing errors in our deploy applications. Here are the logs: [error output]

The agent analyzes the error output, identifies the root cause by cross-referencing with common Caprover issues, applies the fix (updating configuration, adjusting resource limits, or correcting syntax), and verifies the resolution with appropriate health checks.

Guidelines

  1. Wildcard DNS first — Point *.apps.yourdomain.com to your server IP before installation; SSL won't work without it
  2. Use captain-definition — Version the deployment config with your code; don't rely on dashboard settings
  3. Enable HTTPS everywhere — CapRover auto-provisions Let's Encrypt certificates; click "Enable HTTPS" for each app
  4. Persistent data for databases — Always configure persistent directories for databases; container restarts lose data otherwise
  5. Resource limits — Set memory limits per app in the dashboard to prevent one app from consuming all server resources
  6. Use one-click apps for infra — Don't manually configure PostgreSQL or Redis; use the one-click templates
  7. Automated backups — CapRover doesn't back up automatically; set up cron jobs for database dumps and volume backups
  8. Monitor with built-in NetData — CapRover includes NetData for server monitoring; access at captain URL + port 19999

Information

Version
1.0.0
Author
terminal-skills
Category
DevOps
License
Apache-2.0