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  2. How to Host a Joplin Server with Docker on Ubuntu?

How to Host a Joplin Server with Docker on Ubuntu?

The Joplin Server is a self-hosted synchronization server for the note-taking application, offering complete control over the data. It facilitates users to easily sync their notes, notebooks, and attachments on multiple devices like desktop, mobile, and web without having to rely upon any third-party cloud services, such as Dropbox or Nextcloud.

Moreover, the Joplin server usually runs with PostgreSQL as the database and can easily be deployed online through Docker. Users access it through the Joplin client app by setting the sync target to the URL of their server.

Here, in this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install a Joplin Server on your Ubuntu system using Docker.

Prerequisites for Hosting a Joplin Server

Before you can begin to host a Joplin server:

  • Ensure you are in possession of the following system within your Ubuntu server (highly recommend version 20.04 or later)
  • Non-root version with sudo permissions.
  • Docker and Docker Compose are installed.

Have you installed Docker and Docker Compose? If not, then one can do with the following commands!

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose

Check the verification once it is installed.

docker --version
docker-compose --version

How to Host a Joplin Server with Docker on Ubuntu?
Here, we have prepared a stepwise guide to host a Joplin server with Docker on Ubuntu!

Step 1: Set Up Joplin Server with Docker Compose
To set up Joplin Server with Docker Compose, you require creating a directory for Joplin and the Docker Compose file.

 Create a Directory for Joplin:

sudo mkdir -p /opt/joplin
cd /opt/joplin

Create the Docker Compose File:

sudo nano docker-compose.yml

Add the following command:

version: '3'

services:
db:
image: postgres:13
volumes:
- ./data/postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
environment:
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=your_password
- POSTGRES_USER=joplin
- POSTGRES_DB=joplin
restart: always
app:
image: joplin/server:latest
depends_on:
- db
ports:
- "22300:22300"
environment:
- APP_PORT=22300
- APP_BASE_URL=https://joplin.example.com
- DB_CLIENT=pg
- DB_HOST=db
- DB_PORT=5432
- DB_NAME=joplin
- DB_USER=joplin
- DB_PASSWORD=your_password

restart: always

Make sure that you save the file and then exit.

Step 2: Start the Joplin Server

sudo docker-compose up -d

Doing so will pull the necessary images, and start the Joplin server and PostgreSQL database.

Step 3: Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
Install Nginx:

sudo apt install -y nginx

Create Nginx Configuration for Joplin:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/joplin

Add the following content:

server {
listen 80;
server_name joplin.example.com;

location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:22300;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}

Enable the Configuration and Restart Nginx:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/joplin /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 4: Secure the Server with Let’s Encrypt SSL

Install Certbot:

sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Obtain and Install SSL Certificate:

sudo certbot --nginx -d joplin.example.com

Follow the prompts to complete the SSL installation.

Step 5: Accessing Joplin Server
To stop the server:

docker-compose down

To restart after changes:

docker-compose up -d --force-recreate

To check logs:

docker-compose logs -f

Conclusion

Setting up your Joplin Server with Docker needs fine-tuning, but indeed, it is a great way to take your note-taking experiences with full control over your data. Thus, we can say with complete assurance that you have indeed learned to:

  • Install Docker and Docker Compose on Ubuntu.
  • Run the Joplin Server with Docker Compose.
  • Make Nginx a reverse proxy for easy access.
  • Protect your Joplin Server with Let’s Encrypt SSL.

Now, you can freely sync your notes between devices using the Joplin application while ensuring privacy, security, and reliability. With consistent updates and backups, the self-hosted Joplin Server will continue to serve as a powerful personalized or team-based note-taking solution.
Hosting Joplin on your server will offer you greater customization. This makes it ideal for privacy-conscious individuals or businesses seeking a secure self-hosted note-taking solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a database other than PostgreSQL?

PostgreSQL is the officially supported database for the Joplin Server. Other databases may require extra configurations and aren’t supported in the official documentation.

How do you update the Joplin Server to the latest version?

Update using the Joplin Directory and run the following command!

sudo docker-compose pull
sudo docker-compose up -d

As a result, it will pull the latest image and restart the server.

Is it necessary to use Nginx as a reverse proxy?

No, Nginx helps with SSL termination while letting it handle incoming traffic more efficiently.

Is it possible to work without Docker?

Yes, though it makes deployment way easier and accommodates a more controlled environment.

How to Backup the Joplin Server?

Hopefully, one will routinely take backups of their PostgreSQL data directory, which resides in /opt/joplin/data/postgres, to avoid data loss.

March 19, 2025