Quickstart

Choose the right start

Use the local Docker sandbox to learn the UI and test clone/build/health-check flow. Use the production installer only on an Ubuntu host with ready DNS and ports 80/443. Docker is useful evidence, but it cannot certify systemd, package permissions, Nginx reloads, or reboot behaviour on a real host.

Start a local sandbox

git clone https://github.com/raptercode/dashboard-portal-control
cd dashboard-portal-control
cp .env.example .env
openssl rand -base64 32
# Set HOSTMGR_SECRET_KEY to the generated value.
# Set HOSTMGR_ADMIN_PASSWORD to a unique 12+ character password.
docker compose up --build -d

Open http://localhost. The Compose stack exposes local port 80 to the dashboard’s port 3000. Never commit the resulting .env.

Create the first project

1. Open Setup, install any missing tools in the sandbox, and save a Git author identity.
2. For a private HTTPS repository, save its token under Credentials.
3. Choose Projects → New Project, complete the three-step project flow, fetch remote branches, and save/sync source.
4. Open the deploy drawer, save at least one environment value, and create a release. On an actual host, save a project domain before deployment.

Know the sandbox limit

The sandbox can clone, prepare a native candidate, install dependencies, build, and check it. It has no root-owned host helper, so it cannot activate a systemd service or change host Nginx/TLS. A healthy candidate can remain awaiting host activation; that is expected local behaviour.