Deployment Overview of FASTPANEL on Server¶

Prerequisites and Basic Requirements¶

To ensure a successful deployment, the server must meet the following requirements:

Operating System: Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Rocky Linux, or AlmaLinux.
Privileges: Root or sudo access is required for installation and configuration.
Network/Ports:
8888: Internal panel management port.
443: External HTTPS traffic (managed via Nginx proxy).
80: External HTTP traffic (used for ACME challenges).

FQDN of the final panel on hostkey.in domain¶

The application uses a dynamic domain template based on the server ID and the configured zone. If no custom domain is provided, the following template is used:

Parameter	Value
Prefix	`fastpanel`
Domain	`hostkey.in`
Full template	`fastpanel{Server_ID}.hostkey.in`

File and Directory Structure¶

The deployment creates several directories to manage Nginx configurations, SSL certificates, and webroot challenges:

/root/nginx: Contains the Docker Compose file for the Nginx proxy.
/data/nginx: Main directory for Nginx configuration files.
/data/nginx/user_conf.d: Stores custom virtual host configurations.
/data/nginx/letsencrypt/.well-known/acme-challenge: Used for Let's Encrypt SSL certificate validation.

Application installation process¶

The installation method depends on the operating system of the server:

Package Installation: The system updates the package cache and ensures wget is installed.
Installation Script: A specialized installation script is downloaded and executed to install the core Fastpanel components:
For Debian/Ubuntu: wget http://repo.fastpanel.direct/install_fastpanel.sh -O - | bash -
For RHEL/CentOS/Rocky/AlmaLinux: The script is saved to /root/install_fastpanel.sh, executed, and then removed.
User Configuration: A system user named fastuser is created/configured with a secure password.

Access Rights and Security¶

Firewall: Ensure ports 80 and 443 are open for external web traffic, and port 8888 is accessible for panel management (though it is typically proxied via HTTPS on port 443).
User Management: A dedicated user fastuser is managed by the system.
SSL/TLS: The deployment automatically configures SSL certificates using Let's Encrypt to secure the connection to the panel.

Docker Containers and Their Deployment¶

The deployment utilizes a Docker container to act as a reverse proxy, handling SSL termination and routing traffic to the Fastpanel service.

Nginx Proxy Container

Image: jonasal/nginx-certbot:latest
Ports: Uses host network mode (mapping directly to host ports 80 and 443).
Volumes:
nginx_secrets:/etc/letsencrypt: Persistent storage for SSL certificates.
/data/nginx/user_conf.d:/etc/nginx/user_conf.d: Custom Nginx configuration files.
/data/nginx/letsencrypt:/var/www/letsencrypt: Webroot for ACME challenges.
Environment Variables:
[email protected]
Configured via /data/nginx/nginx-certbot.env (includes RENEWAL_INTERVAL=8d).
Restart Policy: unless-stopped.

Custom Scripts and Additional Setup¶

The deployment performs several automated configuration steps after the core software is installed:

Nginx Proxy Configuration: A reverse proxy configuration is generated to route traffic from port 443 (HTTPS) to the internal Fastpanel service running on port 8888.
SSL Certificate Provisioning:
The system uses Certbot via the Nginx container to obtain a Let's Encrypt certificate for the panel's FQDN.
Once obtained, the Nginx configuration is updated to include an SSL block.
Panel Domain Registration: The command /usr/local/bin/mogwai panel add is used to register the domain within the Fastpanel management system.
Internal Certificate Management: The command /usr/local/bin/mogwai panel change-certificate is executed to ensure the panel itself uses a Let's Encrypt certificate for its internal service.

Application Update Instructions¶

To update the main application, follow the procedure relevant to your deployment method:

Docker Proxy: To update the Nginx proxy container, navigate to /root/nginx and run:
```
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
```
Core Application: Updates for the Fastpanel core are typically managed through the internal panel interface or by re-running the official installation script.

Location of configuration files and data¶

Nginx Proxy Configs: /data/nginx/user_conf.d/
SSL Certificates (Docker): Managed via the nginx_secrets volume.
Environment Settings: /data/nginx/nginx-certbot.env

Available ports for connection¶

Port	Protocol	Purpose
`80`	HTTP	Web traffic and SSL challenges
`443`	HTTPS	Secure web traffic (Proxied)
`8888`	HTTPS/HTTP	Internal Fastpanel management service

Starting and Stopping the application¶

Nginx Proxy:
Start: docker compose up -d (inside /root/nginx)
Stop: docker compose down (inside /root/nginx)
Fastpanel Service: Managed via the internal mogwai command-line tools or system service management.

Proxy Servers¶

The deployment uses an Nginx container acting as a reverse proxy. It handles:

SSL termination for the domain.
HTTP to HTTPS redirection.
WebSocket support (via Upgrade and Connection headers).
Proper header forwarding (X-Forwarded-For, X-Real-IP, etc.) to ensure the application receives correct client IP information.