Self-Hosting Before It's Gone

Before It's Gone can be self-hosted as a Progressive Web App (PWA) using Docker and nginx. This guide covers getting it running on your own server or homelab.

Requirements

• Docker and Docker Compose
• A domain or local hostname (recommended for HTTPS)
• Optional: Tailscale for private HTTPS without exposing ports

Quick Start

Clone the repo and navigate to the project directory:

git clone https://github.com/AetherAssembly/Before-Its-Gone.git
cd Before-Its-Gone

Build and start the container:

docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml up -d

The app will be available at http://localhost by default.

Configuration

The nginx config is located at docker/nginx.conf. You can edit it to change the listening port, add a custom domain, or configure HTTPS.

To change the port, update the ports field in docker/docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8080:80"

HTTPS with Tailscale

If you're using Tailscale, you can serve the app over HTTPS on your tailnet without opening any public ports:

1. Enable HTTPS in your Tailscale admin console for your machine.
2. Point nginx at your Tailscale hostname.
3. Update nginx.conf to listen on port 443 and reference your Tailscale cert paths (usually under /var/lib/tailscale/certs/).

Updating

Pull the latest changes and rebuild:

git pull
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml up -d --build

PWA Install

Once running over HTTPS, the app is installable as a PWA from your browser. Look for the install prompt in the address bar or browser menu.