A comprehensive deployment engine for launching production-ready, self-hosted open-source applications on any VPS with automated SSL, backups, and health checks.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install self-host-deployer
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install self-host-deployer using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Self-Host Deployer?
The Self-Host Deployer is a high-performance utility within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem designed to eliminate the complexity of manual VPS orchestration. It provides a curated catalog of 18 industry-leading applications, ranging from backend-as-a-service platforms like Supabase to privacy-focused analytics like Plausible and Umami.
By leveraging Docker Compose and Nginx, this skill ensures that every deployment is isolated, secure, and production-ready. It goes beyond simple container launching by automating the generation of Nginx reverse proxy configurations, managing Let's Encrypt SSL certificates via Certbot, and establishing robust backup protocols to ensure data persistence and security.
Self-Host Deployer Use Cases
- Deploying privacy-respecting alternatives to popular SaaS products.
- Setting up a personal development lab with Git servers (Gitea) and CI/CD tools.
- Launching heavy-duty media and document management systems like Immich or Paperless-ngx.
- Establishing centralized infrastructure monitoring with Uptime Kuma or Portainer.
- Automating business workflows with self-hosted n8n instances.
How Self-Host Deployer Works
- Select a target application from the built-in catalog of 18 production-ready stacks.
- Provide VPS credentials, target domain, and administrative contact details.
- Generate an optimized Docker Compose file featuring resource limits, health checks, and secure secret generation.
- Configure an Nginx reverse proxy with hardened security headers and WebSocket support.
- Provision and install SSL certificates via Certbot for automated HTTPS.
- Initialize automated backup scripts and cron jobs for persistent volumes and databases.
- Execute health check verifications to confirm the application and proxy are fully operational.
Self-Host Deployer Setup
To begin using this skill within the Openclaw Skills framework, ensure you have SSH access to a VPS running Ubuntu or Debian with Docker and Docker Compose installed. Execute the deployment sequence using:
# Standard deployment command for a specific app
openclaw run self-host --app <app_name> --domain <your_domain>
Self-Host Deployer Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill organizes data within a structured directory hierarchy on the host machine to ensure clarity and ease of maintenance:
| Directory | Purpose |
|---|---|
/opt/[app_name] |
Primary application directory containing docker-compose.yml and .env. |
/opt/backups/[app_name] |
Storage location for compressed database dumps and volume backups. |
/etc/nginx/sites-available |
Nginx configuration files for reverse proxy routing. |
/var/lib/docker/volumes |
Persistent storage for application data and database records. |
/etc/letsencrypt |
SSL certificates and account information managed by Certbot. |
Self-Host Deployer Advanced Features
- Multi-container service dependency management with health-aware start sequences.
- Automated JWT and secret generation using OpenSSL for enhanced security.
- Integrated resource limit definitions (CPU/RAM) to prevent noisy neighbor issues on shared VPS.
- Pre-configured Nginx templates for high-upload scenarios (e.g., Immich, MinIO).
- Support for advanced database backends including ClickHouse, PostgreSQL, and MySQL 8.0.
SKILL.md
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