Deploy Docker Compose apps to a cheap VPS or a box at home, the twelve-factor way: config lives on the
server, every release is immutable, deploys have zero downtime and HTTPS is automatic.
Your docker-compose.yml stays exactly as it is.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ddahan/dokwalt/main/install.sh | sh
macOS & Linux (Windows via WSL). Servers: any 64-bit Debian or Ubuntu machine — amd64 or arm64.
RAM for the server daemon, next to Caddy
CLI on your laptop, daemon on your server
for the control plane — you talk to it over SSH
to your repo — config lives on the server
◆ CLI-only, and gorgeous
dokwalt. That's the dashboard.A live, full-screen view of every app, service and request — right in your terminal. Click an app.
◆ Zero-downtime deploys
Traffic only switches once it passes its health checks. If it fails, the current version keeps serving and you see your app's own error logs. Databases are never duplicated — they keep running untouched.
healthcheck:, then HTTP◆ Twelve-factor, by design
After a kernel update at 04:00 or a power cut, every site serves HTTPS again — with nothing to type. A native systemd service, a proxy that boots from its last-known-good config, and certificates that persist.
Every deploy and config change is a numbered, immutable release. Rolling back is instant: the images are already on the server.
dokwalt promote ships staging's exact images to production. No rebuild, no upload.
No DokWalt file in your repo. Stateful services are detected and never duplicated; one-shot jobs run your migrations first.
Let's Encrypt via Caddy, with a real check that your DNS and ports are right — before burning rate limits.
Config vars live on the server, encrypted — never in git. Changing one rolls out a new release with zero downtime.
Merged live logs, top, 7-day metrics, request rates, latency and errors per domain.
Site down, failed deploy, crash loop, certificate, disk, memory, CPU temperature — and when it's resolved.
A $5 VPS, a mini PC, an old laptop, a box on your shelf — any 64-bit Debian or Ubuntu machine. Images are built on your laptop for the server's CPU.
◆ Small & private
Many sites share one small machine, so the platform's own overhead has to be tiny. Every component earns its place — or it isn't there.
On a 1 GB server
◆ Everyday commands
◆ Get started
On your Mac or Linux machine. Run it again later to upgrade.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ddahan/dokwalt/main/install.sh | shInstalls Docker if needed, the systemd service and Caddy. Any SSH-reachable Debian or Ubuntu machine.
dokwalt server init you@your-server --email you@example.comIn any folder with a compose.yaml. Point DNS at your server and add a domain.
dokwalt apps:create myapp
dokwalt deploy
dokwalt domains:add myapp.example.com --service webNeeds Docker on your computer (Docker Desktop or OrbStack) and SSH key access with sudo on a 64-bit server with ports 80 and 443 open. 1 GB of RAM is enough for a few small sites.