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This is a checklist, not a full guide. Do the steps in order. Each one says what you should see and where to look if it fails. You need a fresh Linux server with root access and ports 80 and 443 open in the cloud firewall.

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1. Install

You should see a dashboard link with a one-time setup token. If it fails, see Installing Levelrail. If the ports are not open yet, see Cloud firewall rules. Port 8080 should stay closed to the internet, so tunnel it first. On your laptop:
Open the link from the installer output with localhost as the host, and choose a password. You should land on the first-run screen. If the link is lost or rejected, see Getting started or print the token again:
Why 8080 stays closed: Dashboard port 8080.

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3. Turn on HTTPS

On the first-run screen, press Enable HTTPS. No DNS record is needed. You get an address like 203-0-113-10.sslip.io with a Let’s Encrypt certificate. From a terminal:
After this, open the dashboard on the https address and sign-in over plain HTTP stops working. If it fails, see Zero to HTTPS.

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4. Deploy an app

On the same screen, deploy a sample app or pick a template. You can also paste a repository URL under New app. The screen waits until the app is healthy and ends on its live link. If the build fails, the screen shows a diagnosis and a link to the logs. More options: Getting started and Templates.

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5. Take your first backup

Back up master.key first. Without it, stored secrets cannot be read after a restore. Then take a snapshot of the control plane database:
You should see one snapshot in the list. It lives on the server’s disk, so it does not protect you if the server is lost. The rest of the path, including an off-server target, is in First backup in 5 minutes.

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6. Check the server

Read any fail rows and fix them. A warn on external reachability is a hint, not proof: test from another machine. See Doctor.

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What next

Last modified on November 5, 2026