Installing automatically
Learn how to set up Light Store using the Light Store Installer.
Overview
Light Store comes bundled with an install.sh script that launches the Light Store Installer - a full-screen terminal app that walks you through the whole setup.
The installer sets up a Docker deployment with an optional webserver (Caddy or Nginx) to route your domain and provide SSL certificates. It also handles upgrades, reinstalls and uninstalls once the store is running.
Prerequisites
To install this store, you need:
- a Linux server (VPS, dedicated server, etc.) running a Debian-derived (Ubuntu, Debian) or RHEL-derived (Fedora, Rocky, AlmaLinux, CentOS) distribution,
- a domain name (or subdomain) with access to DNS (optional - you can install without one and add it later).
macOS is also supported for local installs, but Docker Desktop has to be installed by hand first. Windows is not supported.
Clean Server
The installer is designed for fresh server installations. It will attempt its best to not cause conflicts, but
no guarantees are made. If you already have a webserver on ports :80/:443, skip the domain step during the setup
and configure your existing webserver by hand.
Installation
Using an SFTP client upload the store .zip downloaded from BuiltByBit to any directory of your choice. We
recommend /var/www/store, but it can also be the home directory of your user (~).
Enter the SSH shell (by running ssh <your server's ip> in your system's terminal) and navigate to the directory where you uploaded the store - for example: cd /var/www/store.
unzip "Light Store v21.1.0.zip" (your file name may differ depending on the version.)Run the installer with the following command: ./install.sh.
You might be prompted to enter your sudo password (for things like Docker or Caddy installation). If so, provide it.
Run the installer from the store directory - the one containing docker-compose.yml. It warns you if it is started anywhere else.
Follow the instructions on the screen. Navigate with the arrow keys, select with enter, and go back with esc.
Webserver included
After following the steps, a reverse proxy is automatically set up for you with automatic SSL for HTTPS. You do not have to manually link the domain as shown in the dedicated webserver guides.
When the installer finishes, open https://your-domain/install to complete the in-app setup wizard.
The first boot can take a minute while the database migrates. If the page does not answer right away, give it a moment and refresh.
What the installer asks
Choosing Install Light Store using Docker from the main menu walks you through these steps:
Docker check - the installer detects whether Docker is available. If it is missing, it offers to install it through the official convenience script and configure rootless mode. An existing working Docker setup is reused as-is.
On macOS, install Docker Desktop manually and start it before running the installer.
Webserver - pick Caddy, Nginx, or Nginx without SSL. If the chosen webserver is not installed, the installer offers to install it with your package manager.
Domain - enter the domain the store will be served on, or leave it empty to skip.
Skipping leaves the reverse proxy unconfigured and sets APP_URL to http://localhost:8001, which is useful for local or behind-a-proxy setups.
DNS - the installer detects your server's public IP and prints the exact A records to add at your domain provider. After you confirm, it checks whether the domain resolves to that IP.
Version - pick the version to install. The list shows any archives already present in the directory (marked
local), the versions downloadable from the mirror (with their size and release date), and Build image from
source at the bottom. The newest release is flagged as recommended.
Confirmation - a summary of the domain, APP_URL and image is shown before anything is changed. Confirming runs the install: the image is downloaded and loaded, .env is created from .env.example with APP_URL set, the version is pinned in docker-compose.override.yml, and docker compose up -d starts the containers.
An existing .env is never overwritten. If you already configured one, only APP_URL is updated.
Managing an existing installation
When the installer detects a Light Store Docker project in the current directory, three more entries appear in the main menu:
- Upgrade version - pick a newer version (downloaded or built from source), then the containers are stopped, the new image is loaded and pinned, and the store is started again. Your data is kept.
- Reinstall & clear all data - stops the store and deletes every Docker volume of the project (database, Redis and uploads included), then runs the install flow again. This cannot be undone.
- Uninstall Light Store - stops the store and deletes every Docker volume of the project. Your
.envand the webserver configuration are left in place.
Both Reinstall and Uninstall destroy all store data permanently. Each one asks for an explicit confirmation first, defaulting to "Cancel".
Installing with php-fpm
To run the store without Docker today, follow the manual installation guide.
Advanced options
The installer reads a few environment variables, useful for non-default setups:
| Variable | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
COMPOSE_PORT | 8001 | Port the app container is published on, and the port the reverse proxy targets. |
LIGHTSTORE_CHANNEL | stable | Opts into an additional release channel next to the stable one. |