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Nexterm is distributed as Docker images and requires no additional runtime dependencies beyond Docker itself. This guide walks you through generating your encryption key, choosing a deployment topology, and accessing the web interface for the first time.
Nexterm is currently in beta. Back up your data regularly and report any issues on GitHub.

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Docker images

Nexterm provides three images depending on how you want to deploy:
ImageDescription
nexterm/aioAll-in-one — server, web client, and engine bundled in a single container. Recommended for most deployments.
nexterm/serverServer only — Node.js backend and web client. Requires a separately deployed engine.
nexterm/engineEngine only — connection service handling SSH, VNC, RDP, and Telnet. Pairs with nexterm/server.
For simple single-host deployments, use nexterm/aio. For multi-network or distributed setups — for example, reaching servers on isolated subnets — deploy nexterm/server with one or more nexterm/engine instances on the relevant networks.

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Before you begin

Nexterm encrypts stored credentials using a key you supply at startup. Generate a strong key before deploying: 
openssl rand -hex 32
Copy the output. You will set it as the ENCRYPTION_KEY environment variable in every deployment command below.
Do not lose your encryption key. It cannot be recovered, and without it your stored credentials cannot be decrypted.

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All-in-one setup

1

Choose your network mode

Host network is strongly recommended because it gives Nexterm direct access to your host’s network stack — required for features like Wake-on-LAN and connecting to servers via localhost. Use bridge network only when you need container-level network isolation.
2

Run the container

Replace YOUR_ENCRYPTION_KEY with the key you generated above.
docker run -d \
  -e ENCRYPTION_KEY=YOUR_ENCRYPTION_KEY \
  --network host \
  --name nexterm \
  --restart always \
  -v nexterm:/app/data \
  nexterm/aio:latest
3

Open the web interface

Navigate to http://your-server:6989 in your browser. On first launch you will be prompted to create an admin account.
Host network mode makes Nexterm behave as if it is running directly on the host, so it can reach any service accessible from the host — including localhost addresses and services on other local interfaces.

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Docker Compose

If you prefer Docker Compose, use one of the following files. Save it as docker-compose.yml, then run docker compose up -d. 
services:
  nexterm:
    image: nexterm/aio:latest
    environment:
      ENCRYPTION_KEY: "YOUR_ENCRYPTION_KEY"
    network_mode: host
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - nexterm:/app/data

volumes:
  nexterm:

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Split deployment (server + engine)

Use this topology when you need the engine to run on a different network segment, or when you want to connect multiple engines to a single server.
1

Create the engine configuration file

Create a config.yaml file for the engine. Set server_host to the hostname or IP of your server container, and leave registration_token empty — the server generates a token automatically on startup.
server_host: "server"
server_port: 7800
registration_token: ""
2

Create the Compose file

Place config.yaml in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml.
services:
  server:
    image: nexterm/server:latest
    environment:
      ENCRYPTION_KEY: "YOUR_ENCRYPTION_KEY"
    ports:
      - "6989:6989"
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - nexterm:/app/data

  engine:
    image: nexterm/engine:latest
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - ./config.yaml:/etc/nexterm/config.yaml

volumes:
  nexterm:
3

Start the stack

docker compose up -d

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IPv6 support

When using bridge networking, Nexterm cannot reach IPv6 addresses by default. To enable IPv6 connectivity, add a custom network with enable_ipv6: true to your existing docker-compose.yml: 
services:
  nexterm:
    # ... your existing service definition ...
    networks:
      - nexterm-net

networks:
  nexterm-net:
    enable_ipv6: true
IPv6 configuration is only needed with bridge networking. Host network mode already inherits full IPv6 support from the host.

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First login

After starting Nexterm, open http://your-server:6989 in your browser. On first launch, Nexterm prompts you to create an admin account. Enter your desired username and password to complete setup.
If you are running Nexterm behind a reverse proxy or on a non-standard port, make sure your proxy passes the correct Host header. See the reverse proxy configuration guide for details.

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