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This guide walks through deploying Dubly on a fresh Ubuntu or Debian server using the automated install script.

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Prerequisites

  • Fresh Ubuntu or Debian server
  • Root or sudo access
  • Domain(s) pointed to your server’s IP address (DNS A records)
  • Port 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), and 443 (HTTPS) accessible
The install script configures UFW firewall to block port 8080 from external access. Only ports 80 and 443 will be publicly accessible.

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Quick Install

Run the install script directly from GitHub: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scmmishra/dubly/main/scripts/install.sh | sudo bash
Or clone the repository first: 
git clone https://github.com/scmmishra/dubly.git
cd dubly
sudo bash scripts/install.sh

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Installation Process

The script will guide you through configuration prompts:
1

Domain Configuration

Enter your admin domain (e.g., dubly.example.com) and any additional redirect domains.All domains must have DNS A records pointing to your server’s IP address before installation.
2

API Password

Set your API password or leave blank to auto-generate a secure password.
If auto-generated, the password will be displayed once. Save it immediately.
3

S3 Backups (Recommended)

Configure S3-compatible storage for automatic database backups via Litestream.You’ll need:
  • S3 bucket name
  • S3 endpoint URL (e.g., https://s3.amazonaws.com)
  • S3 region (e.g., us-east-1)
  • Access key ID
  • Secret access key
Works with AWS S3, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, and other S3-compatible providers.
4

GeoIP (Optional)

Provide a MaxMind license key for geolocation data in analytics.Get a free key at maxmind.com/en/geolite2/signup
5

Review and Confirm

The script will show a summary of your configuration. Review and confirm to proceed.

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What the Script Installs

The install script automatically sets up:
  • Go (v1.24.0) to /usr/local/go
  • Litestream (v0.3.13) for SQLite replication
  • Caddy web server for automatic HTTPS
  • Dubly cloned to /opt/dubly
  • Systemd service for automatic startup
  • UFW firewall rules

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Service management

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Check service status

systemctl status dubly
systemctl status caddy

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View Logs

# Follow live logs
journalctl -u dubly -f

# View recent logs
journalctl -u dubly -n 100

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Restart Services

sudo systemctl restart dubly
sudo systemctl restart caddy

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Systemd Service Configuration

The script creates /etc/systemd/system/dubly.service: Without S3 backups: 
[Unit]
Description=Dubly URL Shortener
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/opt/dubly
EnvironmentFile=/opt/dubly/.env
Environment="PATH=/usr/local/go/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
ExecStart=/opt/dubly/dubly
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
NoNewPrivileges=true
ProtectSystem=strict
ProtectHome=true
ReadWritePaths=/opt/dubly

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
With S3 backups: The ExecStart line changes to: 
ExecStart=/usr/bin/bash /opt/dubly/scripts/start.sh
This wrapper script handles Litestream database restoration and replication.

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Caddy Configuration

The script writes /etc/caddy/Caddyfile with automatic HTTPS: 
# Managed by Dubly install script
dubly.example.com short.example.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080

    header {
        X-Frame-Options "DENY"
        X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"
        Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin"
    }
}
Caddy automatically provisions and renews Let’s Encrypt certificates for all configured domains.

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Firewall Configuration

The script configures UFW with: 
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp      # HTTP
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp     # HTTPS
sudo ufw deny 8080/tcp     # Block direct access to Dubly
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH     # Keep SSH access
sudo ufw enable
Port 8080 is blocked externally. All traffic must go through Caddy on ports 80/443.

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DNS Configuration

For each domain you configured, create an A record: 
Type: A
Name: @ (or subdomain)
Value: <your-server-ip>
TTL: 3600 (or automatic)
Wait for DNS propagation before accessing your domains. You can check with: 
dig dubly.example.com +short

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Verify Installation

Test the API endpoint: 
curl -s https://dubly.example.com/api/links \
  -H 'X-API-Key: your-password'
You should receive a JSON response with an empty links array. Access the admin UI at https://dubly.example.com

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File Locations

  • Installation directory: /opt/dubly
  • Binary: /opt/dubly/dubly
  • Environment file: /opt/dubly/.env
  • Database: /opt/dubly/dubly.db
  • GeoIP database: /opt/dubly/GeoLite2-City.mmdb
  • Systemd service: /etc/systemd/system/dubly.service
  • Caddyfile: /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

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Re-running the Install Script

The install script is idempotent and safe to re-run:
  • If /opt/dubly/.env exists, you’ll be prompted to keep or overwrite configuration
  • Existing services will be updated, not duplicated
  • Dependencies already installed will be skipped

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Troubleshooting

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Service won’t start

Check logs for errors: 
journalctl -u dubly -n 50
Common issues:
  • Missing required environment variables in /opt/dubly/.env
  • Database file permissions
  • Port 8080 already in use

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HTTPS not working

Check Caddy status: 
systemctl status caddy
journalctl -u caddy -n 50
Common issues:
  • DNS A records not pointing to server
  • Firewall blocking ports 80/443
  • Domain already has certificate from another service

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Cannot reach admin UI

Verify:
  1. Dubly service is running: systemctl status dubly
  2. Caddy is running: systemctl status caddy
  3. DNS is resolving: dig yourdomain.com
  4. Firewall allows 80/443: sudo ufw status

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Next Steps

Configure Backups

Set up automated S3 backups with Litestream

Updating Dubly

Keep your installation up to date

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