Single-Node installation of a SeaTable Server¶

Alright, let's dive in. This article will guide you through the process of installing a basic SeaTable server with a Caddy web server. By the end of this article, your new SeaTable server will be accessible via HTTPS with your custom domain. To begin, open a root shell on your server.

Install basic tools¶

The following command installs basic tools that are used in the following manual. Usually all these tools are already installed on your linux server.

apt update && \
apt -y install curl pwgen tree wget tar nano

Install Docker and Docker Compose Plugin¶

At get.docker.com, you'll find a script designed for the easy and convenient installation of the Docker Engine. While the script isn't recommended for production environments, it has shown no issues in our observations. You can effortlessly install Docker using this single command:

curl -fsSL get.docker.com | bash

Alternatively, you can opt to follow Docker's official installation instructions

Install SeaTable Server¶

This installation assumes that all SeaTable components are installed under /opt. We highly recommended to keep this folder structure. All articles in the manual assume SeaTable's installation in this directory.

1. Create basic structure¶

Simply copy and paste the following command into your command line to execute. This code will download the latest yml files from repository seatable-release.

mkdir /opt/seatable-compose && \
cd /opt/seatable-compose && \
wget -c https://github.com/seatable/seatable-release/releases/latest/download/seatable-compose.tar.gz \
-O - | tar -xz -C /opt/seatable-compose && \
cp -n .env-release .env

To get an overview of the downloaded files, use the tree command.

tree -a /opt/seatable-compose

The expected output should appear as follows.

# this should be the output of the tree command...
/opt/seatable-compose
├── caddy.yml
├── collabora.yml
├── .env
├── .env-release
├── n8n-init-data.sh
├── n8n.yml
├── onlyoffice.yml
├── python-pipeline.yml
├── seatable-server.yml
├── uptime-kuma.yml
└── zabbix.yml

# Example to create a custom copy:
cp n8n.yml custom-n8n.yml

2. Generate some secrets¶

SeaTable is configured with the hidden .env file (=enviroment configuration file) that is stored in the folder /opt/seatable-compose.

We utilize pwgen to create secure passwords for your admin account and the database root password. The following commands will generate such passwords and include them in the .env' file.

sed -i "s/^SEATABLE_ADMIN_PASSWORD=.*/SEATABLE_ADMIN_PASSWORD=$(pwgen 40 1)/" .env
sed -i "s/^SEATABLE_MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=.*/SEATABLE_MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=$(pwgen 40 1)/" .env

Alternatively, you can manually add your own passwords.

3. Complete settings in the .env file¶

Open the .env file with the editor of your choice, like nano or vim.

nano /opt/seatable-compose/.env

Continue setting up your SeaTable server by adjusting only three more variables. These are:

• TIME_ZONE
• SEATABLE_SERVER_HOSTNAME
• SEATABLE_ADMIN_EMAIL

# components to be used
COMPOSE_FILE='caddy.yml,seatable-server.yml' # (1)!
COMPOSE_PATH_SEPARATOR=','

# system settings
TIME_ZONE='Europe/Berlin' # (2)!

# seatable server base url
SEATABLE_SERVER_HOSTNAME='seatable.example.com' # (3)!
SEATABLE_SERVER_PROTOCOL='https'

# initial web admin
SEATABLE_ADMIN_EMAIL='me@example.com'
SEATABLE_ADMIN_PASSWORD='topsecret'

# database
SEATABLE_MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=

SEATABLE_IMAGE='seatable/seatable-developer:latest' # (1)!

4. Get a license¶

We've streamlined the process to request a complimentary enterprise license for three users, valid for two years, completely free of charge. After two years, you can request a new license with another two-year validity.

Run the following command, replacing me@example.com with your valid email address. Shortly after, you'll receive an email with instructions to download your license to the current directory.

curl https://get.seatable.io/license/me@example.com
# ... follow the steps in the email ...

Your license should now be saved at /opt/seatable-compose/seatable-license.txt.

5. Fire up the server¶

Now it is time to run the following command to download and initiate the docker images for the initial setup. This process will require some time.

docker compose up -d

If the process completed successfully, you can now open your web browser and access SeaTable using the URL you specified in your .env file. Sign in using the credentials you provided in the same file.

Congratulations! You've completed the basic setup of your SeaTable Server.

Next steps¶

Your SeaTable journey has just begun! While you can dive straight into SeaTable, creating bases, adding users, utilizing the API, and more, there's an array of possibilities to explore. Here are a few examples:

• Expand functionality by installing additional components like the Python Pipeline or n8n.
• Integrate Plugins into your SeaTable Server to enable users to utilize them within a base.
• Configure your server to enable email notifications, templates, or Single Sign-On (SSO).
• For troubleshooting or queries during installation, refer to the FAQ section for assistance.

This manual covers a range of topics, from advanced cluster installations to detailed configuration options. Take your time to explore these possibilities. If you can't find what you need or require assistance, consider posting in the community forum.

Encounter an issue or need clarity? Feel free to create a post on the SeaTable community forum. We're here to assist and improve this manual based on your feedback.

For sure you can also contribute directly and create a pull request at GitHub.