Deploying n8n on ReadySpace Cloud Server (Docker-Based)

1. Purpose

This guide explains how to deploy n8n on a ReadySpace Cloud Server using Docker, including secure HTTPS setup with SSL and recommended system hardening.

2. Who Should Use This Guide

• Familiar with basic Linux command-line operations
• Knowledgeable about Docker & Docker Compose
• Able to configure DNS and reverse proxy using Nginx
• Understands SSL certificate issuance via Let’s Encrypt / Certbot

3. Prerequisites

3.1 Server Requirements

• Ubuntu 20.04 or newer on ReadySpace Cloud Server
• Root or sudo privileges
• Domain or subdomain pointing to your server (e.g., n8n.example.com)

3.2 Install Required Packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

sudo systemctl enable docker

Verify installation:

docker -v

docker compose version

nginx -v

certbot --version

4. Step‑by‑Step Implementation

4.1 Prepare Working Directory

mkdir -p /opt/n8n && cd /opt/n8n

4.2 Create .env File

# .env

N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true

N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=yourusername

N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=yourstrongpassword

N8N_HOST=n8n.example.com

N8N_PORT=5678

N8N_PROTOCOL=https

WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL=https://n8n.example.com

4.3 Create docker-compose.yml

version: "3.7"

services:

  n8n:

    image: n8nio/n8n

    restart: always

    environment:

      - DB_SQLITE_FILE=/home/node/.n8n/database.sqlite

      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE}

      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER}

      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=${N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD}

      - N8N_HOST=${N8N_HOST}

      - N8N_PORT=${N8N_PORT}

      - N8N_PROTOCOL=${N8N_PROTOCOL}

      - WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL=${WEBHOOK_TUNNEL_URL}

    ports:

      - "5678:5678"

    volumes:

      - ./n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n

4.4 Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n

# Paste the following content:

server {

  listen 80;

  server_name n8n.example.com;

  location / {

    proxy_pass http://localhost:5678;

    proxy_set_header Host $host;

    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;

    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;

    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

  }

}

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/n8n /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

sudo nginx -t

sudo systemctl reload nginx

4.5 Issue SSL with Certbot

sudo certbot --nginx -d n8n.example.com

sudo crontab -e

# Add this line:

0 3 * * * /usr/bin/certbot renew --quiet

4.6 Start n8n

docker compose up -d

5. Post‑Deployment Checklist

6. Maintenance & Upgrades

docker compose pull

docker compose down

docker compose up -d

7. Security Hardening

• Enable UFW firewall:

sudo ufw allow 22,80,443/tcp

sudo ufw enable

• Install and configure fail2ban
• Use SSH key-based login; disable password authentication
• Backup the ./n8n_data directory regularly

8. References

• n8n Docker Documentation
• Certbot SSL Instructions
• Nginx Configuration Guide