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Use Ghost-CLI for the supported command-line workflow: run ghost install for a production site, ghost install local for a SQLite development site, change settings with ghost config, apply them with ghost restart, create a portable archive with ghost backup, and upgrade with ghost update while keeping ghost update --rollback available. Production installs are designed around MySQL 8.0, NGINX, systemd, SSL, and a dedicated low-privilege Linux user.
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What Ghost-CLI actually manages
Ghost-CLI is Ghost’s official shell tool for installing and administering self-hosted Ghost. It does more than download application files: the production installer checks the environment, creates the Ghost directory structure, downloads the selected release, configures the database, writes the web-server configuration, requests SSL, creates a restricted service account, and generates a systemd unit. That integration is why it is the supported route for the recommended self-hosting stack.
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| Command | Intended use | Database and process model |
|---|---|---|
ghost install |
Public production installation | MySQL 8.0, NGINX, SSL and systemd are configured during setup |
ghost install local |
Development, testing or local evaluation | SQLite and a local process manager |
ghost install <version> |
A controlled production or test deployment | The specified Ghost release is installed instead of the default release |
Do not treat a local install as a smaller production install. SQLite and a local process manager are useful for development, but the supported public-server design uses MySQL, NGINX and systemd.
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Choose and prepare the installation environment
Production prerequisites
Use a current, publicly reachable Linux server and keep its operating system and server software updated. Ghost’s supported self-hosting guidance identifies MySQL 8.0, NGINX and systemd as the recommended production components. Have an account that will own the site and can use sudo when setup needs system-level changes. Run Ghost-CLI as that non-root account rather than operating the application as root.
- Use MySQL 8.0 for the production database.
- Use NGINX as the front-end web server.
- Use systemd to supervise the Ghost service and start it at boot.
- Plan for SSL during installation so the public URL is served securely.
- Keep the host operating system, database, web server and Ghost current, because the server is exposed to the public internet.
The installer creates a dedicated ghost system user and group for the service. That account is intentionally low privilege; it should not be replaced with a general-purpose administrative account.
Development and local evaluation
For a local site, run ghost install local. This path uses SQLite and a local process manager, making it appropriate for theme work, content experiments and upgrade rehearsals. It does not reproduce the production database, proxy and service-manager integration, so verify production changes in a production-like instance before deploying them.
Run the installer from the site owner’s account
Install Ghost-CLI globally with your system’s Node package manager, then switch to the non-root account that will own the site. A typical shell sequence is:
sudo npm install ghost-cli@latest -g
mkdir -p /var/www/ghost
cd /var/www/ghost
ghost installEnsure the destination directory is owned by the account running Ghost-CLI before starting. The installer can use sudo for operations such as creating service users, writing NGINX configuration and enabling system services; it should not require you to run the entire Ghost installation as root.
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To pin a release for a controlled deployment, replace the final command with ghost install <version>. Pinning is useful when testing a theme or integration against a known Ghost release, or when your rollout process requires an explicit version rather than the default selected by the CLI.
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A production installation separates application versions from persistent site data. The managed layout normally contains:
| Path or item | Purpose | Operational rule |
|---|---|---|
.config.[env].json |
Environment-specific Ghost configuration | Keep valid JSON and edit through Ghost-CLI where possible |
.ghost-cli |
Ghost-CLI metadata for the instance | Leave it under CLI management |
content |
Persistent site data such as images, themes and other content | Protect it as the important data directory; do not restructure it |
current |
Symlink to the active Ghost version | Do not replace it manually |
system |
Service and system integration files | Let the installer and service manager maintain it |
versions |
Downloaded Ghost releases used by the instance | Use Ghost-CLI for version changes rather than moving files by hand |
Keeping this layout intact allows Ghost-CLI to switch versions, restart the service and perform rollback operations predictably. Store operational backups outside the live installation so an outage or damaged directory does not destroy both the site and its recovery archive.
Inspect and change Ghost settings from the shell
Run configuration commands from the instance directory, or add --dir /path/to/site when administering a site from elsewhere. The basic forms are:
ghost config
ghost config url https://example.com
ghost config <key>
ghost config <key> <value>
ghost restartThe first command opens or creates the configuration. Supplying one key reads its current value; supplying a key and value writes a change. Ghost’s configuration file must be valid JSON in the installation root. A syntactically invalid file prevents Ghost from loading, so avoid hand-editing unless you can validate the JSON and understand the setting being changed.
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Common configuration areas
| Area | What it controls | Example operation |
|---|---|---|
| Public URL | The canonical address visitors use | ghost config url https://example.com |
| Admin URL | The address used for the Ghost administration interface | Read or set the documented admin-URL key with ghost config <key> <value> |
| Listening address and port | The local interface and port Ghost binds to behind NGINX | Set the documented server host or port key, then restart |
| Logging | Log transport and related output settings | Set the documented logging transport key |
| Database | Client, host, database name, user and password | Set the documented database client and connection keys |
| SMTP or other mail transport and its credentials | Set the documented mail transport and credential keys | |
| Process manager | How Ghost is supervised | Inspect or set the process-manager key; production normally uses systemd |
After any configuration change, run ghost restart. Editing the file alone does not reload a running process. If you change the URL, database connection or mail credentials and do not restart, Ghost continues using the old values until the service is restarted.
Start, stop, restart and diagnose an instance
Ghost-CLI provides a consistent lifecycle interface:
| Command | Result | Useful option or note |
|---|---|---|
ghost ls |
Lists Ghost instances known to the CLI | Use it to confirm the instance and directory you are managing |
ghost start |
Starts the configured process manager | In production this normally starts the systemd service |
ghost stop |
Stops an instance | It can target one instance or all instances |
ghost restart |
Stops and starts the instance with current configuration | Required after configuration edits |
ghost run |
Runs Ghost in the foreground | Terminal output exposes uncaught errors hidden by a managed start |
When working outside the installation directory, add --dir /path/to/site to the lifecycle command. For boot behavior, ghost start --enable enables restart-on-boot and ghost start --no-enable starts without enabling it. Choose deliberately: a production service normally needs automatic recovery after a reboot, while a temporary test instance may not.
When a managed start fails
- Run
ghost lsand verify that you are addressing the intended instance. - Check that you are in its directory or supply the correct
--dirpath. - Run
ghost runin the foreground. Read the terminal output for configuration, database, permission or application errors. - Correct the reported issue, then use
ghost restartorghost startto return the instance to managed operation.
Foreground execution is a diagnostic mode, not a replacement for systemd in production. Once the error is understood, stop the foreground process and let the configured process manager own the service again.
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Create a recoverable backup before maintenance
Run ghost backup before an upgrade, database change, configuration migration or other high-risk maintenance. Ghost documents a ZIP archive containing:
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- Content data in JSON form.
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Write the archive to storage outside the live Ghost directory and make sure your operational process can retrieve it. The documented archive is a practical Ghost-level recovery package, but it is not described as a substitute for independent database, server or infrastructure backups. Keep those separate when your recovery objectives require restoring the entire host or database service.
Before relying on a backup, check that the ZIP exists, can be read and is available from the location where an operator would need it during an outage. A backup that remains only on the failed server is not a recovery plan.
Update Ghost safely and roll back a failed release
Ghost-CLI supports both routine and controlled upgrades:
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ghost update <version>
ghost update --rollback
ghost update --no-restart| Command | Use it when |
|---|---|
ghost update |
You want the latest release Ghost-CLI considers compatible with the installation |
ghost update <version> |
You have selected and tested a specific Ghost version |
ghost update --rollback |
The last update failed and you need to return to the previous version using the CLI’s rollback path |
ghost update --no-restart |
You need the files installed without immediately restarting the running service |
Create and store a backup before every upgrade. Review the release-specific guidance first, especially for major upgrades: Ghost indicates that major releases arrive approximately every 12–18 months and may break backwards compatibility. Check database requirements and theme compatibility before moving between major versions. A theme that works on the current release is not automatically guaranteed to work after a major upgrade.
The update process also has controls for forced downloads and automatic rollback behavior. Use those controls only when your deployment procedure calls for them, and retain a tested recovery path rather than assuming an automatic rollback covers database or infrastructure damage.
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Permissions, ownership and production safety
The production installer creates a dedicated ghost user and group for the systemd service and applies documented directory and file permissions. Normal-user and root installations have different permission expectations. Do not recursively change ownership or make files world-writable as a first response to an error.
- Use the documented Ghost-CLI checks to identify an ownership or permission fault.
- Repair only the files and directories implicated by those checks.
- Prefer administrative uploads for images and themes so the service account does not need unnecessary write access.
- Keep the service account low privilege and separate from your administrative login.
- Keep every component on a public-facing production server current.
Manual permission changes can prevent updates, stop Ghost from reading its configuration or expose content to other users on the server. Preserve the installer’s managed ownership model unless a diagnostic result gives you a specific correction to make.
Ghost-CLI versus other deployment approaches
| Decision axis | Ghost-CLI production install | Ghost-CLI local install | Manual setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating mode | Production service | Development or evaluation | Custom; operator defines the mode |
| Database | MySQL 8.0 | SQLite | Chosen and maintained by the operator |
| Process manager | systemd | Local process manager | Chosen and integrated manually |
| Web server and SSL | NGINX configuration and SSL setup are part of the installer workflow | Local development arrangement | Proxying and certificates are the operator’s responsibility |
| Database user and service account | Installer creates restricted accounts and service integration | Local development credentials | Operator creates and secures each account |
| Updates and rollback | ghost update with a CLI rollback path |
Convenient for testing releases | Operator owns replacement, migration and rollback procedures |
Manual installation remains possible when a custom environment demands it, but every integration that Ghost-CLI normally creates becomes your responsibility: database setup and migrations, reverse proxy configuration, SSL renewal, service supervision, permissions, boot behavior and recovery. For the officially recommended stack, Ghost-CLI reduces that integration work and keeps lifecycle commands consistent.
A practical command-line maintenance routine
For a new production site
- Prepare a current server with MySQL 8.0, NGINX and systemd, and create or select the non-root account that will own the site.
- Install Ghost-CLI globally and run
ghost installfrom the intended site directory. - Allow the setup stages to create the restricted MySQL user, initialize or migrate the database, write NGINX configuration, request SSL, create the low-privilege service user and generate the systemd unit.
- Inspect the instance with
ghost ls, then verify the public URL and administration access. - Keep the generated directory layout intact and move backups outside the live directory.
For a configuration change
- Change or inspect the value with
ghost configfrom the instance directory, or identify the instance with--dir. - Confirm that the resulting configuration remains valid JSON and that credentials and URLs are correctly quoted.
- Run
ghost restartso the running process loads the new values. - If the restart fails, run
ghost runto expose the underlying error, correct it and return the service to managed operation.
For an upgrade
- Review compatibility notes for the target release, including database requirements and theme changes.
- Run
ghost backupand copy the resulting ZIP outside the live installation. - Use
ghost updatefor the latest compatible release orghost update <version>for a selected release. - Watch the update output and service status. If the last update fails, use
ghost update --rollback. - When a deployment process requires separating installation from activation, use
ghost update --no-restartand schedule the restart as a deliberate subsequent action.
Common failure modes and precise responses
“The setting changed, but Ghost still uses the old value”
Most often, the process was not restarted or the command targeted a different directory. Run the configuration command from the instance root, use --dir /path/to/site when necessary, verify the JSON and run ghost restart.
“Ghost will not start after an edit”
Use ghost run so the terminal displays the uncaught error. Invalid JSON, unreachable database credentials, an incorrect mail setting or a permission problem can all prevent startup. Fix the specific reported fault rather than broadening permissions or replacing the managed layout.
“An update stopped halfway”
Do not delete the current, system or versions entries manually. Confirm the backup is available, inspect the CLI output, and run ghost update --rollback for the last failed update. If the failure involves database or infrastructure damage, use the independent recovery procedures for those systems in addition to the Ghost-level archive.
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Check ownership and permissions using Ghost-CLI’s documented checks. Correct only the identified paths and preserve the dedicated service account. Administrative uploads are preferable to granting the Ghost process broader write access.
“The local site behaves differently from production”
That difference is expected when the local instance uses SQLite and a local process manager while production uses MySQL 8.0, NGINX and systemd. Use local mode for development, but rehearse database migrations, proxy behavior, SSL and service restarts in an environment that matches production before a public release.
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