Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo self-host Ghost, rent an Ubuntu VPS, point your domain’s DNS to its IP address, create a non-root sudo user, install a supported Node.js release and MySQL 8.x, then run Ghost-CLI in a directory owned by that user. During ghost install, accept the prompts for Nginx, Let’s Encrypt SSL, and systemd. Ghost-CLI writes the web-server configuration, requests the certificate, and creates the service, so you do not need to assemble those pieces manually.
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This guide covers the current Ghost-on-Ubuntu workflow and the decisions that can make or break it. Version-sensitive items—especially Node.js and Ubuntu support—must be checked against the official Ghost documentation for the Ghost release you intend to install.
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A production Ghost site is a small stack rather than a single package:
- Ubuntu: the operating system supported by Ghost-CLI.
- Node.js: the runtime Ghost uses. The supported major version depends on the Ghost release.
- MySQL 8.x: Ghost’s supported production database.
- Nginx: the public web server and reverse proxy.
- Ghost-CLI: the installer and service-management tool.
- systemd: keeps Ghost running and starts it after a reboot.
- Let’s Encrypt: supplies the HTTPS certificate when the domain resolves correctly.
The practical result is a blog at your own domain, with the application and database on a VPS you control. You are also responsible for operating-system updates, database backups, DNS, resource sizing, and recovery when a component fails.
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Choose an operating system image
The official Ubuntu installation guide currently lists Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, and 26.04. Select a supported LTS image from your VPS provider rather than an end-of-life release. The list is version-sensitive; check the Ghost documentation again when you deploy or rebuild the server.
Size memory for the workload
| Workload or guidance | Memory figure | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost documentation floor | 1 GB RAM | Minimum listed by Ghost’s official documentation; not a performance guarantee. |
| Typical recommendation | 2 GB RAM | Recommended by a DreamHost setup guide; a guide-level recommendation, not a benchmark. |
| Newsletter sending | 4 GB RAM | DreamHost suggests this when the site sends newsletters; actual needs vary with traffic and jobs. |
A 1 GB server may satisfy the documented minimum but leaves little room for MySQL, Nginx, system processes, image processing, and traffic spikes. For a new publication, 2 GB is a more forgiving starting point. If you plan to send newsletters from the same machine, the 4 GB guidance gives background jobs more headroom. RAM is not the only resource: sustained CPU, fast storage, and a reliable network affect response times as well.
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Use a registered domain and a stable IP
You need a domain name and a VPS with a public, stable IPv4 address. Ghost-CLI uses the domain you enter to configure Nginx and request a certificate. A temporary provider hostname can be useful for initial SSH access, but it is not a substitute for the final domain in the installer.
Confirm the web and service prerequisites
Ghost’s documentation specifies Nginx 1.9.5 or later for SSL, plus systemd. Most supported Ubuntu VPS images satisfy those requirements after package updates, but verify the versions supplied by your provider. Do not assume that a different Linux distribution will work: one Ghost guide states that Ghost-CLI runs only on Ubuntu.
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1. Point DNS before installing
Create an A record for the hostname visitors will use and set its value to the VPS IP address. If you use www, decide whether it will be an alias or the canonical hostname and configure it consistently. Wait for the record to resolve publicly before running the installer. The setup guidance gives a typical propagation window of five to 30 minutes, although recursive DNS caches can make the real interval longer.
Check resolution from a separate network, not only from the VPS itself. If the name still returns an old address, Let’s Encrypt cannot validate the site and Ghost-CLI’s SSL step will fail. Correct the record and wait for resolvers to update before retrying.
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2. Connect and create a non-root sudo user
Log in over SSH with the provider’s initial account, then create a separate administrator for the installation. Ghost-CLI should not be run as root. Avoid naming this account ghost; Ghost-CLI creates a system user with that name and the collision can break permissions.
sudo adduser blogadmin
sudo usermod -aG sudo blogadminReplace blogadmin with your chosen name, but not ghost. Set a strong password when prompted and, if your provider supports it, install your SSH public key for the new account. Open a second SSH session as that user and confirm that sudo works before closing the original session.
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3. Update Ubuntu and install the base packages
From the new account, apply the operating-system updates. Installing Nginx and MySQL through Ubuntu’s package manager is the normal starting point:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install nginx mysql-serverThe exact package versions depend on the Ubuntu release and repository state. The database must be MySQL 8.0 or 8.4 for the supported Ghost production path. MariaDB and PostgreSQL are not supported choices for a production Ghost installation, even if a distribution offers them as drop-in-looking alternatives.
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4. Install the Node.js release Ghost supports
Node.js is the most important version check in this process. The available guidance is not uniform: one current guide recommends Node.js 22 LTS, another says Ghost 6 supports Node.js 22 or 24 LTS, and older Ghost 5.x material refers to Node.js 18 and 20. Do not select a major version from those examples alone. First identify the Ghost major version you will install, then use the Node.js version stated in that release’s official installation documentation.
After installing Node.js, verify what the shell sees:
node --version
npm --versionIf the major version does not match the Ghost release’s support matrix, stop and correct it before installing Ghost-CLI. A successful npm command does not prove that the runtime is supported.
5. Create the MySQL database and account
Ghost-CLI can ask for database details during installation, but preparing a dedicated database and user makes the values explicit. Open the MySQL administrative shell:
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CREATE DATABASE ghost_production CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci;
CREATE USER 'ghost_app'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'replace-with-a-unique-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ghost_production.* TO 'ghost_app'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;Keep the database name, username, hostname, and password available for the installer. If your MySQL build does not accept the specified collation, use the utf8mb4 collation supported by that MySQL 8 release and record the change; do not switch to MariaDB or PostgreSQL to work around it.
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6. Install Ghost-CLI globally
Install the current CLI package with npm:
sudo npm install -g ghost-cli@latestThe global install makes the ghost command available to your account. The command uses sudo for the package installation, but the Ghost installation itself must be performed as your non-root user.
7. Create an owned installation directory
Ghost should live in a directory your installation user owns. A conventional path is /var/www/ghost:
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/ghost
sudo chown blogadmin:blogadmin /var/www/ghost
cd /var/www/ghostIf you chose a different account, replace blogadmin in the ownership command. Confirm the prompt shows the intended directory and user before continuing. Running ghost install from a root-owned directory commonly produces permission errors later when Ghost writes content, logs, or updates.
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8. Run the installer
Inside the owned directory, start the interactive installer:
ghost installGhost-CLI downloads the Ghost release and asks a series of questions. The exact wording can change between CLI versions, but the decisions are consistent:
- Blog URL: enter the final HTTPS hostname, such as
https://blog.example.com, that already resolves to the VPS. - MySQL host: use the local host value when MySQL is on the same VPS.
- MySQL database, user, and password: provide the values created in the previous step.
- Set up Nginx: answer yes so the CLI generates the reverse-proxy configuration.
- Set up SSL: answer yes after DNS resolves. Ghost-CLI requests a Let’s Encrypt certificate for the hostname.
- Set up systemd: answer yes so Ghost runs as a managed service and starts after a reboot.
Read each confirmation rather than accepting defaults blindly. The installer may ask whether to create a MySQL user or database if the supplied credentials do not exist; using the dedicated account you prepared avoids accidentally granting application access to a broader administrative account.
What the automated steps configure
When you accept the relevant prompts, Ghost-CLI performs the integration work that is easy to get subtly wrong by hand:
- Nginx receives a site configuration that proxies the public hostname to Ghost.
- Let’s Encrypt obtains and installs the TLS certificate, then configures renewal.
- systemd receives a service definition for starting, stopping, and restarting Ghost.
- Ghost stores its production configuration, including the database connection, in the installation directory.
The certificate request still depends on DNS and network reachability. A successful package installation cannot compensate for an A record that points elsewhere or a firewall that blocks the validation request.
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9. Verify the first launch
Open the HTTPS URL in a browser. You should see Ghost’s setup screen or the publication front end, depending on the release and whether initial configuration has been completed. Check the address bar for a valid certificate and confirm that HTTP requests redirect to HTTPS if you enabled that option.
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ghost status
ghost logIf the browser shows a gateway error, check that the Ghost process is running before changing Nginx. If the process is healthy but the hostname fails, verify DNS and the Nginx site configuration. Keep the first successful configuration intact until you have confirmed both the public site and the administration route.
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How the pieces communicate
A visitor connects to Nginx on ports 80 or 443. Nginx terminates TLS and forwards the request to Ghost’s Node.js process. Ghost reads and writes content through MySQL. systemd supervises the Ghost process, while Ghost-CLI provides the commands and configuration files used to install and maintain it.
This separation explains common failures. A certificate problem is usually DNS, Nginx, or port reachability; a database error is usually credentials, MySQL availability, or permissions; a blank or unavailable site after reboot is often a service-start problem.
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- Run Ghost-CLI commands as the non-root installation user.
- Keep the Ghost directory and its contents owned by that user unless Ghost’s documentation for your release explicitly requires another owner.
- Use a dedicated MySQL account for the application instead of the MySQL administrator.
- Do not rename the system account Ghost-CLI creates or reuse
ghostas your human login.
Resource planning beyond the minimum
Monitor memory after launch. MySQL and Node.js can both consume additional RAM during imports, image handling, backups, and newsletter jobs. If the VPS repeatedly swaps or the service is killed by the operating system, resize it rather than treating restarts as a fix. The documented 1 GB floor describes eligibility, not a guarantee that every theme, integration, and traffic pattern will remain responsive.
When a manual Nginx setup makes sense
Ghost’s official documentation also describes installing Nginx yourself. Manual configuration can be appropriate when the VPS already hosts other sites, when you need a custom proxy layout, or when your organization’s certificate process is not Let’s Encrypt. It also transfers responsibility for proxy headers, certificate renewal, redirects, and systemd integration to you. For a single new Ghost site, accepting Ghost-CLI’s Nginx, SSL, and systemd prompts is the lower-risk path.
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Updates
Keep Ubuntu, Node.js, MySQL, Nginx, Ghost, themes, and integrations on supported versions. Ghost-CLI-based installations generally make core updates simpler than a hand-built deployment, but that is a setup-vendor claim rather than a measured guarantee. Before any Ghost or operating-system update, take a verified database and content backup and read the current Ghost release notes for compatibility requirements.
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The exact update command is release-dependent and is not fixed here. Use the update procedure in the official Ghost documentation for your installed major version rather than copying a command from an older Ghost 5 or Ghost 6 tutorial.
Recovering from a MySQL interruption
An Ubuntu kernel update can leave MySQL stopped or unable to reconnect until services are restarted. If the site fails immediately after a reboot or kernel change, check MySQL first, then inspect Ghost’s service status and logs. Restart only the affected service after confirming its status; repeated blind restarts can hide a database or disk problem.
Backups you can actually restore
A production self-hosted blog needs more than a copy of the theme directory. Back up the MySQL database, Ghost content and images, configuration secrets, and any custom Nginx or systemd changes. Store at least one copy away from the VPS. Periodically perform a test restore on a separate server so you know the backup contains usable data and that you still have the credentials required to reconnect Ghost.
Certificate and DNS checks
Let’s Encrypt certificates expire if renewal cannot complete. Keep the DNS record pointing at the server and ensure the validation ports remain reachable. After provider migrations or IP changes, update the record before the old address is retired, then verify that renewal and the public HTTPS endpoint still work.
Troubleshooting a Ghost VPS installation
The SSL prompt fails
- Confirm the domain’s
Arecord returns the new VPS IP from an external resolver. - Wait for propagation if the record was changed within the last 30 minutes.
- Check that Nginx is installed and that HTTP/HTTPS traffic reaches the VPS.
- Make sure the installer URL exactly matches the hostname covered by the certificate request.
Once DNS and reachability are correct, rerun the SSL portion through Ghost-CLI rather than creating an unrelated certificate for a different hostname.
The installer reports permission errors
Check who owns the installation directory and which account is running the command. The directory should be writable by the non-root user, and ghost install should not be run through a root shell. Correct ownership, return to the directory, and rerun the failed step.
Ghost cannot connect to MySQL
Verify that MySQL is running, that the database name and username are exact, and that the account is allowed to connect from the host Ghost uses. Re-enter the password rather than pasting one with an accidental trailing space. Confirm the server is MySQL 8.0 or 8.4 and not an unsupported database engine.
The site works until reboot
Check whether systemd setup was accepted and inspect the service status. If systemd was skipped, Ghost may have been running only in the installer session. Complete the service configuration using Ghost-CLI’s supported procedure for your release, then test a controlled reboot during a maintenance window.
The site is slow or the process is killed
Check memory pressure, swap activity, CPU saturation, and disk space. A 1 GB VPS has little spare capacity; moving to 2 GB or 4 GB, depending on workload, may be more effective than tuning individual processes. Newsletter sending and other background jobs can create short-lived peaks that are invisible during a quiet browsing test.
Decision checklist before you publish
- Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, or 26.04 is supported by the current Ghost guide.
- The VPS has at least 1 GB RAM; 2 GB is the more practical starting point, and newsletter workloads may justify 4 GB.
- The Node.js major version matches the Ghost release’s current support matrix.
- MySQL is version 8.0 or 8.4; MariaDB and PostgreSQL are not being used for production.
- The domain’s
Arecord resolves to the VPS beforeghost installbegins. - A non-root sudo user owns the installation directory and is running Ghost-CLI.
- Nginx, SSL, and systemd prompts were reviewed and accepted where appropriate.
- You have tested database and content backups, service status checks, and certificate renewal conditions.
With those conditions met, Ghost-CLI provides the shortest supported path from a clean Ubuntu VPS to a secured, service-managed Ghost publication. The parts that deserve the most caution are not the download itself: they are version matching, DNS timing, database selection, permissions, and an operating plan for backups and updates.
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