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How to Self-Host Concourse CI on a Linux VPS

Deploy Concourse CI on a Linux VPS with a clear web-worker-PostgreSQL layout, secure keys, HTTPS, restricted TSA access, Docker Compose steps, sizing guidance, scaling advice and operational checks.
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You can self-host Concourse CI on a Linux VPS with Docker Compose, but a reliable installation needs more than starting one container. Concourse separates the web API, privileged workers, and PostgreSQL state. The practical sequence is: prepare PostgreSQL, generate and protect the signing and SSH keys, deploy the web node over HTTPS, deploy one or more workers, then verify registration with fly workers.

A single VPS can run the web node and one worker for a small, low-risk team. That is a simplification of Concourse’s documented topology, not a distinct architecture: production installations should be ready to move PostgreSQL and workers to separate hosts as concurrency, isolation, backup, or availability requirements grow.

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What a Concourse installation contains

Concourse documentation describes an installation as a web node, a worker node, and a PostgreSQL node. The web node serves the UI and API, schedules jobs, and accepts worker connections through the TSA (the Transport Security Agent). Workers execute build containers and fetch pipeline inputs. PostgreSQL stores pipeline state, job data, build logs, credentials metadata, and—when Concourse obtains certificates through Let’s Encrypt—the TLS certificate and private key.

Web node

The web service is the public entry point. It terminates HTTPS, exposes the UI and API, runs scheduling, and listens for worker TSA connections. In the Compose guide, the container’s HTTP listener on port 8080 is published as public port 443, while TSA uses port 2222.

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Worker node

A worker is intentionally ephemeral and stateless. It launches task and resource-check containers, stores temporary volumes, and discards that state when it is recreated. The worker must run as root because it orchestrates containers. In Docker Compose this normally means a privileged container, which makes the worker host a trust boundary: run only workloads you trust and isolate the host from unrelated services.

PostgreSQL node

PostgreSQL may be local to the VPS or hosted elsewhere, but the web node must be able to reach it. Use encrypted client connections and encrypted backups. Backups should include build logs and the TLS material stored in the database, not just schema definitions.

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Choose a VPS layout before installing

Layout How it works Advantages Trade-offs
Single VPS Web, one worker, and PostgreSQL share one machine. Lowest operational complexity and network latency; suitable for light pipelines and experiments. A privileged worker shares a host with the public web service and database. CPU, memory, disk, and failure domain are shared.
Web plus separate worker Web and PostgreSQL remain on one host; worker runs on another VM. Improves isolation and lets you add workers independently. Requires private networking and TSA firewall rules between hosts.
Separate web, workers, and PostgreSQL Each role has its own host or managed service. Best isolation, independent scaling, and stronger database durability options. More hosts, backups, firewall rules, and upgrade coordination.

Compare layouts by privileged-worker isolation, PostgreSQL durability and backup controls, CPU/RAM/disk available for concurrent builds, bandwidth and latency between roles, HTTPS and firewall management, and how easily additional workers or web nodes can be added. Do not run two workers on one physical VM merely to make the installation appear scaled; they compete for the same resources.

VPS prerequisites and sizing

The Concourse documentation does not publish a universal CPU, memory, disk, bandwidth, price, or benchmark minimum for a VPS. Size each role according to its work:

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  • Web: scheduling volume, API requests, active users, and database connection usage.
  • PostgreSQL: connection count, query load, database and build-log retention, backup space, and disk durability. The documented default web connection pools are 10 for API connections and 50 for backend connections.
  • Worker: concurrent containers, compiler and test requirements, image-cache size, build I/O, and network egress.

For a small team with light pipelines, begin with one modest VPS and monitor CPU, memory, swap, disk latency, disk fullness, and container count. Move PostgreSQL or workers to separate hosts when builds contend with the web service, when database backups need independent storage, or when a worker failure must not remove the web interface.

Linux worker requirements

The tested worker distributions are Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04 with Linux kernel 5.15 or newer. Enable user namespaces plus memory and swap accounting on the worker host. Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose for the Compose deployment. Workers need outbound access to source repositories, registries, artifact stores, and any other locations referenced by resource checks and builds.

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Put the worker work directory on storage large enough for simultaneous checkouts, image layers, caches, and build artifacts. Because worker state is disposable, do not treat it as the authoritative location for source code, release artifacts, or backups.

DNS, ports, and firewall rules

Create a DNS name such as ci.example.com pointing to the web VPS. Set CONCOURSE_EXTERNAL_URL=https://ci.example.com; the value must match the URL users and the fly CLI will use.

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Port Direction Exposure Purpose
443/TCP Internet to web Public HTTPS UI, API, and ACME validation traffic when Let’s Encrypt is enabled.
2222/TCP Worker to web Private where possible TSA SSH connection used for worker registration and forwarding.
5432/TCP (normally) Web to PostgreSQL Private Database connection on the configured PostgreSQL port.
7777 and 7788 Internal worker services Do not expose publicly Garden and BaggageClaim traffic is forwarded through the TSA connection.

Allow TCP 443 from users and certificate-authority validation traffic. Restrict TCP 2222 to worker IPs or a private network. Allow the web host to reach PostgreSQL, and allow worker outbound traffic to the services required by your pipelines. If builds cannot resolve names, configure containerd DNS and test resolution from an intercepted build container; enabling broad host access can let containers reach local host processes and has security consequences.

Generate keys and prepare PostgreSQL

Complete database and key preparation before starting either service. Create an atc database and a dedicated database user, or use equivalent names in your own secret-management process. Do not commit credentials or private keys to a pipeline repository.

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Keys required by the web node

  • session_signing_key
  • tsa_host_key
  • worker_key.pub, the authorized public key for workers

Keys required by each worker

  • tsa_host_key.pub
  • worker_key

Generate the keys with Concourse’s supported key-generation commands or the method documented for your release, then copy only the necessary files to each host. Mount the key directory read-only inside containers and restrict host permissions so only the service account can read private keys. Store database credentials and key files in your VPS secret-management process and rotate them under a documented maintenance procedure.

Deploy the web node with Docker Compose

The following outline follows the official Compose pattern. Run it on the web host after Docker Engine, Compose, DNS, PostgreSQL, and the key directory are ready.

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  1. Create directories: mkdir -p ~/concourse/keys, then place the three web key files in that directory.
  2. Create the Compose file: define a service using the official concourse/concourse image and command: web.
  3. Publish required ports: map 443:8080 for HTTPS and 2222:2222 for TSA. Restrict the host firewall even though the container publishes the ports.
  4. Mount keys read-only: bind the host key directory to the container’s key path with read-only mode.
  5. Set database variables: provide the PostgreSQL host, port, database name, user, password, and SSL settings appropriate to your database.
  6. Set the external URL: use CONCOURSE_EXTERNAL_URL=https://ci.example.com.
  7. Enable certificate issuance: set CONCOURSE_ENABLE_LETS_ENCRYPT=true only after DNS points to the host and TCP 443 is reachable.
  8. Set restart behavior: use restart: unless-stopped.
  9. Start the service: run docker compose up -d, then inspect startup output with docker compose logs -f web.

Use a real authentication provider for a shared installation. The sample Compose configuration’s CONCOURSE_ADD_LOCAL_USER=test:test is an example only; replace it with a strong, non-example credential or an external provider, assign the account to the intended main team, and remove sample local-user variables when external authentication is configured.

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Enable HTTPS and protect the database

Concourse can request and renew a Let’s Encrypt certificate when CONCOURSE_ENABLE_LETS_ENCRYPT=true and the public hostname is reachable on port 443. The certificate and private key are stored in PostgreSQL. Concourse documentation therefore states that database encryption is imperative when using this integration.

  • Use encrypted PostgreSQL client connections where supported by your database service.
  • Encrypt PostgreSQL backups and restrict restoration access.
  • Protect the database network from public ingress.
  • Back up before enabling certificate issuance and before upgrades.
  • Confirm that renewal traffic can reach the web node after firewall changes.
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Deploy and connect a worker

The official Compose example assumes the worker is on a separate server, although a small single-VPS installation can run it beside the web service. Create a keys directory on the worker and place tsa_host_key.pub and worker_key there.

  1. Create the worker directory: mkdir -p ~/concourse/keys.
  2. Define the worker service: use the same concourse/concourse image with command: worker.
  3. Grant required privilege: set privileged: true. The worker orchestrates nested workload containers and must run as root.
  4. Select the runtime: set CONCOURSE_RUNTIME=containerd; containerd is the current default and a tested production choice alongside Guardian.
  5. Select storage: set CONCOURSE_BAGGAGECLAIM_DRIVER=overlay when that driver matches the worker filesystem and kernel.
  6. Mount worker keys read-only: provide the TSA public key and worker private key to the container.
  7. Point TSA at the web node: set CONCOURSE_TSA_HOST=ci.example.com:2222 or the private address and port reachable from the worker.
  8. Start it: run docker compose up -d and review docker compose logs -f worker.

Authenticate with fly from a machine that can reach the external URL, then verify registration:

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fly -t production login -c https://ci.example.com
fly -t production workers

The worker should appear with a healthy state. If it does not, check that the web host’s port 2222 is reachable from the worker, the TSA host key pair matches, the worker public key is authorized on the web node, and the external URL and certificate are correct.

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Runtime behavior, trust boundaries, and scaling

Workers execute arbitrary pipeline steps as root inside their container orchestration boundary. Keep worker VMs isolated from sensitive host services, minimize inbound access, apply security updates, and schedule only trusted pipeline code. Never expose Garden or BaggageClaim directly to the internet.

Workers are interchangeable: add a new worker with the same TSA host and worker-key arrangement when concurrency rises. Concourse documentation suggests considering another worker when the average container count approaches about 200 on one worker. That is a planning signal, not a hard capacity limit; workload CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network behavior can require scaling earlier. Add workers on separate VMs when you need genuine additional resources or fault isolation.

Operations, upgrades, and recovery

Routine checks

  • Follow service output with docker compose logs -f.
  • Run fly workers to check registration and health.
  • Monitor PostgreSQL storage, connection use, backup success, and build-log growth.
  • Monitor worker disk fullness, memory pressure, swap activity, CPU saturation, and container count.

Retiring a worker

Use fly prune-worker for a stalled worker. Before planned shutdown, land the worker when possible so new work is not scheduled onto it. A landed worker can finish or hand off work more predictably than a host that disappears.

Upgrade order

Back up PostgreSQL before every upgrade. Concourse runs database migrations automatically when a web node starts. Web nodes can restart without draining, but do not leave nodes on mixed versions longer than necessary: a migration performed by a newer node can confuse older nodes. Upgrade all web and worker nodes promptly to the same release, verify fly workers, and inspect logs for migration or compatibility errors.

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When Docker Compose is not the right choice

Concourse is also distributed as a binary. The Linux archive can be extracted under /usr/local/concourse; the binary discovers sibling assets such as resource types automatically. Configuration flags and CONCOURSE_* environment variables are equivalent to the container configuration. A systemd-managed web and worker service can therefore replace Compose when you want host-managed process supervision, package-level logging, or tighter integration with an existing Linux operations model. Compose remains the clearest first deployment path on a VPS because it keeps image, command, environment, volume, and restart settings together.

Troubleshooting checklist

The UI is unreachable

  • Confirm DNS resolves to the web VPS and that TCP 443 is allowed.
  • Check that the web container is running and that port 443 maps to container port 8080.
  • Inspect web logs for certificate issuance, external-URL, or database errors.

Let’s Encrypt fails

  • Verify the hostname is public and resolves to this host.
  • Allow certificate-authority validation traffic on TCP 443.
  • Confirm the external URL uses HTTPS and the database is encrypted.

The worker is missing from fly workers

  • Allow only the worker’s address to reach web TCP 2222.
  • Verify both sides use the matching TSA host key and worker key pair.
  • Check the worker’s CONCOURSE_TSA_HOST value and DNS or private routing.
  • Review worker and web logs for SSH authentication or TLS errors.

Build containers cannot fetch inputs

  • Confirm worker outbound firewall and DNS access.
  • Test name resolution and HTTPS from an intercepted build container.
  • Check containerd DNS configuration; avoid enabling host access unless the security impact is understood.
  • Inspect disk space and I/O latency for image and checkout operations.

PostgreSQL connections or storage are exhausted

  • Review active connections against the database service limit and Concourse’s documented pool defaults.
  • Increase durable database capacity or move PostgreSQL to a separate service before increasing worker count.
  • Set a build-log retention policy and verify backups are encrypted and restorable.

A practical production checklist

  • Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 worker host with kernel 5.15 or newer.
  • User namespaces and memory/swap accounting enabled.
  • Docker Engine and Compose installed and patched.
  • PostgreSQL database and encrypted connection configured.
  • Web and worker keys generated, permission-restricted, and mounted read-only.
  • Public DNS and HTTPS on TCP 443; TSA TCP 2222 restricted to workers.
  • Garden 7777 and BaggageClaim 7788 kept private.
  • Real authentication configured instead of sample credentials.
  • Encrypted PostgreSQL backups containing build logs and stored TLS material.
  • Worker host isolated because its container runtime is privileged.
  • fly workers returns every expected worker as healthy.
  • Upgrade plan accounts for automatic database migrations and same-version nodes.

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