Bring your own server

By default, dployr provisions and manages a server for you. If you're on the Pro plan, you can also connect a server you already own. Your own server shows up in the dashboard and CLI like any other instance, with the same deploy flow, console access, and everything else.

Before you connect

Start with a clean server if you can. Existing software can conflict with what dployrd installs. The server needs outbound internet access, and keeping it up is on you. dployrd runs your workloads but can't save you from a machine that goes down.

Step 1: Get a bootstrap token

In the dashboard, go to your cluster's Instances page and click Add Instance. You'll get a bootstrap token, which is a one-time credential that lets dployrd authenticate with your cluster on first run. Copy it before closing the modal.

Step 2: Install dployrd

SSH into your server and run the installer with your token.

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dployr-io/dployr/master/install.sh \
  | bash -s -- --token "<your-bootstrap-token>"

The installer sets up dployrd, registers it as a system service, and connects it to your cluster. After it completes, your server will appear in the Instances list in the dashboard.

Step 3: Verify the connection

In the dashboard, the new instance should show as Connected within a minute or two of the installer finishing. You can also check on the server:

sudo systemctl status dployrd

And check the dployrd logs:

tail -f /var/log/dployrd/app.log

What dployrd installs

The installer configures the following on your server:

Component	Purpose
dployrd	Maintains the WebSocket connection to Base and executes deploy instructions
Caddy	Reverse proxy that handles HTTPS and routing
Docker	Container runtime used for all runtimes
SQLite	Embedded local state store

Package managers

If you prefer to manage the installation through a package manager:

# Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew tap dployr-io/dployr
brew install dployr

After installing via a package manager, run dployrd --token <bootstrap-token> to register the instance with your cluster.

Managing the daemon

sudo systemctl enable dployrd
sudo systemctl start dployrd
sudo systemctl restart dployrd
sudo systemctl status dployrd

Security

dployrd connects outbound to Base over a mTLS-encrypted WebSocket. Your server never needs to accept inbound connections from the internet. No firewall rules to add, no ports to open. dployrd generates its own client certificate on first run and Base verifies it on every connection.

Removing a BYOS instance

From the Instances page in the dashboard, select the instance and choose Remove. This disconnects it from your cluster. dployrd and its dependencies remain installed on the server, so you'll need to remove those manually if you want to clean up.