Step-by-Step

1. Step-by-Step#

1.1. Overview#

The overall steps are listed below:

Install docker
Clone Overleaf Community Edition
Change directory to downloaded overleaf directory
Edit docker-compose.yml.

This will enable users within the same network to access overleaf using Nginx server.
Run docker-compose up

This will download all the libraries required for your overleaf instance
Create and Manage users

These steps are further elaborated in the following text.

1.2. Docker#

Docker is a containerization platform that allows you to package applications and their dependencies into isolated containers. Each container runs as a lightweight, standalone, and executable package that includes everything needed to run the application, such as code, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings.

In the context of self-hosting Overleaf, Docker simplifies the deployment and management of the Overleaf Community Edition application. Instead of installing Overleaf and its dependencies directly on the host system, Docker allows you to run Overleaf within a container. This container encapsulates the Overleaf application and its dependencies, ensuring consistency and portability across different environments. Docker also provides mechanisms for managing containerized applications, including starting, stopping, scaling, and updating containers.

1.2.1. Installation#

To install Docker on a Debian-based Linux OS, use the following command:

 sudo apt-get install docker-compose

1.2.2. List of useful docker commands#

Keep a note of these commands so that you can debug, remove, and check your Overleaf instance image.

List all docker containers:
```
docker ps
```
Kill running docker process
```
docker kill <container ID>
```
Note: Use docker ps to obtain container IDs
Remove all docker containers:
```
docker rm -f $\$($ docker ps $-a-q)$
```
Remove all docker images:
```
docker rmi -f $(docker images -q)
```
Open up a bash session inside sharelatex container:
```
docker exec -it sharelatex bash    
```

Display container images:

sudo docker images --format 'table {{.Repository}}\t{{.Tag}}\t{{.Size}}'

1.3. Setting up Overleaf community edition#

NOTE: Overleaf is still referred to as sharelatex in the containers, images, and directories created.

Setting up Overleaf is very simple. Just clone the GitHub repository and then customize the docker compose file if needed.

1.3.1. Download Overleaf#

git clone https://github.com/overleaf/overleaf.git

Or download the repository from HERE

1.3.2. Edit `docker-compose.yml`#

docker-compose.yml contains instructions for docker to run your overleaf instance with. It is contained inside the cloned Overleaf Git repository. In case you want to enable access to your overleaf instance for other users on the same network via a Nginx, uncomment the following lines from your docker-compose.yml:

nginx-proxy:
    image: jwilder/nginx-proxy
    container_name: nginx-proxy
    ports:
        #- "80:80"
        - "443:443"
    volumes:
        - /var/run/docker.sock:/tmp/docker.sock:ro
        - /home/sharelatex/tmp:/etc/nginx/certs

In the context of self-hosting Overleaf, Nginx is often used as a reverse proxy server to forward incoming HTTP requests to the Overleaf application running within Docker containers. Nginx acts as a gateway between external Overleaf users and the Overleaf application, providing an additional layer of security, performance optimization, and flexibility in managing web traffic.

Note: In case there are other applications using your port 80 and 443 , there maybe some conflicts with your overleaf instance.

1.3.3. Accessing overleaf#

To access overleaf, go to http://localhost/launchpad on your overleaf host machine.

For users within the same network, go to http://<ip>, where <ip> is the IP of overleaf host machine.

1.4. Managing Users#

1.4.1. Create admin user#

Create new user with the following command

docker exec sharelatex /bin/bash -c "cd/var/www/sharelatex; grunt user:create-admin --email=abc@xyz.com"

Edit password token by substituting localhost with <ip>
Share edited token with user to create password

1.5. Create regular user#

Create new user with the following command

docker exec sharelatex /bin/bash -c "cd/var/www/sharelatex; grunt user:create --email=abc@xyz.com"

Edit password token by substituting localhost with <ip>
Share edited token with user to create password

NOTE: (Alternatively) Admins can create regular users can also be created from the Overleaf launchpad.

1.5.1. Delete users#

Similarly, you can delete a user with the following command:

docker exec sharelatex /bin/bash -c "cd /var/www/sharelatex; grunt user:delete --email=abc@xyz.com"

NOTE: For more help on user management refer to THIS link.

1.6. Upgrading TeXLive#

Overleaf comes with TeXLive-basic preinstalled. In case you want to make any changes to the LaTeX packages, you can:

Open up a bash session in Overleaf container:
```
docker exec -it sharelatex bash
```
Make changes through tlmgr:
```
tlmgr -gui
```
(Optional) A good strategy would be to upgrade the TeXlive installation to the full scheme as follows:
```
sudo docker exec sharelatex tlmgr install scheme-full
```

Make a commit to the Overleaf container:

docker commit sharelatex sharelatex/sharelatex:<commit-message>

Edit docker-compose.yml to use that image:

# ...
services:
    sharelatex:
        image: sharelatex/sharelatex:<commit-message>
# ...

Check new sharelatex image exists using:

sudo docker images --format 'table {{.Repository}}\t{{.Tag}}\t{{.Size}}'

1.7. Backing up overleaf data#

Backing up Overleaf data essentially boils down to backing up three directories:

~/sharelatex_data
~/mongo_data
~/redis_databackup-new/

For the recommended process of backing up Overleaf, check THIS