Getting Started - On a Server

You’ve got a server, VPS, or just your laptop. It has an app running, now you want people to be able to use it. You’ve come to the right place.

Overview

Ingressive allows you to install a piece of software called a connector. This software manages the connection between Ingressive and the server without any further requirements. The basic process is as follows:

  • Create a connector, install it on your server.
  • Allow a Service through the connector (such as localhost:8080)
  • Connect a site such as myapp.contoso.com to a service

Connector

Installing the connector creates a connection out from your server to Ingressive. Ingressive can then send requests back in.

The Ingressive Console guides you through setting up a connector, setting up services, and sending sites to them. If you’re familiar with Docker Compose, you should be able to set up just using the Console.

Warning

Security Checkpoint

The connector can be configured to connect to any service the machine can access. Only configure appropriate services and think about what can be configured later.

Here are the exact steps:

  1. Open the Ingressive Console

  2. Click Connectors

  3. Click “New Connector”

  4. Give the connector an ID and a name

  5. The Console will give you a Docker Compose file for the connector.

  6. If you’re not using containers already, install Podman following the directions in the Console.

    # Install Podman
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y podman podman-compose

# Configure auto-restart on server reboot
sudo loginctl enable-linger $USER
systemctl --user enable --now podman-restart.service

  7. Set up the container by copying the configuration from the Console.

    1. If you’re already using Docker Compose, you can add the connector to an existing compose.yaml file
    # Create working directory
mkdir ingressive
cd ingressive 

# Create file
nano compose.yaml
# Paste the contents into the text editor and press control + x, then y, then enter

  8. Bring the connector online

    1. Run docker compose up -d
    2. Check that the status goes green in the Ingressive Console
    3. If not, type docker compose logs to see the the logs of the connector

  9. Now the connector is up:

The connector page guides you through creating services, and connecting sites to them.

See Also

The Connector docuementation.

Troubleshooting