Install and Deploy

This article will walk you through the procedure to install and deploy Bitwarden to your own server. Bitwarden can be installed and deployed on Linux, macOS, and Windows machines.

System Specifications

Use the following table to check the Minimum and Recommended specifications when deploying Bitwarden to your own server:

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TL;DR

The following is a summary of the Installation Procedure in this article. Links in this section will jump to detailed Installation Procedure sections:

1. Configure your Domain. Set DNS records for a domain name pointing to your machine, and open ports 80 and 443 on the machine.
2. Install Docker and Docker Compose on your machine, and complete the optional Docker Post-Installation.

3. Retrieve an installation id and key from https://bitwarden.com/host for use in installation.

   For more information, see What are my installation id and installation key used for?.

4. Install Bitwarden on your machine.
5. Configure your Environment by adjusting settings in ./bwdata/env/global.override.env.

   Tip

   At a minimum, configure the globalSettings__mail__smtp... variables to setup an email server for inviting and verifying users.

6. Start your instance.
7. Test your installation by opening your configured domain in a Web Browser.

Installation Procedure

Configure your Domain

By default, Bitwarden will be served through ports 80 (http) and 443 (https) on the host machine. Open these ports so that Bitwarden can be accessed from within and/or outside of the network. You may opt to choose different ports during installation.

Bitwarden recommends configuring a domain name with DNS records that point to your host machine (for example, bitwarden.example.com), especially if you are serving Bitwarden over the internet.

Install Docker and Docker Compose

Bitwarden will be deployed and run on your machine using an array of Docker containers. Bitwarden can be run with any Docker Edition or plan. Evaluate which edition is best for your installation.

Deployment of containers is orchestrated using Docker Compose. Some Docker installations, including Windows and macOS, come with Docker Compose already installed.

Install Docker and Docker Compose on your machine before proceeding with installation. Refer to the following Docker documentation for help:

• Install Docker Engine
• Install Docker Compose

Docker Post-Installation (Linux Only)

Bitwarden recommends configuring your Linux server with a dedicated bitwarden service account, from which to install and run Bitwarden. Doing so will isolate your bitwarden instance from other applications running on your server.

These steps are Bitwarden-recommended best practices, but are not required. For more information, see Docker’s Post-installation steps for Linux documentation.

1. Create a bitwarden user:

   sudo adduser bitwarden
   

2. Set password for bitwarden user (strong password):

   sudo passwd bitwarden
   

3. Create a docker group (if it doesn’t already exist):

   sudo groupadd docker
   

4. Add the bitwarden user to the docker group:

   sudo usermod -aG docker bitwarden
   

5. Create a bitwarden directory:

   sudo mkdir /opt/bitwarden
   

6. Set permissions for the /opt/bitwarden directory:

   sudo chmod -R 700 /opt/bitwarden
   

7. Set the bitwarden user ownership of the /opt/bitwarden directory:

   sudo chown -R bitwarden:bitwarden /opt/bitwarden
   

Install Bitwarden

Bitwarden provides a shell script for easy installation on Linux and macOS (Bash), or Windows (PowerShell). Complete the following steps to install Bitwarden using the shell script:

(Linux Only) If you’ve completed the Docker Post-Installation steps, do so as the bitwarden user from the /opt/bitwarden directory.

1. Download the Bitwarden installation script (bitwarden.sh) to your machine:

   Bash

   curl -Lso bitwarden.sh https://go.btwrdn.co/bw-sh \
       && chmod 700 bitwarden.sh
   

   PowerShell

   Invoke-RestMethod -OutFile bitwarden.ps1 `
       -Uri https://go.btwrdn.co/bw-ps
   

2. Run the installer script. A ./bwdata directory will be created relative to the location of bitwarden.sh.

   Bash

   ./bitwarden.sh install
   

   PowerShell

   .\bitwarden.ps1 -install
   

3. Complete the prompts in the installer:

   • Enter the domain name for your Bitwarden instance:

     Typically, this value should be the configured DNS record.

   • Do you want to use Let’s Encrypt to generate a free SSL certificate? (y/n):

     Specify y to generate a trusted SSL certificate using Let’s Encrypt. You will be prompted to enter an email address for expiration reminders from Let’s Encrypt. For more information, see Certificate Options.

     Alternatively, specify n and use the Do you have a SSL certificate to use? option.

   • Enter your installation id:

     Retrieve an installation id using a valid email at https://bitwarden.com/host. For more information, see What are my installation id and installation key used for?.

   • Enter your installation key:

     Retrieve an installation key using a valid email at https://bitwarden.com/host. For more information, see What are my installation id and installation key used for?.

   • Do you have a SSL certificate to use? (y/n):

     If you already have your own SSL certificate, specify y and place the necessary files in the .bwdata/ssl/your.domain directory. You will be asked whether it is a trusted SSL certificate (y/n). For more information, see Certificate Options.

     Alternatively, specify n and use the self-signed SSL certificate? option, which is only recommended for testing purposes.

   • Do you want to generate a self-signed SSL certificate? (y/n):

     Specify y to have Bitwarden generate a self-signed certificate for you. This option is only recommended for testing. For more information, see Certificate Options.

     If you specify n, your instance will not use an SSL certificate and you will be required to front your installation with a HTTPS proxy, or else Bitwarden applications will not function properly.

Configure your Environment

Configuring your environment involves two procedures; Installation Configuration and Environment Variable Configuration. The degree to which you will be required to configure your environment will depend on your unique needs.

Installation Configuration

The Bitwarden installation script uses settings in ./bwdata/config.yml to generate the necessary assets for installation. Some installation scenarios (e.g. installations behind a proxy with alternate ports) may require adjustments to config.yml that were not provided during standard installation.

Edit config.yml as necessary, and apply changes using one of the following commands:

Bash

./bitwarden.sh rebuild

PowerShell

.\bitwarden.ps1 -rebuild

Environment Variables

Some features of Bitwarden are not configured by the bitwarden.sh installer. Configure these settings by editing the environment file, located at ./bwdata/env/global.override.env.

At a minimum, you should replace the values for:

...
globalSettings__mail__smtp__host=<placeholder>
globalSettings__mail__smtp__port=<placeholder>
globalSettings__mail__smtp__ssl=<placeholder>
globalSettings__mail__smtp__username=<placeholder>
globalSettings__mail__smtp__password=<placeholder>
...
adminSettings__admins=

Replacing globalSettings__mail__smtp...= placeholders will configure the SMTP Mail Server settings that will be used to verify new users and send invitations.

Adding an email address to adminSettings__admins= will provision access to the Admin Portal.

After editing global.override.env, run one of the following commands to apply your changes:

Bash

./bitwarden.sh restart

PowerShell

.\bitwarden.ps1 -restart

For more information about configuring Environment Variables, see Configure Environment Variables.

Start Bitwarden

Once you’ve completed all previous steps, start your Bitwarden instance:

Bash

./bitwarden.sh start

PowerShell

.\bitwarden.ps1 -start

Verify that all containers are running correctly:

docker ps

Congratulations! Bitwarden is now up and running at https://your.domain.com. Visit the web vault in your web browser to confirm that it’s working.

You may now register a new account and log in. You will need to have configured smtp environment variables (see Environment Variables) in order to verify the email for your new account.

Script Commands Reference

The Bitwarden installation script (bitwarden.sh or bitwarden.ps1) has the following commands available: