Getting Started
Introduction
AutoHost is an open-source platform for automating self-hosting on Linux servers.
AutoHost is an open-source platform for automating self-hosting on Linux servers. It simplifies deploying and managing applications, monitoring nodes, and exposing services — all from a single CLI or web dashboard.
What is AutoHost?
AutoHost lets you turn any Linux machine (a Raspberry Pi, a VPS, a home server) into a fully managed self-hosting node. Instead of manually installing Docker, configuring reverse proxies, and setting up monitoring, AutoHost handles it all through a unified workflow.
Open Source
Core Components
The AutoHost ecosystem consists of four components that work together:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| CLI (autohost) | Command-line tool that runs on each node. Installs apps, configures the server, enrolls nodes with the cloud, and manages the agent. |
| Agent (autohost-agent) | Lightweight daemon that runs as a systemd service on each node. Sends heartbeats and system metrics, receives and executes remote commands via gRPC. |
| Cloud API (autohost-cloud-api) | REST + gRPC backend that manages users, nodes, enrollment tokens, heartbeats, metrics, and remote command execution. |
| Cloud Panel (autohost-cloud-lite) | Web dashboard built with Next.js. Provides a visual interface to monitor nodes, view metrics, and trigger remote actions. |
How It Works
Install the CLI
Install the autohost CLI on your Linux machine.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mazapanuwu13/autohost-cli/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
Set up Docker
Run autohost setup to install Docker and configure the server.
autohost setup docker
Register the node
Run autohost up to authenticate and register the node with the AutoHost cloud.
autohost up
Start the agent
Install and start the agent. It will begin sending heartbeats and metrics automatically.
autohost agent install sudo systemctl enable autohost-agent sudo systemctl start autohost-agent
Use the CLI or dashboard
Install apps, monitor status, and run remote commands from the CLI or the Cloud Panel.
autohost app install nextcloud
Supported Platforms
- OS: Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS)
- Architecture: amd64, arm64
- Runtime: Docker (installed automatically by autohost setup)