DigitalOcean

Create a Droplet on DigitalOcean to run Bearicorn.

For more detail, see the Droplet Quickstart guide.

Set up the server

Step 1 - Create a Droplet

1. Click Create → Droplets
2. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 13
3. Select the Basic plan with at least 2 GB RAM (~$12/mo)
4. Choose a region close to your users
5. Select SSH Key as the authentication method

Step 2 - Configure the Cloud Firewall

1. Go to Networking → Firewalls → Create Firewall
2. Add the following inbound rules:

Type	Port	Source
SSH	22	Your IP
HTTP	80	All IPv4, All IPv6
HTTPS	443	All IPv4, All IPv6

3. Assign the firewall to your Droplet

INFO

Use DigitalOcean's Cloud Firewall rather than UFW. Docker can bypass UFW rules, whereas the Cloud Firewall operates at the network level outside the server.

Step 3 - Connect to your Droplet

ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP

Step 4 - Configure DNS

In Networking → Domains or your registrar, create an A record pointing your subdomain at the Droplet IP.

Verify propagation:

dig +short your-subdomain.example.com

Next Steps

1. Install Docker — Debian/Ubuntu guide
2. Choose and deploy your stack