¶ 01 - Getting Started
Difficulty Level: 🟢 Beginner
Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes
¶ 📋 Table of Contents
- Welcome to your n8n Server
- What You Should Have Received
- First Steps Overview
- Step 1: Verify Web Access
- Step 2: First SSH Connection
- Step 3: Verify all services are running
- Step 4: Understanding your server layout
- Step 5: Initial security steps
- Step 6: Test Basic Operations
- Verification Checklist
¶ Welcome to Your n8n Server!
Congratulations! Your n8n self-hosted server is ready. This guide will walk you through your first connection and help you verify everything is working correctly.
¶ 📦 What You Should Have Received
Before starting, make sure you have:
- ✅ Credentials PDF with:
- Hosting credentials
- Server IP address and information
- SSH private key file
- Email/SMTP credentials
- Basic Auth credentials
- n8n admin credentials
- Database credentials
- All service URLs
- ✅ SSH Private Key File (usually named
id_client_USERNAMEor similar)
💡 TIP: Keep your credentials PDF and SSH key in a secure location. Consider using a password manager.
¶ 🎯 First Steps Overview
Here's what we'll do in this guide:
- Verify you can access all web services
- Make your first SSH connection
- Check that all services are running
- Understand your server layout
- Complete initial security steps
¶ Step 1: Verify Web Access
Let's make sure all your web services are accessible before diving into the command line.
¶ 1.1 Access n8n
- Open your web browser
- Navigate to:
https://n8n.yourdomain.websiteYou can find this URL in the PDF : SERVICE N8N > n8n URL - You should see the n8n login page
Expected Result:
- ✅ Page loads with a valid SSL certificate (🔒 padlock icon in browser)
- ✅ n8n login screen is displayed
⚠️ If you see a security warning: This is not normal, and you should contact me for further investigation.
Login to n8n:
- Use the credentials from your PDF
- You should see the n8n dashboard
¶ 1.2 Access phpMyAdmin
- Navigate to:
https://phpmyadmin.yourdomain.websiteYou can find this URL in the PDF : SERVICE PHPMYADMIN > PhpMyAdmin URL - You'll be prompted for Basic Authentication first:
- Username: (found in your credentials PDF, Basic Auth Username)
- Password: (found in your credentials PDF, Basic Auth Password)
- Then you'll see the phpMyAdmin login: (You can use either n8n or root user)
- Username: (from credentials PDF)
- Password: (from credentials PDF)
Expected Result:
- ✅ Double authentication works (basic auth + phpMyAdmin login)
- ✅ You can see the n8n database
⚠️ CAUTION: phpMyAdmin provides direct database access. Be very careful when making changes here.
¶ 1.3 Access Traefik Dashboard
- Navigate to:
https://traefik.yourdomain.websiteYou can find this URL in the PDF : SERVICE TRAEFIK > Traefik URL - Enter basic authentication credentials (from your PDF)
- You should see the Traefik dashboard showing your services
Expected Result:
- ✅ Dashboard shows HTTP and TCP routers
- ✅ All services show as "green" or healthy
¶ 1.4 Access PgAdmin dashboard
- Navigate to:
https://pgadmin.yourdomain.websiteYou can find this URL in the PDF : SERVICE PGADMIN > Pgadmin URL - Enter basic authentication credentials (from your PDF)
- You should see the Pgadmin login dashboard.
- Authenticate with your email and password (from your PDF)
Expected Result:
- ✅ You are on Pgadmin dashboard and can add a new database server
¶ Step 2: First SSH Connection
Now let's connect to your server via SSH. If you haven't set up SSH yet, please refer to 02 - SSH Connection Guide first.
¶ 2.1 Connect to Your Server
Using Terminal (Mac/Linux) or PowerShell (Windows):
# Navigate to where your SSH key is stored
cd ~/path/to/your/ssh/key
# Set correct permissions (Mac/Linux only)
chmod 600 id_client_USERNAME
# Connect to your server
ssh -i filepath/to/your/private/key -p 1077 USERNAME@YOUR_SERVER_IP
💡 TIP: Your username and server IP can be found in the section SERVER INFORMATION in the credentials PDF.
Expected Result:
Welcome to Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.8.0-90-generic x86_64)
[...]
💡 TIP: If this is your first connection, you'll be asked to verify the server fingerprint. Type
yesto continue.
¶ 2.2 First Look Around
Once connected, let's verify your setup:
# Check your current location
pwd
# Output: /home/USERNAME
# List files in your home directory
ls -la
# You should see a 'docker' folder
# Navigate to the docker folder
cd docker
# See what's inside
ls -la
# You should see: docker-compose.yml, .env file, backup, maintenance, storage
¶ Step 3: Verify All Services Are Running
Let's check that all Docker containers are up and healthy.
¶ 3.1 Check Docker Container Status
# Make sure you're in the docker directory
cd /home/USERNAME/docker
# View running containers
docker compose ps
Expected Output:
NAME IMAGE COMMAND SERVICE CREATED STATUS PORTS
mysql mysql:8.4 "docker-entrypoint.s…" mysql 11 hours ago Up About an hour 3306/tcp, 33060/tcp
n8n docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n "tini -- /docker-ent…" n8n 11 hours ago Up About an hour 127.0.0.1:5678->5678/tcp
pgadmin dpage/pgadmin4:9 "/entrypoint.sh" pgadmin 11 hours ago Up About an hour 80/tcp, 443/tcp
phpmyadmin phpmyadmin:5.2 "/docker-entrypoint.…" phpmyadmin 11 hours ago Up About an hour 80/tcp
postgres postgres:17 "docker-entrypoint.s…" postgres 11 hours ago Up About an hour 5432/tcp
traefik traefik "/entrypoint.sh --ap…" traefik 11 hours ago Up About an hour 0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp, 0.0.0.0:443->443/tcp
✅ All containers should show "Up" - If any show "Restarting" or "Exited", see 11 - Troubleshooting Guide
¶ 3.2 Quick Health Check
# Check Docker logs for errors (last 20 lines of each service)
docker compose logs --tail=20 n8n
docker compose logs --tail=20 mysql
docker compose logs --tail=20 traefik
docker compose logs --tail=20 pgadmin
docker compose logs --tail=20 postgres
# Check disk space
df -h
# Make sure you have at least 20% free space on your main partition (/dev/vda1)
Expected Output
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
tmpfs 197M 1.1M 196M 1% /run
/dev/vda1 19G 6.3G 12G 35% / <= Should be less than 80%
tmpfs 984M 0 984M 0% /dev/shm
tmpfs 5.0M 0 5.0M 0% /run/lock
tmpfs 197M 8.0K 197M 1% /run/user/1000
What to look for in logs:
- ✅ No red ERROR messages
- ✅ n8n should show "Editor is now accessible via: http://..."
- ✅ mysql should show "ready for connections"
¶ Step 4: Understanding Your Server Layout
Here's how your server is organized:
/home/USERNAME/
└── docker/ # Main Docker setup folder
├── maintenance # All the scripts in this documentation can be found in this directory.
├── backups # This folder will be created if you execute the backup.sh script.
├── docker-compose.yml # Defines all the docker servicess
├── .env # Environment variables & secrets
└── storage # Mounting points to override configuration files
Important Files:
docker-compose.yml- Defines what containers run and how.env- Contains passwords, domain names, and configuration
Where is your data stored?
Your actual data (n8n workflows, database, etc.) is stored in Docker named volumes, not in regular folders. These are managed by Docker itself.
# View all Docker volumes
docker volume ls
# You should see volumes like:
DRIVER VOLUME NAME
local docker_mysql_data
local docker_n8n_data
local docker_n8n_files
local docker_traefik_letsencrypt
local docker_pgadmin_data
local docker_postgres_data
To inspect a volume's location:
# See where Docker stores a specific volume
docker volume inspect docker_n8n_data
# This will show something like:
"Mountpoint": "/var/lib/docker/volumes/docker_n8n_data/_data"
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Do NOT manually edit files in
/var/lib/docker/volumes/- always use Docker commands to manage volumes.
💾 BACKUP NOTE: To backup your data, you'll need to backup the Docker volumes, not regular folders. See 06 - Backup & Recovery for the proper procedure.
Quick volume commands you'll need:
# List all volumes
docker volume ls
# See volume details (including size and location)
docker volume inspect VOLUME_NAME
# DANGEROUS: Remove unused volumes (will ask for confirmation)
docker volume prune
¶ Database Configuration
- Default: n8n uses SQLite (file-based)
- Optional: To use Postgres instead, uncomment (remove #) the Postgres section in docker-compose.yml:
# PostgreSQL (uncomment these 6 lines if switching to PostgreSQL)
# DB_TYPE: postgresdb
# DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST: postgres
# DB_POSTGRESDB_PORT: 5432
# DB_POSTGRESDB_DATABASE: ${POSTGRES_DB}
# DB_POSTGRESDB_USER: ${POSTGRES_USER}
# DB_POSTGRESDB_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
-> And comment the SQLITE parameter adding a # at the begining of the line.
DB_SQLITE_POOL_SIZE: 3
¶ Step 5: Initial Security Steps
Now that you're connected, let's complete some important security tasks.
¶ 5.1 Change Default Passwords
It's good practice to change the passwords from the defaults provided if and only if you are not in fully managed mode. Otherwise, you're literally shutting me off your server administration:
Change n8n Admin Password:
- Log into n8n web interface
- Click your profile (bottom left)
- Go to Settings → Personal → Change password
- Update your password manager
Change MySQL Root Password (Optional but recommended):
# Connect to MySQL container
docker compose exec mysql mysql -u root -p
# Enter current root password from the PDF file
# Change password
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-new-strong-password';
ALTER USER 'root'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-new-strong-password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
# Connect to PostgreSQL container
docker compose exec postgres psql -U postgres
# Change password
ALTER USER n8n_user WITH PASSWORD 'your-new-strong-password';
\q
# Update the .env file with new password
nano .env
# Find MYSQL_ROOT_PWD and update it
# Find POSTGRES_PASSWORD and update it
# Press CTRL+X, then Y, then ENTER to save
# Restart containers to apply new password
cd ~/docker
docker compose down
docker compose up -d
# Verify n8n can connect (if n8n is configured as using Postgres as a DBengine).
docker compose logs n8n | grep -i "database\|postgres"
¶ 5.2 Review Authorized SSH Keys
Let's see who has access to your server:
# View authorized SSH keys (in USERNAME account)
cat ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
# View authorized SSH keys (in root account)
sudo cat /root/.ssh/authorized_keys
You should see:
- Your SSH public key corresponding to the SSH secret key I gave you.
💡 TIP: If you want to remove my access immediately, see 03 - Security & Access Management
¶ 5.3 Check Fail2ban Status
Fail2ban is protecting your server from brute force attacks:
# Check if fail2ban is running
sudo systemctl status fail2ban
Expected Output:
● fail2ban.service - Fail2Ban Service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/fail2ban.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Tue 2025-12-23 05:12:39 CET; 5 days ago
# View current jails (protection rules)
sudo fail2ban-client status
Expected Output:
Status
|- Number of jail: 3
`- Jail list: port-scan, ssh-username-scan, sshd
✅ All jails should be active. If you ever lock yourself out, see 03 - Security & Access Management
¶ Step 6: Test Basic Operations
Let's make sure you can perform basic management tasks.
¶ 6.1 Restart a Container
# Navigate to docker folder
cd /home/USERNAME/docker
# Restart n8n (safe operation)
docker compose restart n8n
# Check it came back up
docker compose ps
Expected: n8n should restart in 5-10 seconds and show in the STATUS column "Up"
¶ 6.2 View Live Logs
# View n8n logs in real-time
docker compose logs -f n8n
# Press CTRL+C or ⌘+C to stop viewing (this does NOT stop the container)
💡 TIP: The
-fflag means "follow" - you'll see new log entries as they happen
¶ ✅ Verification Checklist
Before moving on, make sure you can check all these boxes:
- I can access n8n web interface
- I can access phpMyAdmin
- I can access pgadmin
- I can access Traefik dashboard
- I can SSH into my server
- All Docker containers show "Up" status
- I understand where important files are located
- I changed my n8n password (optional)
- I know how to revoke admin access
- I can restart a container
- I can view container logs
¶ 🎓 What's Next?
Congratulations! Your server is verified and ready to use. Here's what to learn next:
-
Daily Operations:
- 04 - Linux Command Cheatsheet - Basic commands
- 05 - Docker Management Cheatsheet - Managing containers
-
Important Maintenance:
- 06 - Backup & Recovery - Do this soon!
- 07 - Monitoring & Maintenance - Keep things healthy
-
When Things Go Wrong:
- 09 - Emergency Procedures - Critical situations
-
Quick Reference:
- 11 - Quick Reference - Bookmark this page!
¶ 🆘 Getting Help
If something isn't working:
- Check 06 Backup & recovery or 09 Emergency procedures or 10 - Best Practices
- Review the relevant section in this documentation
- Contact support : support[at]nocodenode.com
Common First-Time Issues:
- Can't SSH: Check you're using port 1077, not default 22
- Web pages won't load: DNS might still be propagating (wait 24 hours)
- n8n won't save workflows: Check disk space with
df -h
¶ 📌 Quick Commands Reference
Here are the most common commands you'll use:
# Navigate to docker folder
cd /home/USERNAME/docker
# View container status
docker compose ps
# View logs
docker compose logs -f n8n
# Stop all services
docker compose down
# Start all services in detached mode
docker compose up -d
# Restart all services
docker compose restart
# Restart specific service
docker compose restart n8n
# Check disk space
df -h
# Exit SSH session
exit
Next Guide: 02 - SSH Connection Guide
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