Seafile is a robust, self-hosted cloud storage solution that offers file syncing, sharing, and collaboration features with a focus on data security and control. Its lightweight design, modular architecture, and seamless integration with enterprise tools make it an excellent choice for organizations and tech enthusiasts who want complete ownership of their data. In this guide, we will walk through installing Seafile, configuring it with Nginx for secure access, managing logs, setting up backups, updating the application, and leveraging its unique features.
Installing Seafile
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Docker simplifies deploying Seafile by encapsulating all dependencies in an isolated environment. Below is a docker-compose.yml file tailored for Seafile:
version: '3.5'
services:
db:
image: mariadb:10.5
container_name: seafile-mariadb
environment:
- MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=your_root_password
- MYSQL_DATABASE=seafile
- MYSQL_USER=seafile
- MYSQL_PASSWORD=your_db_password
volumes:
- /opt/seafile-mysql:/var/lib/mysql
networks:
- seafile-net
restart: always
memcached:
image: memcached:1.6
container_name: seafile-memcached
entrypoint: memcached -m 256
networks:
- seafile-net
restart: always
seafile:
image: seafileltd/seafile-mc:latest
container_name: seafile
ports:
- "80:80"
environment:
- DB_HOST=db
- DB_ROOT_PASSWD=your_root_password
- [email protected]
- SEAFILE_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin_password
volumes:
- /opt/seafile-data:/shared
depends_on:
- db
- memcached
networks:
- seafile-net
restart: always
networks:
seafile-net:
driver: bridge
Save this file as docker-compose.yml and deploy Seafile using the following commands:
docker-compose up -d
🚀 Manual Installation
For those who prefer to install Seafile directly on a Linux server, the following steps are applicable:
## Install required dependencies
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-venv libmemcached-dev \
mariadb-server nginx memcached curl
## Create a directory for Seafile
mkdir /opt/seafile && cd /opt/seafile
## Download the Seafile server package
wget https://download.seafile.com/d/your-seafile-server-package.tar.gz
## Extract and set up Seafile
tar -xvzf your-seafile-server-package.tar.gz && cd seafile-server-*
./setup-seafile-mysql.sh
Follow the prompts during the setup script to configure your database and initial admin account.
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
To allow users to access Seafile via a domain, configure Nginx as a reverse proxy:
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}
}
Save this configuration in /etc/nginx/sites-available/seafile and enable it with:
ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/seafile /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure the connection using Let's Encrypt:
## Install Certbot
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
## Obtain SSL certificates
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
## Automate certificate renewal
sudo systemctl enable certbot.timer
🛠️ Testing and Reloading Nginx
Validate the Nginx configuration and reload to apply changes:
nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Logging and Debugging Seafile
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
To enable debug logging, edit the seahub_settings.py file:
nano /opt/seafile/conf/seahub_settings.py
Add or modify the following line:
LOGGING_MODE = "DEBUG"
📄 Viewing Logs
Access Seafile logs for troubleshooting:
## For manual installation
tail -f /opt/seafile/logs/seafile.log
## For Docker installation
docker logs -f seafile
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you encounter issues, look for entries such as database connection errors or permission denied messages in the logs. Always ensure your database credentials match.
📤 Exporting Logs
To send Seafile logs to an external system such as ELK, configure a log shipping agent like Filebeat or forward Docker logs using a logging driver.
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
Create a snapshot of Seafile’s data and configuration:
rsync -avz /opt/seafile /backups/seafile-$(date +%F)
🔄 Database Backups
For database backups, run the following:
mysqldump -u seafile -p seafile > /backups/seafile-db-$(date +%F).sql
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Set up a cron job to automate backups:
crontab -e
Add the following line to back up nightly:
0 2 * * * rsync -avz /opt/seafile /backups/seafile && mysqldump -u seafile -pYOUR_DB_PASSWORD seafile > /backups/seafile-db-$(date +%F).sql
Updating and Upgrading Seafile
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
For Docker installations, pull the latest Seafile image and recreate containers:
docker-compose down
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
For manual installations, download the latest Seafile package and run the upgrade script:
wget https://download.seafile.com/d/latest-seafile-package.tar.gz
tar -xvzf latest-seafile-package.tar.gz
./upgrade.sh
🔍 Checking for Updates
Monitor updates and release notes on the Seafile website.
Leveraging Seafile’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
Activate Seafile’s API endpoints by editing seahub_settings.py:
ENABLE_REST_API = True
Test the API with a sample request:
curl -X GET https://yourdomain.com/api2/ping/
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Enable Office file previews by integrating LibreOffice:
sudo apt install -y libreoffice
echo "ENABLE_OFFICE_PREVIEW = True" >> /opt/seafile/conf/seahub_settings.py
Restart Seafile for changes to take effect.
Wrapping Up
By following this guide, you’ve successfully installed, configured, and secured a self-hosted Seafile instance. You’ve also learned how to manage logs, automate backups, and explore advanced features that enhance functionality. With Seafile, you now have a secure, flexible, and powerful file-sharing platform under your control. Start implementing these examples today to unlock the full potential of your self-hosted cloud solution!
