Skip to content
courseekerGet started

FOR BUILDERS, FREELANCERS & INDIE DEVELOPERS

Host your own apps.
Keep them running.

Learn to set up a secure Linux VPS, run full-stack apps with Docker Compose, serve them over HTTPS with a reverse proxy, and schedule backups you have actually restored.

A personal learning path. Selected materials. Practice with feedback.

Find my learning path Explore the possibilities
FOR PEOPLE WHO HOST

Web apps APIs and bots Databases

YOUR NEXT USEFUL SKILL

Your own server.
Backed up nightly.

  • Locked down from day oneSSH keys, firewall, and fail2ban.
  • Repeatable deploymentsDocker Compose for the whole stack.
  • HTTPS and backupsCaddy certificates. Off-site dumps.

Learn the skills behind the server

Living C pointing to the skills for running an app on a VPS
You built the app.
Now own where it runs.

Start from a blank Linux server

Secure it before you deploy

Learn through practice

START WITH THE APP YOU WANT TO RUN

What would you run
on your own server?

Start with something you want online.

Example learning goal

FROM A LOCAL PROJECT TO A SERVER YOU OWN

Deploy a containerized web app with database persistence

Today

A small project spread across three hosted services, each with its own bill, dashboard, and limits.

What you’re working towards

Provision VPS → Write docker-compose.yml → Point DNS to Caddy → Check HTTPS and restarts

  • App and database restart automatically upon server reboot (restart: unless-stopped)
  • Postgres storage mapped to durable host volume with file permissions secured
  • Valid HTTPS certificate automatically obtained via Let's Encrypt / ZeroSSL
Skills behind the result

Linux server hardening & SSH · Docker & Compose fundamentals · Reverse proxy & automatic SSL

Explore these skills

THE KNOW-HOW BEHIND A SERVER YOU CAN TRUST

Learn the skills.
Put them to work.

Understand each layer of the server.
Then practice on a machine you can rebuild.

Docker & Compose fundamentals

Describe the whole stack in one file.

Learn multi-stage Dockerfiles for small production images, and Docker Compose for running a web app, its database, and background workers together, with secrets kept in an env file.

Multi-stage DockerfilesDocker Compose volumes & bind mountsContainer networking & port binding
services:
  app:
    build: .
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file: .env        # secrets stay out of this file
    depends_on: [db]
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file: .env
    volumes:
      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  pgdata:
Put it into practice

Write a docker-compose.yml file that provisions a Node.js web app and PostgreSQL database with persistent volume storage.

A PATH BUILT AROUND YOUR GOAL

Know what to learn.
And what to do next.

Courseeker connects your goal with a starting point, selected learning materials, and practice that helps you check your understanding.

Living C reading an open book

Your hosting goal,
broken into clear steps.

EXAMPLE LEARNING PATH

Deploy a containerized web app with database persistence

For indie hackers and solo founders

  1. 01
    Start with your experience

    What you already know, the tools you use, and the result you want.

  2. 02
    Learn the relevant topics

    Linux server hardening & SSH → Docker & Compose fundamentals → Reverse proxy & automatic SSL

  3. 03
    Put the learning into practice

    Set up, break, and restore a practice server, with feedback.

  4. 04
    Check what you can now do

    A production Docker Compose deployment with Postgres, automatic migrations, and HTTPS domain mapping.

Tools and concepts you may explore

Docker Compose · Caddy Server · PostgreSQL

Find my learning path

A FEW THINGS YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING

Before you start.

Is running my own VPS safe for real production applications?

It can be, if you take on the work a managed platform does for you: security updates, firewall rules, backups, and monitoring. The path teaches that routine (key-only SSH, a firewall, isolated containers, and tested restores) so you can judge whether a VPS suits your project.

How does the cost compare with managed platforms?

A small VPS from providers such as Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or Linode has a fixed monthly price, and one server can run several small apps, databases, and scheduled jobs. Managed platforms often start free and charge as usage grows, but they handle more of the operations for you. Compare current prices for your own workload: the trade-off is money against the time you spend maintaining the server.

What happens if the server crashes or reboots?

With restart: unless-stopped and Docker enabled as a system service, your containers start again after a reboot. That covers restarts, not lost data: if the disk fails, you recover from the off-site backup you have already tested.

Will Courseeker provide the VPS or hosting for me?

Courseeker is a learning platform. We teach you how to choose, set up, and own your own VPS directly with any cloud provider of your choice, so the server, data, and accounts stay yours.

MAKE YOUR NEXT LEARNING GOAL A USEFUL ONE

Pick the app you want to host.
We’ll help you find a place to start.

A side project. A self-hosted tool. A database with no backup yet.
Start with the result you want to achieve.

Find my learning path