🔐 SSL with Nginx Proxy Manager¶

This guide provides instructions on how to set up SSL for your application using Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM). Nginx Proxy Manager is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of managing Nginx proxy hosts, including SSL certificate management.

ADL by default does not come with SSL setup. It is recommended to use Nginx Proxy Manager as a reverse proxy to handle SSL termination.

Prerequisites¶

A domain name pointing to your server’s IP address (DNS A record configured)
Ports 80 and 443 available on your server
Docker and Docker Compose installed

Nginx Proxy Manager Setup¶

We recommend setting up NPM as a separate Docker Compose stack. This allows for better separation of concerns and easier management when dealing with many services on the same server that might need proxying.

1. Change ADL Web Proxy Port¶

Before setting up NPM, ensure that the ADL web service is not using ports 80 or 443, as NPM will need these. Update the ADL_WEB_PROXY_PORT variable in your .env file to use a different port, such as 8080.

From the root of the ADL directory, open the .env file in your preferred text editor:

nano .env

Find the line that sets ADL_WEB_PROXY_PORT and change it to:

ADL_WEB_PROXY_PORT=8080

Or any other unused port of your choice. Save the file and exit the editor.

2. Install Nginx Proxy Manager¶

You can follow the official Nginx Proxy Manager installation guide for a detailed guide. Here, we provide a quick overview to get you started.

Below is a quick docker-compose.yml example to get you started with NPM:

services:
  nginx_proxy_manager:
    image: 'jc21/nginx-proxy-manager:latest'
    container_name: nginx_proxy_manager
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - '80:80'
      - '81:81'
      - '443:443'
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
      - ./letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt

networks:
  default:
    external: true
    name: ${NETWORK_NAME}

Create a new directory for NPM and set up the configuration files:

mkdir nginx-proxy-manager
cd nginx-proxy-manager
nano docker-compose.yml

Copy the above YAML content into the docker-compose.yml file and save it.

Create a .env file in the same directory with the following content:

NETWORK_NAME=adl

This ensures that NPM is on the same Docker network as your ADL stack.

3. Start Nginx Proxy Manager¶

Run the following command to start NPM:

docker compose up -d

4. Access and Configure Nginx Proxy Manager¶

Open your web browser and navigate to http://<your-server-ip>:81.

On first login, you will be prompted to create an admin account. Use a strong username and password.

5. Add a Proxy Host¶

After logging in, navigate to the “Proxy Hosts” section and click on “Add Proxy Host”.

Details Tab:

Domain Names: Enter your domain (e.g., adl.yourdomain.com)
Scheme: http
Forward Hostname / IP: adl_web_proxy (the container name of the ADL web proxy service)
Forward Port: 80 (the internal port Nginx listens on within the container. This is NOT the ADL_WEB_PROXY_PORT)

SSL Tab:

Check SSL Certificate and select “Request a new SSL Certificate”
Check Force SSL to redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS
Check HTTP/2 Support for improved performance
Agree to the Let’s Encrypt Terms of Service

Click “Save” to create the proxy host and obtain the SSL certificate.

6. Update ADL `ALLOWED_HOSTS` and `CSRF_TRUSTED_ORIGINS`¶

To ensure ADL accepts requests from your domain, update the ALLOWED_HOSTS and CSRF_TRUSTED_ORIGINS in your .env file:

ALLOWED_HOSTS=adl.yourdomain.com
CSRF_TRUSTED_ORIGINS=https://adl.yourdomain.com

7. Restart ADL Stack¶

After making changes to the .env file, restart your ADL stack to apply the changes:

docker compose down
docker compose up -d

Troubleshooting¶

SSL Certificate Request Fails¶

Ensure your domain’s DNS A record points to your server’s public IP address
Verify that ports 80 and 443 are open and not blocked by a firewall
Check that no other service is using ports 80 or 443

502 Bad Gateway Error¶

Verify that the ADL stack is running: docker ps
Confirm that NPM and ADL are on the same Docker network
Check the container name matches what you entered in “Forward Hostname / IP”
Review NPM logs: docker logs nginx_proxy_manager

Cannot Access NPM Admin Panel¶

Ensure port 81 is open and accessible
Try accessing via http://<server-ip>:81 instead of the domain name