Self-host Zulip

copy# Zulip — official docker-zulip compose (Zulip + PostgreSQL + memcached + RabbitMQ + Redis)
git clone https://github.com/zulip/docker-zulip.git
cd docker-zulip
cp compose.override.yaml.example compose.override.yaml
# set your own values: Zulip refuses to start on the file's example.com defaults. EXTERNAL_HOST is the DNS name users type (not an IP)
ZULIP_HOST=chat.example.net; ZULIP_ADMIN=admin@example.net
# Zulip only serves clients over HTTPS: with no TLS proxy in front, let the container make a self-signed cert (or use "certbot" with real DNS)
sed -i "s/zulip.example.com/$ZULIP_HOST/; s/zulip-admin@example.com/$ZULIP_ADMIN/; s/# CERTIFICATES: \"certbot\"/CERTIFICATES: \"self-signed\"/" compose.override.yaml
# the six secrets the compose file reads from .env
for s in POSTGRES_PASSWORD MEMCACHED_PASSWORD RABBITMQ_PASSWORD REDIS_PASSWORD SECRET_KEY EMAIL_PASSWORD; do echo "ZULIP__$s=$(openssl rand -hex 24)" >> .env; done
# run that loop once: a re-run appends new secrets that no longer match the initialised database
docker compose pull
docker compose run --rm zulip app:init
docker compose up -d --wait
# serves HTTPS on port 443 only  →  https://SERVER_IP:443 (browse to it by the EXTERNAL_HOST name; click past the self-signed warning)
# then create your organization: ./manage.py generate_realm_creation_link
# the compose file also publishes port 25 for the incoming-email gateway: remove it from ports if you do not use it