One-line install (Ubuntu)

Install SnailyCADv4 on an Ubuntu server with one command. The command starts a setup wizard in your browser that installs everything else with buttons, one step at a time.

These commands are for Linux (Ubuntu) only

Run them in a terminal on the Ubuntu server (for example over SSH), not in Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell. A Windows one-line installer is being built; until it's ready, use the manual Windows install.

Pick how the CAD should run:

🐳 Docker

The CAD and its own MariaDB database run in containers.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/EWANZO101/snailycad-mysql/main/scripts/installer/install-docker.sh | sudo bash

• Nothing but Docker on the server
• Database included
• Restarts on its own after a reboot

Full Docker guide →

🐧 Ubuntu (standalone)

The CAD runs directly on Ubuntu with Node.js, as a system service.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/EWANZO101/snailycad-mysql/main/scripts/installer/install-ubuntu.sh | sudo bash

• Uses less memory
• Can use a MySQL/MariaDB you already have
• The built-in Update CAD button works

Not sure yet? This one lets you choose in the wizard:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/EWANZO101/snailycad-mysql/main/scripts/installer/install.sh | sudo bash

MySQL / MariaDB edition

These commands install the MySQL/MariaDB edition from github.com/EWANZO101/snailycad-mysql. See MySQL / MariaDB edition for how it differs from the standard edition.

Requirements

• A server running Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 (Debian works but isn't tested), with root access (sudo)
• At least 2 vCPUs, about 4 GB of RAM + swap for building, and 8 GB of free disk space
• Nothing else: the wizard installs the rest for you

1. Run the command

Connect to your server over SSH and paste one of the commands above. It only downloads and starts the setup wizard, then prints a link:

Install method: Ubuntu (standalone, Node.js)
SnailyCAD setup wizard is running. Open this link in your browser:

    http://203.0.113.10:3100/?token=6bfb6ec923b2c4f68e55cb529d5cfb9bd9ef

Open that link in your browser. The token part keeps other people out of the wizard, so don't share the link. If you use the ufw firewall, the installer opens port 3100 for the wizard and closes it again when you finish.

Can't reach the link?

Your hosting provider may have its own firewall in front of the server. Allow TCP port 3100 there too, or pick another port with SNAILY_WIZARD_PORT (see options).

2. Follow the setup wizard

Each step has Back and Next buttons.

1. Server: checks the operating system, CPU, memory, disk space and systemd. A red ✕ must be fixed before you can continue; a yellow ! is only a warning.

2. Method: skipped, because your command already chose Docker or Ubuntu. (With install.sh you choose here. Back on the next step brings you here if you change your mind.)

3. Requirements: everything the CAD needs, each with its own Install button. Click them one by one or Install all missing, and watch the live log. Next unlocks when everything has a green ✓.

   Docker	Ubuntu (standalone)
   System tools (git, curl, xz-utils, ca-certificates)	System tools (git, curl, xz-utils, ca-certificates)
   Docker Engine	Node.js 22, a private copy in the install folder
   Docker Compose	pnpm 9
   SnailyCAD (the code)	SnailyCAD (the code)

   The standalone method never touches a Node.js that is already installed on the server.

4. Database

   • Docker: always a MariaDB container. Choose the database name and user; the password is generated for you.
   • Ubuntu: choose one of
     • Use the MySQL/MariaDB server on this machine: creates a new database and user on it. Your other databases are not touched. Shown when one is installed.
     • Install MariaDB for me: installs MariaDB from Ubuntu, then creates the database. Shown when no database server is installed.
     • Connect to another database server: enter its host, port, user and password, then click Test connection.

5. Website: the server's IP and two free ports are filled in for you, one for the website and one for the API. You see the final URLs as you type.

6. Review: check the settings, then click Install SnailyCAD.

7. Install: follow the progress step by step, with a live log.

   • Docker: Settings → Firewall → Network → Build images → Start containers → Ready
   • Ubuntu: Database → Settings → Firewall → Service → Dependencies → Build → Start

   Building takes 10–25 minutes. You can close the page; the install keeps going. Open the same link again to see the progress.

3. Finish

When it's done, click Open my CAD and register the first account: it becomes the owner of the CAD. Then click Close setup wizard, which stops the wizard and closes its port. The CAD keeps running and starts again after a reboot.

If a step fails, the wizard shows the error:

• Change settings (when nothing was started yet): fix the setting and install again.
• Retry (once the CAD was started): Docker rebuilds the images and starts the containers again; Ubuntu restarts the snailycad service, which picks up where the build stopped. Your settings and database are kept.

Where everything is

Everything lives in /opt/snailycad:

Path	What
/opt/snailycad/app	The CAD's code and its .env
/opt/snailycad/runtime	Ubuntu: the private Node.js and pnpm
/opt/snailycad/app/.data	Docker: the MariaDB data
/opt/snailycad/app/start.log	Ubuntu: the CAD's install, build and run log
/opt/snailycad/installer/install.log	Every command the wizard ran
/opt/snailycad/installer/manifest.env	Everything the installer added outside this folder
/opt/snailycad/uninstall.sh	Removes all of it again

Managing an Ubuntu (standalone) install

The CAD runs as the systemd service snailycad:

What	Command
Status	systemctl status snailycad
Restart (also rebuilds when the code changed)	sudo systemctl restart snailycad
Stop / start	sudo systemctl stop snailycad / sudo systemctl start snailycad
Live log	tail -f /opt/snailycad/app/start.log

To update, use Admin → Dashboard → Update CAD in the CAD. While it builds, the website shows a progress page instead of an error.

For a Docker install, see managing the CAD.

Uninstalling

sudo bash /opt/snailycad/uninstall.sh

It lists what it will remove and asks first. It removes the CAD and its database (all CAD data), the snailycad service or the Docker containers and images, the firewall rules it opened, the packages the wizard installed (Docker or MariaDB included), and the /opt/snailycad folder. A database server or Docker that was already on the server is kept; only the CAD's own database and user are removed from it. A database on another server is left alone: drop it there yourself.

Options

Set these in front of bash, for example curl -fsSL …/install-ubuntu.sh | sudo SNAILY_NAME=cad2 SNAILY_WIZARD_PORT=3200 bash:

Variable	Default	What
SNAILY_NAME	snailycad	Install name: folder /opt/<name> and service name
SNAILY_DIR	/opt/$SNAILY_NAME	Install folder
SNAILY_WIZARD_PORT	3100	Port of the setup wizard
SNAILY_REPO	https://github.com/EWANZO101/snailycad-mysql.git	Repository to install from
SNAILY_BRANCH	main	Branch to install

With a different SNAILY_NAME you can run several Ubuntu (standalone) CADs on one server. Only one Docker install fits on a server, because its container names are fixed.