Installation

One command installs BadgerPanel on a fresh Linux server.

Before you start

Have these four things ready.

Item	Details
License key	Your BadgerPanel key, in the form BP-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
Domain name	A domain whose A record points at the public IP of your server.
Root access	Run the installer as root, or with sudo.
Free ports	Port 80 and port 443, open and not already in use.

WARNING

You can only activate your license once. If you wish to reactivate it, reset your license on the BadgerPanel Store Dashboard.

What the server needs

Hardware

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 core	4 cores
RAM	2 GB	4 GB
Disk	20 GB SSD	50 GB or more, SSD
Network	100 Mbps	1 Gbps

These figures are for the panel alone. Your game servers run on nodes, so the panel server stays small.

Software

Requirement	Details
Operating system	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, or another current Linux with systemd.
Processor	64-bit Intel, AMD or ARM. The installer stops on anything else.
Package manager	apt, dnf or yum.

TIP

You do not have to install Docker first. The installer adds it if your server does not have it.

Run the installer

Run this as root, with your own key in place of the example.

curl -sSL https://activate.badgerpanel.com/activate/BP-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX | bash

Your key selects the right setup for your license. The installer then asks a short list of questions.

It works in a badgerpanel folder inside your home directory. As root that is /root/badgerpanel.

Setup parameters

Question	What to answer
Domain	The address of your panel, such as panel.example.com. Licenses tied to a domain skip this question.
HTTPS	Answer 1 to get a free certificate that renews itself, or 2 to supply your own certificate under docker/nginx/ssl/ or put your own proxy in front.
Certificate email	Where expiry notices go. Leave it blank to use the BadgerPanel address.
BadgerVault	Answer y to keep your secrets in BadgerVault. Only plans that include BadgerVault see this question.
Admin username	The name of your first administrator.
Admin email	The email address of your first administrator.
Admin password	Eight characters or more, typed twice and hidden as you type.

To keep your secrets on your own server instead of in BadgerVault, add a flag to the install command.

curl -sSL https://activate.badgerpanel.com/activate/BP-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX | bash -s -- --allow-plaintext-secrets

What happens next

The installer works through these stages and prints each one as it goes.

Stage	What it does
1. Checks	Reads your processor type and adds Docker if it is missing.
2. Sign-in	Uses your key to sign in and collect the panel.
3. Setup files	Writes everything the panel needs to run.
4. Domain and HTTPS	Asks for your domain and requests your certificate.
5. Passwords	Generates every password and key the panel uses.
6. Secrets	Files those secrets in BadgerVault or on your server.
7. Start	Starts the panel and waits for it to answer.
8. Your account	Asks for your details and creates your administrator account.
9. License	Confirms the activation against your domain.
10. Tidying	Caps the log sizes and adds a nightly cleanup job at 03:00.

The first start prepares the database and loads the bundled games. The panel can take a minute to answer the first time, and longer on a slow disk.

Your credentials file

The installer saves your credentials to .credentials in the install folder, readable only by root. It holds your panel address, your license key, and every password the installer generated.

WARNING

You need this file to move your panel to another server. Keep a copy somewhere safe, and never share it.

Running the installer again

If the installer finds an existing installation, it offers three choices.

1. Update collects the newest version and restarts the panel. Your data stays as it is.
2. Fresh install deletes the panel, its storage and its folder. You cannot undo it, so back up first.
3. Cancel leaves everything alone.

Choose Update to upgrade a working panel.

Next steps

Open your panel domain in a browser and sign in with the administrator account you created. Then read Your first server.