Register and trust the server first. Open its Overview → Set up server action or Server Setup page to start preparation. Workloads stay Server Setup Pending until setup succeeds.
What preparation checks
The Server Inspection section tests the SSH connection, host identity, operating system, capacity, and permissions. Prerequisites installs or validates Docker Engine 29 or newer, Buildx, Caddy, python3, GNU timeout, and non-interactive access. Towbar checks for at least 1 GiB free under Docker’s data directory; real workloads need additional headroom for images, build cache, and volumes.
The checklist updates as steps run. Expand a step for findings and bounded, redacted terminal output. A failed step stays available on Server Setup so you can correct the host and retry. Towbar reuses compatible software; it does not remove conflicting packages or replace an unmanaged Caddy binary. Use a fresh host when ownership of existing services is uncertain.
After setup
Towbar queues a health check immediately. Verify the server’s current state and capacity before deploying an app or resource. Re-run preparation after a Towbar upgrade when the server’s Docker installation needs to meet newer requirements.
If SSH fails because the host key changed, return to server registration and verify the new identity independently. A successful setup does not itself deploy a workload. Last modified on September 26, 2026
