n8n Docker Installer with Nginx & Let's Encrypt

A bash script to automatically install or uninstall n8n using Docker with Nginx reverse proxy and Let's Encrypt SSL. Works even in restricted regions (like Iran) by temporarily modifying DNS during installation.

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Features

• Install n8n on Docker with persistent storage.

• Automatically install missing dependencies:

  • Docker
  • Docker Compose
  • Nginx
  • Certbot (Let's Encrypt)

• Configure Nginx reverse proxy with HTTPS.

• Apply temporary DNS for restricted Docker Hub access, then restore original DNS.

• Interactive input for domain and email.

• Supports install and uninstall modes.

• Correct permissions set automatically to avoid EACCES errors.

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Requirements

• Ubuntu/Debian-based Linux system (tested on Ubuntu 22.04 / Debian 12)

• Root privileges (sudo)

• Domain pointing to server IP (for Let's Encrypt)

• Open ports:

  • 80 (HTTP)
  • 443 (HTTPS)
  • 5678 (n8n container, internal)

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Quick Installation (from GitHub)

• Download installer from GitHub

mkdir -p /opt/n8n/
sudo curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mobinhost/n8n-docker/main/n8n_docker_installer.sh -o /opt/n8n/n8n_docker_installer.sh

• Make it executable

sudo chmod +x /opt/n8n/n8n_docker_installer.sh

• Run installer

sudo /opt/n8n/n8n_docker_installer.sh

During installation, you will be prompted for:

• n8n domain name (e.g., n8n.example.com)
• Email address for Let's Encrypt SSL

The script will:

1. Install missing dependencies.
2. Apply temporary DNS to bypass Docker restrictions.
3. Set up n8n container with Docker.
4. Configure Nginx reverse proxy with HTTPS.
5. Obtain SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt.
6. Set correct permissions on persistent data directory (/opt/n8n/data) to avoid permission errors.

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Uninstallation

To completely remove n8n and all related files:

sudo /opt/n8n/n8n_docker_installer.sh uninstall

This will:

• Stop and remove the n8n container
• Remove /opt/n8n directory
• Remove Nginx configuration

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Directory Structure

After installation:

/opt/n8n/
├─ docker-compose.yml       # Docker Compose file for n8n
├─ data/                    # Persistent n8n data with proper permissions

• The docker-compose.yml is auto-generated.
• The data/ folder stores all n8n workflows, credentials, and config.

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Notes

• Ensure your domain DNS is pointing to the server before running the script.

• The n8n container binds to 0.0.0.0:5678, allowing Nginx to proxy HTTPS traffic.

• Default n8n credentials:

  • Username: admin
  • Password: changeme

• Change the password after first login.

• Temporary DNS changes are only applied during installation and are restored afterward.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.