Charon/docs/getting-started.md

Getting Started with Charon

Welcome! Let's get your first website up and running. No experience needed.

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What Is This?

Imagine you have several apps running on your computer. Maybe a blog, a file storage app, and a chat server.

The problem: Each app is stuck on a weird address like 192.168.1.50:3000. Nobody wants to type that.

Charon's solution: You tell Charon "when someone visits myblog.com, send them to that app." Charon handles everything else—including the green lock icon (HTTPS) that makes browsers happy.

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Step 1: Install Charon

Option A: Docker Compose (Easiest)

Create a file called docker-compose.yml:

services:
  charon:
    image: ghcr.io/wikid82/charon:latest
    container_name: charon
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./charon-data:/app/data
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    environment:
      - CHARON_ENV=production

Then run:

docker-compose up -d

Option B: Docker Run (One Command)

docker run -d \
  --name charon \
  -p 80:80 \
  -p 443:443 \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -v ./charon-data:/app/data \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
  -e CHARON_ENV=production \
  ghcr.io/wikid82/charon:latest

What Just Happened?

• Port 80 and 443: Where your websites will be accessible (like mysite.com)
• Port 8080: The control panel where you manage everything
• Docker socket: Lets Charon see your other Docker containers

Open http://localhost:8080 in your browser!

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Step 2: Add Your First Website

Let's say you have an app running at 192.168.1.100:3000 and you want it available at myapp.example.com.

1. Click "Proxy Hosts" in the sidebar
2. Click the "+ Add" button
3. Fill in the form:
   • Domain: myapp.example.com
   • Forward To: 192.168.1.100
   • Port: 3000
   • Scheme: http (or https if your app already has SSL)
4. Click "Save"

Done! When someone visits myapp.example.com, they'll see your app.

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Step 3: Get HTTPS (The Green Lock)

For this to work, you need:

1. A real domain name (like example.com) pointed at your server
2. Ports 80 and 443 open in your firewall

If you have both, Charon will automatically:

• Request a free SSL certificate from a trusted provider
• Install it
• Renew it before it expires

You don't do anything. It just works.

By default, Charon uses "Auto" mode, which tries Let's Encrypt first and automatically falls back to ZeroSSL if needed. You can change this in System Settings if you want to use a specific certificate provider.

Testing without a domain? See Testing SSL Certificates for a practice mode.

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Common Questions

"Where do I get a domain name?"

You buy one from places like:

• Namecheap
• Google Domains
• Cloudflare

Cost: Usually $10-15/year.

"How do I point my domain at my server?"

In your domain provider's control panel:

1. Find "DNS Settings" or "Domain Management"
2. Create an "A Record"
3. Set it to your server's IP address

Wait 5-10 minutes for it to update.

"Can I change which certificate provider is used?"

Yes! Go to System Settings and look for the SSL Provider dropdown. The default "Auto" mode works best for most users, but you can choose a specific provider if needed. See Features for details.

"Can I use this for apps on different computers?"

Yes! Just use the other computer's IP address in the "Forward To" field.

If you're using Tailscale or another VPN, use the VPN IP.

"Will this work with Docker containers?"

Absolutely. Charon can even detect them automatically:

1. Click "Proxy Hosts"
2. Click "Docker" tab
3. You'll see all your running containers
4. Click one to auto-fill the form

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What's Next?

Now that you have the basics:

• See All Features — Discover what else Charon can do
• Import Your Old Config — Bring your existing Caddy setup
• Turn On Security — Block attackers (optional but recommended)

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Stuck?

Ask for help — The community is friendly!