Install Vaultwarden with Docker and Caddy on Ubuntu 20.04

Vaultwarden is a community-driven alternative to the Bitwarden server, developed in Rust. It maintains compatibility with official Bitwarden clients and consumes fewer system resources than Bitwarden’s official server. This guide walks you through the setup of Vaultwarden using Docker and docker-compose on Ubuntu 20.04, and secures it with Caddy.

System Requirements

Ensure the following before proceeding:

• Launch an Ubuntu 20.04 environment.
• Bring your server up to date.
• Set up a user account with sudo rights that isn’t root.
• Access the server as that non-root user.
• Allow traffic on port 443.
• Create a DNS A record that connects a domain or subdomain to your server’s IP. Caddy requires a resolvable domain to obtain a TLS/SSL certificate.

Install Docker Engine

Begin by removing older versions of Docker and its components:

$ sudo apt remove docker docker.io containerd runc

Update snapd to the latest version:

$ sudo snap install core; sudo snap refresh core

Next, install Docker via snap:

$ sudo snap install docker

Vaultwarden Setup

Docker Container Preparation

Create a dedicated directory for Vaultwarden and navigate into it:

$ mkdir ~/vaultwarden
$ cd ~/vaultwarden

Now, generate and open the docker-compose.yml file:

$ nano docker-compose.yml

Insert the following configuration into the file:

version: '3'

services:
  vaultwarden:
    image: vaultwarden/server:latest
    container_name: vaultwarden
    restart: always
    environment:
      - WEBSOCKET_ENABLED=true
    volumes:
      - ./vw-data:/data

  caddy:
    image: caddy:2
    container_name: caddy
    restart: always
    ports:
      - 80:80
      - 443:443
    volumes:
      - ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro
      - ./caddy-config:/config
      - ./caddy-data:/data
    environment:
      - DOMAIN=
      - EMAIL=
      - LOG_FILE=/data/access.log

Specify your actual domain or subdomain by updating the DOMAIN variable within the environment settings for the Caddy container:

environment:
  - DOMAIN=https://example.com

Also add a valid email address to the EMAIL variable for certificate provisioning via Let’s Encrypt:

environment:
  - DOMAIN=https://example.com
  - EMAIL=user@example.com

To close and save your changes in the nano editor, press Ctrl + X, then confirm with Y, and finalize with Enter.

Setting Up the Caddyfile

Start by creating and editing a new Caddy configuration file:

$ nano Caddyfile

Paste the following configuration into the Caddyfile:

{$DOMAIN}:443 {
  log {
    level INFO
    output file {$LOG_FILE} {
      roll_size 10MB
      roll_keep 10
    }
  }

  # Get a cert by using the ACME HTTP-01 challenge.
  tls {$EMAIL}

  encode gzip

  # Headers to improve security.
  header {
    # Enable HSTS
    Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000;"

    # Enable cross-site filter (XSS)
    X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"

    # Disallow the site to be rendered within a frame (clickjacking protection)
    X-Frame-Options "DENY"

    # Prevent search engines from indexing
    X-Robots-Tag "none"

    # Remove Caddy branding
    -Server
  }

  # Redirect notifications to the WebSocket.
  reverse_proxy /notifications/hub vaultwarden:3012

  reverse_proxy vaultwarden:80 {
    header_up X-Real-IP {remote_host}
  }
}

Exit and save the Caddyfile by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y, followed by Enter.

This configuration instructs Caddy to route incoming HTTPS traffic on port 443 to Vaultwarden. It also applies several HTTP headers for added protection, including HSTS for strict transport security, anti-XSS settings, frame blocking to prevent clickjacking, search engine indexing restrictions, and branding removal.

Launching Vaultwarden

To start Vaultwarden, use docker-compose in detached mode. The startup process might take a few moments:

$ sudo docker-compose up -d

Verify the container is up and running by inspecting the status with docker ps:

$ sudo docker ps

Look for a status indicating that the container is “Up” for a certain duration (e.g., seconds or minutes).

Enhancing Security Settings

Vaultwarden offers further options to tighten security through its configuration.

Turning Off User Registration

By default, your Vaultwarden instance permits anyone to register. While this is beneficial during setup, it may become a liability later.

Once your personal account is created, you can prevent new registrations by updating the SIGNUPS_ALLOWED variable to false in docker-compose.yml:

services:
  vaultwarden:
    ... other configuration ...
    environment:
      - SIGNUPS_ALLOWED=false
      ... other configuration ...

Disabling the Invitation Feature

Vaultwarden lets existing users send invitations to others. If your deployment is for a single user or small, trusted group, this may not be necessary.

You can switch this feature off by setting INVITATIONS_ALLOWED to false:

services:
  vaultwarden:
    ... other configuration ...
    environment:
      - INVITATIONS_ALLOWED=false
      ... other configuration ...

Hiding Password Hints

In the official Bitwarden server, password hints are typically emailed. Vaultwarden, built for self-hosted environments, shows these hints on a webpage instead—no email setup required.

If you prefer to disable this behavior, add SHOW_PASSWORD_HINT and set it to false in your docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  vaultwarden:
    ... other configuration ...
    environment:
      - SHOW_PASSWORD_HINT=false
      ... other configuration ...

Final Notes

By following the steps above, you will have a fully functioning Vaultwarden instance running securely with Docker and Caddy on Ubuntu 20.04. All key security settings can be fine-tuned directly within your docker-compose.yml file, providing flexibility and control over account creation, invitation permissions, and password hint visibility.

Make sure to keep your Docker containers updated and monitor access logs regularly for any suspicious behavior. Caddy’s logging system writes to the file you specified via the LOG_FILE variable, making it easy to audit access patterns and maintain oversight.

If you plan to expand your setup or integrate with external systems, refer to the official Vaultwarden and Docker documentation for advanced configurations such as environment variable tuning, backup strategies, or multi-user deployments.