Bring your own server

TDesk normally runs your hosting on our servers — but you can also connect a server you own (a VPS or dedicated machine anywhere) and manage it through the same panel. Your hardware, our control plane.

Connecting a server

1. Go to Nodes in the sidebar
2. Click Add server to generate a one-time bootstrap token
3. Run the install command shown on your server (as root)
4. The server appears in your Nodes list once the agent connects

The installer sets up the TDesk agent, which carries out panel actions on your machine. Each server's identity is pinned by its key fingerprint, shown in the Nodes list — the panel will only talk to the server that key belongs to.

What works on a connected server

• Hosting domains and sites on your server
• Mail — full mail services run on your server
• The full file manager
• DNS — zones stay on TDesk's nameservers as usual
• SSL certificates

A small number of services are still being rolled out for connected servers — notably backups and the SEO toolkit. Pages for those features will show reduced options on a connected server until their rollout completes.

Server status & removal

The Nodes page shows each server's connection status. Removing a server disconnects the agent and stops the panel managing it — it does not delete anything on the machine itself.

Requirements

A clean AlmaLinux 9 server — the only supported OS at the moment — that you have root on, reachable from the internet. Support for further distributions is planned. Don't connect a server that's already running another control panel — they will fight.