1 Installation and Deployment

1.1 Goal

Prepare Docker and Docker Compose on a Linux x86_64 server, download the Sa2web installation package, complete the first installation, and finish the minimum usable configuration: register a license, add a machine, add a browser, authorize a group, and finally open Cloud Browser from the normal user frontend.

Sa2web’s basic official requirements are: 1 CPU core or more, 4 GB of memory recommended (2 GB minimum), Linux x86_64, and the ability to run Docker commands.

This guide uses Ubuntu 24.04 LTS x86_64 as the example.

1.2 Prepare an Ubuntu Server

Recommended minimum preparation:

Item	Recommendation
Operating system	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS x86_64
CPU	2 cores or more is better for testing and real use
Memory	4 GB or more
Permissions	root or sudo
Network	The server can reach Docker image sources, and clients can reach the server
Domain name	For public deployment, prepare a domain name resolved to the server’s public IP

Before installation, confirm the server addresses:

Address	Purpose	Example
Private IP	Communication between Sa2web services and keeper/browser components	`192.168.1.111`
Public IP	External user access entry	`203.0.113.10`
Domain name	Production HTTPS certificate and access address	`browser.example.com`

Warning

Sa2web currently requires Linux x86_64 for server deployment. Windows, macOS, and ARM64 are not part of the current officially supported deployment environment.

Tip

If you are only testing on a LAN, you can temporarily use the private IP for both the public IP and domain fields. The access address will look like https://192.168.1.105/. If the browser address bar warns that the certificate is not secure, see Section 1.10.2.

1.3 Install Docker and Docker Compose

Docker currently recommends installing Docker Engine through the apt repository.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg \
  -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add the repository:

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.sources >/dev/null <<EOF2
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu
Suites: $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}")
Components: stable
Architectures: $(dpkg --print-architecture)
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
EOF2

sudo apt update

Install:

sudo apt install -y \
  docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io \
  docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Verify:

docker --version
docker compose version
sudo docker ps

For a non-root user, add the current user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

docker ps

1.4 Download the Sa2web Installation Package

Open the Sa2web website:

https://www.sa2web.com

Click the Download menu at the top to open the download page, then choose the version you need, such as Team Edition or Enterprise Edition.

If you are not logged in, you will be asked to create an account or log in before downloading. If you do not have an account yet, register a new one:

Enter your email address.
Enter the password you want to use.
Enter the password again for confirmation.
Click to get the verification code.
Check your email and enter the code.
Agree to the terms.
Click to create the account.

After the account is created, return to the download page and click the target version again. The browser will download the installation package.

Note

The package name changes by version. This guide uses browser_team_x.y.z.tar.gz or browser_full_x.y.z.tar.gz to represent the actual downloaded file name.

1.5 Upload and Extract the Package

Upload the package from your local computer to the server. You can use scp, a server control panel, a bastion host, an SFTP tool, or your cloud provider console.

Example:

scp browser_team_x.y.z.tar.gz root@192.168.1.105:/opt/

ssh root@192.168.1.105

cd /opt
tar -xzf browser_team_x.y.z.tar.gz
cd browser_team_x.y.z

If you downloaded the Full version, replace the file and directory names with the actual names:

tar -xzf browser_full_x.y.z.tar.gz
cd browser_full_x.y.z

1.6 Run the Installation Script

After entering the extracted directory, run the installer:

# Create the installation directory
mkdir -p /opt/sa
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/sa

# Run the installation script
chmod +x install.sh
sh install.sh

The installer asks for deployment parameters one by one. Fill out the following table in advance and enter the values during installation.

Prompt	Recommendation
Installation directory	Use the default if possible. If you customize it, use a dedicated directory and make sure the current user has enough permissions.
Server private IP	Enter the server’s private address, such as `192.168.1.105`
Server public IP	For public deployment, enter the public IP. For LAN deployment, enter the same private IP
Domain name	Use your domain if you have one. Otherwise use the public IP or private IP
System name	The system name displayed on browser pages, such as `Sa2web Demo`
`system` user password	Set a strong password. Pressing Enter directly uses the default password `abc123456`
Certificate generation option	Choose `1` to request a certificate for a public domain automatically, `2` for a self-signed certificate, or `3` to use your own certificate

Certificate options by scenario:

Option	Scenario
`1`	The server is deployed on the public internet, the domain already resolves to this server, and you want to obtain a free HTTPS certificate automatically
`2`	LAN testing, no domain name, or temporary IP-based access
`3`	Your organization already has certificates and needs to use its own certificate files

Note

When choosing option 2 for LAN deployment, see Section 1.10.1 and Section 1.10.2 if you do not want the browser address bar to show a security warning.

If the script continues to ask uncertain advanced questions, press Enter to use the defaults for the first test. The script loads offline images, generates docker-compose.yml, writes configuration, and starts containers.

Warning

Do not keep the default password abc123456 in production. Even if you pressed Enter during installation for a quick test, change the system password immediately after the first login and create a backup administrator.

For public deployment, also open these ports in your network settings:

Port	Purpose
443(tcp), 80(tcp)	Default ports for HTTP(S) access
3478(tcp,udp)	Required for WebRTC communication. Open additional UDP ports such as 49160-49200 as needed

1.7 First Visit to Sa2web

After installation, open the deployment address in a browser:

https://<APP_DOMAIN>/

Examples:

https://192.168.1.105/
https://browser.example.com/

The admin console login address is usually:

https://<APP_DOMAIN>/admin/login

Log in with the system user and password configured during installation. Enter the verification code as prompted on the page, as shown in Figure 1.1.

1.8 Register the License

After logging in to the admin console, open the license registration dialog, as shown in Figure 1.2.

Then return to the Sa2web website:

https://www.sa2web.com

Open the My page and get a free license from the account center. Copy the license and key from the page into the license registration dialog in the admin console and save, as shown in Figure 1.3.

Figure 1.3: Get a license from the Sa2web website

Note

A free license is usually suitable for learning, validation, and small-scale trials. Some advanced capabilities may appear in the UI but may not take effect depending on the license type.

1.9 Service Status and Logs

View container status:

docker compose -f <installation-directory>/docker-compose.yml ps

View application logs:

tail -n 200 <installation-directory>/logs/app/app.log

Or view Docker Compose logs:

docker compose -f <installation-directory>/docker-compose.yml logs --tail 200 --follow

1.10 Local Browser and SSL Certificates

1.10.1 Sa2web Deployed Publicly with Your Own Domain

At your domain provider, such as Cloudflare, point the domain DNS record to the IP address of the server where Sa2web is deployed.
Open ports 80 and 443 in the network settings of the Sa2web server.
When users first visit https://<domain>/, Sa2web’s Caddy service automatically requests a trusted certificate from Let’s Encrypt. The user browser will no longer show an insecure certificate warning.

1.10.2 Sa2web Deployed on a LAN with a Caddy Self-Signed Certificate

First obtain the certificate. You can get root.crt from $INSTALL_PATH/data/caddy/pki/authorities/local/root.crt and send it to users for installation. Alternatively, users can click the lower-left pop-up menu, click My Devices, then click Download Certificate, as shown in Figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4: Sa2web download root certificate

After downloading the certificate, install it into the trusted root certificate store, as shown in Figure 1.5.

Figure 1.5: Sa2web install root certificate

After installing the certificate, quit the browser and reopen it. When you visit again, the browser no longer shows an insecure certificate warning, as shown in Figure 1.6.

Common checkpoints:

Problem	What to check
Page cannot be opened	Security group, firewall, DNS resolution, and certificate mode
Login fails	`system` password and verification code
Machine is offline	Machine IP, port `7000`, and container status
Browser cannot start	Docker Compose logs and machine status
Isolated network unavailable	Browser proxy configuration and whether the group is authorized for that isolated network

1.11 Acceptance Checklist

Docker works.
docker compose works.
The Sa2web installer completed successfully.
The deployment address https://<APP_DOMAIN>/ is accessible.
/admin/login is accessible.
The system user can log in to the admin console.
The license is registered.
The default password has been changed.

References:

https://www.sa2web.com/docs/en/install/prerequisites
https://www.sa2web.com/docs/en/install/deploy
https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/