Deploy OrangeHRM

The world’s most popular open source human resource management software.

⭐ 1.2k stars📜 GPLv2🔴 Advanced⏱ ~20 minutes

What You’ll Get

A fully working OrangeHRM instance running on your server. Your data stays on your hardware — no third-party access, no usage limits, no surprise invoices.

Prerequisites

A server with Docker and Docker Compose installed (setup guide)
A domain name pointed to your server (optional but recommended)
Basic terminal access (SSH)

The Config

Create a directory for OrangeHRM and add this docker-compose.yml:


# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 🚀 Created and distributed by The AltStack
# 🌍 https://thealtstack.com
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
version: '3.8'
 
services:
  orangehrm:
    image: orangehrm/orangehrm:latest
    container_name: orangehrm
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - db
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    environment:
      - ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_HOST=db
      - ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_USER=orangehrm
      - ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_PASSWORD=orangehrm
      - ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_NAME=orangehrm
 
  db:
    image: mariadb:10.6
    container_name: orangehrm-db
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root
      - MYSQL_USER=orangehrm
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=orangehrm
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=orangehrm
    volumes:
      - orangehrm_db_data:/var/lib/mysql
 
volumes:
  orangehrm_db_data:

Let’s Ship It


# Create a directory
mkdir -p /opt/orangehrm && cd /opt/orangehrm
 
# Create the docker-compose.yml (paste the config above)
nano docker-compose.yml
 
# Pull images and start
docker compose up -d
 
# Watch the logs
docker compose logs -f

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Required
`ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_HOST`	`db`	No
`ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_USER`	`orangehrm`	No
`ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_PASSWORD`	`orangehrm`	No
`ORANGEHRM_DATABASE_NAME`	`orangehrm`	No
`MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD`	`root`	No
`MYSQL_USER`	`orangehrm`	No
`MYSQL_PASSWORD`	`orangehrm`	No
`MYSQL_DATABASE`	`orangehrm`	No

Post-Deployment Checklist

Service is accessible on the configured port
Admin account created (if applicable)
Reverse proxy configured (Caddy guide)
SSL/HTTPS working
Backup script set up (backup guide)
Uptime monitor added (Uptime Kuma)

The “I Broke It” Section

Container won’t start?


docker compose logs orangehrm | tail -50

Port already in use?


# Find what's using the port
lsof -i :PORT_NUMBER

Need to start fresh?


docker compose down -v  # ⚠️ This deletes volumes/data!
docker compose up -d