How to Install Paperless-ngx on Rocky Linux 9

Paperless-ngx on Rocky Linux 9 (Docker Compose + PostgreSQL + Redis + Nginx + SSL)

Paperless-ngx is an advanced open-source document management system (DMS) that helps you digitize, organize, and manage your documents in a self-hosted environment. Using OCR (Optical Character Recognition), Paperless-ngx extracts text from scanned documents, making every word searchable and filterable. With support for email imports, smart tagging, multi-user access, and cloud integration, it provides a complete solution for anyone transitioning to a paperless workflow.

Running Paperless-ngx on Rocky Linux 9, a RHEL-compatible enterprise operating system, ensures long-term stability, enhanced security, and production-grade reliability. Combined with Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, Redis, Nginx, and SSL encryption, this stack delivers a secure, scalable, and easily maintainable DMS for home, business, and enterprise environments.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Rocky Linux 9	RHEL-compatible enterprise-grade base OS
Container Runtime	Docker Engine + Compose	Orchestrates Paperless-ngx and its supporting services
Application	Paperless-ngx (Django)	Web-based document management system and OCR processor
Database	PostgreSQL 15	Stores metadata, users, tags, and document references
Cache/Queue	Redis	Manages async background tasks and caching
Reverse Proxy	Nginx	Handles HTTPS, routing, and static content delivery
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Provides SSL encryption for secure web access

Why Use Paperless-ngx?

Automated OCR – extract text from images and PDFs for full-text search.
Smart classification – auto-tag, filter, and organize documents based on rules.
Multi-user management – ideal for teams, families, or office environments.
Email & folder import – ingest documents automatically from inboxes or watched directories.
Fast search engine – instantly locate documents by keyword or metadata.
Modern, responsive interface – manage your documents from any device.
Private and self-hosted – total control over your data and storage.

Paperless-ngx vs Other Document Management Platforms

Feature/Capability	Paperless-ngx (Self-hosted)	Mayan EDMS	Nextcloud	Zoho WorkDrive
Hosting	Self-hosted / Docker	Self-hosted	Cloud / Self-hosted	Cloud only
OCR Support	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Auto Tagging	✅ Yes	✅ Limited	❌ No	✅ Partial
Multi-user Support	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Privacy	100% data control	100% local	Partial	Cloud only
Cost	Free, open-source	Free	Free/Paid	Paid

Paperless-ngx delivers the power and flexibility of enterprise document management with the simplicity and freedom of open-source software — making it the top choice for users seeking full data ownership and advanced automation.

Security & Best Practices

Deploy behind Nginx with HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt or corporate SSL).
Store credentials securely in .env or Docker secrets.
Restrict PostgreSQL and Redis to internal Docker networks only.
Enable SELinux enforcement for additional system protection.
Use firewalld to allow only ports 80 and 443.
Keep Rocky Linux, Docker, and Paperless-ngx images updated.
Schedule automated PostgreSQL and media backups.
Use Certbot or Traefik ACME for automated SSL renewals.
Enforce file permissions and strong admin credentials.

Typical Use Cases

Personal archives – manage invoices, receipts, and personal documents.
Small businesses – streamline document workflows for invoices, contracts, and HR files.
Law firms & accountants – create searchable, secure repositories for client documents.
Educational institutions – digitize academic, financial, and administrative paperwork.
Healthcare organizations – store and access records securely while maintaining compliance.
Teams and organizations – centralize document access with granular user permissions.

Deploying Paperless-ngx on Rocky Linux 9 with Docker Compose, PostgreSQL, Redis, and Nginx provides a powerful, secure, and private document management platform — giving you complete control over your digital archive with enterprise-level scalability and open-source flexibility.

Create a Cloud Server Instance on Shape.Host

To run Paperless-ngx smoothly, you need a clean Rocky Linux 9 VPS.
Here is how to create one using Shape.Host Cloud VPS:

Visit https://shape.host and sign in.

Click “Create” (top-right corner).

Select “Instance.”

Pick your server location — choose the closest region for best latency.

Shape.host instance form with the data center location selector highlighted.

Under the operating system list, select Rocky Linux 9 (64-bit).

Choose a plan — recommended minimum:

2 vCPUs

4 GB RAM

20 GB NVMe/SSD storage

Shape.host instance form with the operating system image selector highlighted.

Click Create Instance.

Wait 20–40 seconds for deployment.

Shape.host instance form with the Create Instance button highlighted.

Copy the VPS public IP address from the dashboard.

Your Rocky Linux 9 server is now ready for installation.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with the server IP address highlighted.

Connect to Your Server

Linux/macOS

ssh root@your_server_ip

This logs you into the remote server.

Windows

Use PuTTY and connect as root.

Step 1: Update the System

dnf update

Refreshes all system packages and installs the latest security updates.

Terminal showing DNF/YUM package management commands and output.

Step 2: Install Required Tools

dnf install curl git tar

These utilities are essential:

curl → downloads files
git → used in case you need to clone repositories
tar → extracts compressed archives

Step 3: Add the Official Docker Repository

dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

This adds Docker’s official repo for CentOS/Rocky Linux so you can install the latest Docker version.

Step 4: Install Docker Engine + Docker Compose

dnf install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

This installs:

Docker Engine
Docker CLI tools
containerd
Buildx for building images
Docker Compose v2 (docker compose)

Step 5: Enable Docker at Boot

systemctl enable docker

Ensures Docker starts automatically whenever the system boots.

Step 6: Start Docker

systemctl start docker

Starts the Docker service immediately.

Step 7: Verify Docker Compose Installation

docker compose version

If this prints a version number, Docker Compose is correctly installed.

Step 8: Create the Paperless-ngx Directory

mkdir -p /opt/paperless

Creates the main application directory.

Step 9: Enter the Directory

cd /opt/paperless

Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Step 10: Generate a Secure SECRET_KEY

openssl rand -base64 32

Copy the generated key — you will paste it into the Docker Compose file.

Terminal showing an OpenSSL random-value generation command.

Step 11: Create the Docker Compose File

nano /opt/paperless/docker-compose.yml

Paste your exact configuration:

services:

  redis:
    image: redis:7
    container_name: paperless_redis
    restart: unless-stopped

  db:
    image: postgres:15
    container_name: paperless_db
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: paperless
      POSTGRES_USER: paperless
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: strongpassword
    volumes:
      - db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  webserver:
    image: ghcr.io/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx:latest
    container_name: paperless_web
    depends_on:
      - db
      - redis
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      PAPERLESS_REDIS: redis://redis:6379
      PAPERLESS_DBHOST: db
      PAPERLESS_DBNAME: paperless
      PAPERLESS_DBUSER: paperless
      PAPERLESS_DBPASS: strongpassword
      PAPERLESS_SECRET_KEY: "PASTE_YOUR_SECRET_KEY_HERE"
      PAPERLESS_URL: "https://your-domain.com"
      PAPERLESS_TIME_ZONE: "Europe/Bucharest"
    volumes:
      - data:/usr/src/paperless/data
      - media:/usr/src/paperless/media
      - consume:/usr/src/paperless/consume

volumes:
  db-data:
  data:
  media:
  consume: