How to Install Ackee (Self-Hosted Analytics) on Rocky Linux 9

Ackee (Self-Hosted Analytics) on Rocky Linux 9

Ackee is a lightweight, open-source self-hosted web analytics platform built for site owners who want clear, useful insights without compromising user privacy. It tracks essential metrics such as page views, referrers, browsers, devices, and screen sizes, while intentionally avoiding cookies, personal identifiers, fingerprinting, and invasive tracking methods.

Ackee is privacy-first by design, making it a strong alternative to Google Analytics and other SaaS analytics tools. In most scenarios, it can be deployed without cookie consent banners, simplifying GDPR compliance and improving user trust.

Running Ackee on Rocky Linux 9, a RHEL-compatible enterprise Linux distribution, provides long-term stability, security updates, and predictable performance. Rocky Linux 9 is particularly well suited for production environments where reliability matters, especially when combined with Docker, MongoDB, Nginx, and HTTPS for a clean, secure, and scalable analytics stack.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Rocky Linux 9	Enterprise-grade, RHEL-compatible Linux base
Container Runtime	Docker / Docker Compose	Runs Ackee and MongoDB services
Application	Ackee (Node.js)	Analytics engine and web dashboard
Database	MongoDB	Stores anonymized analytics data
Reverse Proxy	Nginx	HTTPS termination, routing, compression
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Secures access to the analytics interface

Ackee’s intentionally minimal architecture keeps operational overhead low, making it easy to deploy, easy to maintain, and easy to back up.

Why Use Ackee?

Privacy-first analytics – no cookies, no user profiling, no fingerprinting
GDPR-friendly by default – often no consent banner required
Self-hosted & open-source – full ownership of analytics data
Lightweight and efficient – low CPU and memory usage
Focused metrics – only the data that actually matters
Simple JavaScript tracking snippet – quick integration into any website
Multi-site support – track multiple domains from a single dashboard

Ackee is ideal for users who want ethical analytics without unnecessary complexity.

Ackee vs Other Analytics Platforms

Feature / Capability	Ackee	Google Analytics	Plausible	Umami
Hosting	Self-hosted	Cloud only	Cloud / self-hosted	Cloud / self-hosted
Cookies	❌ No	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
GDPR friendly	✅ Yes	❌ No (by default)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Data ownership	Full	Google-controlled	Partial	Full
Tracking depth	Essential	Very detailed	Essential	Moderate
Cost	Free, open-source	Free / Paid	Paid	Free / Paid

Ackee is best suited for blogs, business websites, landing pages, and privacy-focused projects where transparency and trust matter more than aggressive data collection.

Security & Best Practices on Rocky Linux 9

Run Ackee behind Nginx with HTTPS enabled.
Keep Ackee and MongoDB accessible only via internal Docker networks.
Store admin tokens and database credentials using environment variables.
Enable SELinux enforcing mode and apply correct Docker volume labels.
Configure firewalld to allow only ports 80 and 443.
Automate SSL certificate renewal using Certbot or another ACME client.
Regularly update Rocky Linux, Docker, Ackee, and MongoDB images.
Schedule MongoDB data backups and test restore procedures.
Restrict dashboard access to trusted users or IP ranges when required.

Typical Use Cases

Personal blogs and portfolios – privacy-respecting visitor insights
Company websites – GDPR-compliant analytics without cookie banners
Landing pages – ethical tracking of referrers and traffic sources
Agencies & developers – analytics for multiple client projects
Open-source, NGO, or non-profit websites – transparent and ethical tracking

Deploying Ackee on Rocky Linux 9 with Docker, MongoDB, Nginx, and SSL gives you a fast, private, and enterprise-ready analytics solution — delivering meaningful insights while keeping user trust and data ownership firmly in your control.

Create a Rocky Linux 9 Instance on Shape.Host

Go to https://shape.host and log in

Click Create

Choose Instance

Select a server location

Choose Rocky Linux 9 (64-bit)

Pick a plan (recommended minimum):

2 vCPU

4 GB RAM

20 GB NVMe SSD

Click Create Instance

Wait for provisioning

Copy the public IP address

Step 1: Connect to the Server via SSH

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

You are now logged in as the root user.

Step 2: Update the System

dnf update

Updates all installed packages to the latest versions.

Step 3: Enable Required Repositories

dnf install epel-release
dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb

EPEL and CRB repositories are required on Rocky Linux 9 for Docker dependencies.

Step 4: Install Required System Packages

dnf install ca-certificates curl gnupg2 dnf-utils

These tools are needed to securely add external repositories.

Step 5: Add Docker Repository

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

Adds the official Docker repository compatible with Rocky Linux 9.

Step 6: Install Docker and Docker Compose

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

Installs Docker Engine and Docker Compose v2.

Step 7: Enable and Start Docker

systemctl enable docker
systemctl start docker

Ensures Docker starts automatically on boot.

Step 8: Verify Docker Installation

docker version
docker compose version

Confirms Docker and Docker Compose are installed correctly.

Step 9: Create Ackee Directory

mkdir -p /opt/ackee
cd /opt/ackee

This directory will store Ackee configuration and MongoDB data.

Step 10: Create Docker Compose Configuration

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content:

services:
  mongo:
    image: mongo:6
    container_name: ackee-mongo
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - ./mongo-data:/data/db

  ackee:
    image: electerious/ackee:latest
    container_name: ackee
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - mongo
    environment:
      - ACKEE_MONGODB=mongodb://mongo:27017/ackee
      - ACKEE_USERNAME=admin
      - ACKEE_PASSWORD=STRONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD
      - ACKEE_ALLOW_ORIGIN=https://analytics.example.com
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:3000:3000"

Explanation:

MongoDB stores analytics data
Ackee connects internally to MongoDB
Ackee listens only on localhost for security
Admin credentials are defined via environment variables

Save and exit the file.

Step 11: Start Ackee

docker compose up -d

Starts MongoDB and Ackee containers in the background.

Step 12: Check Running Containers

docker ps

You should see:

ackee
ackee-mongo

Both containers must be running.

Step 13: Test Ackee Locally

curl http://127.0.0.1:3000

This confirms Ackee is responding before exposing it publicly.

Step 14: Install Nginx

dnf install nginx

Nginx will act as a reverse proxy.

Step 15: Create Nginx Configuration

nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/ackee.conf

Paste:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name analytics.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Step 16: Remove Default Nginx Configuration

rm -f /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf

Prevents configuration conflicts.

Step 17: Test and Enable Nginx

nginx -t
systemctl enable nginx
systemctl start nginx
systemctl reload nginx

Step 18: Allow Nginx Network Access (SELinux)

Rocky Linux uses SELinux by default. You must allow Nginx to connect to Docker containers.

setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect on

This step is mandatory on Rocky Linux.

Step 19: Install SSL Certificate

dnf install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
certbot --nginx -d rockylinux-tutorials.shape.host

Certbot automatically configures HTTPS.

Access Ackee Analytics

https://your-domain.com

Username: admin
Password: STRONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD

Ackee benefits from fast storage and stable networking.

Shape.Host Linux SSD VPS provides:

NVMe SSD storage
Instant Rocky Linux deployments
Clean, minimal OS images
Stable networking
Excellent performance for Docker workloads

Deploy your next self-hosted analytics stack at https://shape.host.

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