ntfy (Push Notifications via HTTP) on AlmaLinux 9

ntfy is a lightweight, open-source push notification service over HTTP that allows you to send real-time notifications to mobile devices, desktops, and scripts using simple HTTP requests. Instead of relying on third-party push providers, ntfy lets you self-host your own notification server, giving you full control over messages, topics, authentication, and data privacy.

With ntfy, sending a notification can be as simple as a single curl command. This makes it especially useful for server monitoring, CI/CD pipelines, cron jobs, webhooks, DevOps automation, and IoT systems.

Running ntfy on AlmaLinux 9, a RHEL-compatible, enterprise-grade Linux distribution, provides long-term stability, security updates, and predictable behavior. AlmaLinux 9 is well suited for production workloads and pairs perfectly with Nginx and HTTPS, resulting in a secure, reliable, and maintainable push notification service.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	AlmaLinux 9	Enterprise-grade, RHEL-compatible Linux base
Application	ntfy server (Go binary)	Push notification service
Protocol	HTTP / WebSockets	Message publishing and real-time delivery
Reverse Proxy	Nginx	HTTPS termination, routing, rate limiting
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Encrypted client connections
Clients	Mobile, Desktop, CLI, Web	Subscribe to topics and receive notifications

ntfy is distributed as a single static Go binary, making it extremely fast, resource-efficient, and easy to manage.

Why Use ntfy?

Push notifications via simple HTTP calls
Fully self-hosted — no external push providers
Extremely lightweight — minimal CPU and memory usage
Cross-platform clients — Android, iOS, desktop, web, CLI
Topic-based publish/subscribe model
Supports WebSockets, streaming, and polling
Authentication & access control — public or private topics
Ideal for automation and monitoring workflows

ntfy is designed for users who want reliable notifications without unnecessary complexity.

ntfy vs Other Notification Solutions

Feature / Capability	ntfy	Pushover	Firebase	Gotify
Hosting	Self-hosted	Cloud only	Cloud only	Self-hosted
Protocol	HTTP / WebSocket	API	SDK-based	HTTP
Privacy	Full control	Cloud-based	Cloud-based	Full control
Setup complexity	Very low	Low	High	Medium
Clients	Mobile, desktop, CLI	Mobile	Mobile	Mobile / web
Cost	Free, open-source	Paid	Free / Paid	Free

ntfy stands out for its simplicity, flexibility, and DevOps-friendly design.

Security & Best Practices on AlmaLinux 9

Run ntfy behind Nginx with HTTPS enabled.
Bind ntfy to 127.0.0.1 and expose only Nginx publicly.
Use TLS certificates (Let’s Encrypt recommended).
Enable authentication and access control for private topics.
Store credentials and tokens securely in configuration files or environment variables.
Enable SELinux enforcing mode and configure Docker/paths accordingly.
Configure firewalld to allow only ports 80 and 443.
Add rate limiting in Nginx to prevent abuse.
Keep AlmaLinux and ntfy updated regularly.
Manage ntfy with systemd for automatic restarts and startup on boot.

Typical Use Cases

Server monitoring alerts (CPU, disk, memory, downtime)
CI/CD pipeline notifications
Cron job success or failure alerts
Home-lab and self-hosted service monitoring
IoT device status notifications
Webhook-based automation
Personal push notifications without cloud services

Deploying ntfy on AlmaLinux 9 with SSL gives you a fast, secure, and fully self-hosted push notification system — ideal for automation, monitoring, and real-time alerts, all while keeping full control over your data and infrastructure.

Step 1: Set Up a Server Instance on Shape.Host

Before installing ntfy, you need a virtual server.

Open the dashboard and click Create.

Choose Instance as the resource type.

Select a data center location close to your users.

Choose a VPS plan with at least:

2 CPU cores

2–4 GB RAM

20 GB SSD storage

Select AlmaLinux 9 (64-bit) as the operating system.

Finalize the creation and wait for the instance to be provisioned.

Copy the public IP address of your server.

This server will host Docker, ntfy, and Nginx, secured with HTTPS.

Step 2: Connect to Your AlmaLinux 9 Server

Linux / macOS

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows

Use PowerShell, Windows Terminal, or PuTTY:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

After logging in, you should be authenticated as root.

Step 3: Install ntfy Using Docker Compose

3.1 Update the System

dnf update

Updates all installed packages to their latest versions.

3.2 Install Required Dependencies

dnf install ca-certificates curl gnupg2 dnf-utils

Installs tools required for managing repositories and secure downloads.

3.3 Add Docker Repository

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

Adds the official Docker repository compatible with AlmaLinux 9.

dnf makecache

Refreshes the package metadata cache.

3.4 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 plugin.

systemctl enable docker

Enables Docker to start automatically at boot.

systemctl start docker

Starts the Docker service.

docker --version

Verifies Docker installation.

docker compose version

Verifies Docker Compose availability.

3.5 Create ntfy Project Directory

mkdir -p /opt/ntfy

cd /opt/ntfy

3.6 Create Docker Compose Configuration

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content:

services:
  ntfy:
    image: binwiederhier/ntfy:latest
    container_name: ntfy
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:2586:80"
    volumes:
      - /opt/ntfy/cache:/var/cache/ntfy
      - /opt/ntfy/config:/etc/ntfy
    command: serve

This configuration ensures ntfy:

Runs in a Docker container
Is only accessible locally
Is safely exposed through Nginx

3.7 Create Cache and Configuration Directories

mkdir -p /opt/ntfy/cache

mkdir -p /opt/ntfy/config

3.8 Configure ntfy Server

nano /opt/ntfy/config/server.yml

Paste:

base-url: https://ntfy.example.com
listen-http: ":80"

cache-file: /var/cache/ntfy/cache.db
behind-proxy: true

auth-default-access: deny
auth-file: /etc/ntfy/auth.db

attachment-cache-dir: /var/cache/ntfy/attachments
attachment-total-size-limit: 5G
attachment-file-size-limit: 50M

This configuration:

Enables reverse proxy support
Denies anonymous access by default
Allows controlled attachment uploads

3.9 Start ntfy

docker compose pull

Downloads the latest ntfy image.

docker compose up -d

Starts the ntfy container in detached mode.

docker compose ps

Confirms the container is running.

Step 4: Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

4.1 Install and Enable Nginx

dnf install nginx

systemctl enable nginx

systemctl start nginx

systemctl status nginx

4.2 Create Nginx Configuration for ntfy

nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/ntfy.conf

Paste:

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

    client_max_body_size 100M;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:2586;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;

        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;

        proxy_buffering off;
    }
}

4.3 Test and Reload Nginx

nginx -t

systemctl reload nginx

Step 5: Enable SSL with Let’s Encrypt

5.1 Install Certbot

dnf install epel-release

dnf install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

5.2 Obtain SSL Certificate

certbot --nginx -d ntfy.example.com

Replace with your real domain if needed:

yourdomain.com

Certbot will automatically:

Issue a free SSL certificate
Configure Nginx for HTTPS
Enable automatic renewal

You have installed ntfy on AlmaLinux 9 using Docker Compose, secured it behind Nginx, and enabled SSL with Let’s Encrypt. This setup is stable, secure, and well-suited for production use cases such as monitoring, alerting, and automation.

For hosting ntfy and other self-hosted services with excellent performance and scalability, Shape.Host Cloud VPS offers a reliable infrastructure designed for modern server workloads.

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How to Install ntfy (Push Notifications via HTTP) on AlmaLinux 9