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

ntfy (Push Notifications via HTTP) on Rocky Linux 9

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

Sending a notification can be as simple as a single curl command, which makes ntfy ideal for server monitoring alerts, CI/CD pipelines, cron jobs, webhooks, IoT devices, and DevOps automation.

Running ntfy on Rocky Linux 9, a RHEL-compatible enterprise Linux distribution, provides long-term stability, predictable updates, and strong security defaults. Combined with Nginx and HTTPS, Rocky Linux 9 offers a production-grade foundation for a secure, reliable notification service.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Rocky Linux 9	Enterprise-grade, RHEL-compatible Linux base
Application	ntfy server (Go binary)	Push notification server
Protocol	HTTP / WebSockets	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 messages

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

Why Use ntfy?

Push notifications via simple HTTP calls
Fully self-hosted — no external push providers
Very 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
Perfect 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 Rocky Linux 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 config files or environment variables.
Enable SELinux enforcing mode and configure policies accordingly.
Configure firewalld to allow only ports 80 and 443.
Add rate limiting in Nginx to prevent abuse.
Keep Rocky Linux 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/failure alerts
Home-lab and self-hosted service monitoring
IoT device status notifications
Webhook-driven automation
Personal push notifications without cloud services

Deploying ntfy on Rocky Linux 9 with SSL gives you a fast, secure, and fully self-hosted push notification system — ideal for automation, monitoring, and real-time alerts, all without relying on third-party providers.

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

Before installing ntfy, you need a VPS to host it.

From the dashboard, click Create and choose Instance.

Select a data center location that best fits your target audience.

Choose a VPS plan with at least:

2 CPU cores

2–4 GB RAM

20 GB SSD storage

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

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

Copy the public IP address of the server.

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

Step 2: Connect to Your Rocky Linux 9 Server

Linux / macOS

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows

Use PowerShell, Windows Terminal, or PuTTY:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Once connected, you should be logged in as root.

Step 3: Install ntfy Using Docker Compose

3.1 Update the System

dnf update

Updates all system packages to the latest available versions.

3.2 Install Required Dependencies

dnf install ca-certificates curl gnupg2 dnf-utils

Installs tools required to add and verify external repositories.

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 Rocky Linux 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 Structure

mkdir -p /opt/ntfy

cd /opt/ntfy

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 only listens locally and is safely exposed via Nginx.

3.6 Create Cache and Config Directories

mkdir -p /opt/ntfy/cache

mkdir -p /opt/ntfy/config

3.7 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
Secures ntfy by default
Allows controlled attachment uploads

3.8 Start ntfy

docker compose pull

Downloads the latest ntfy image.

docker compose up -d

Starts the ntfy container in detached mode.

docker compose ps

Verifies that 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 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 rockylinux-tutorials.shape.host

Replace with your own domain, for example:

yourdomain.com

Certbot will automatically configure HTTPS and set up certificate renewal.

You installed ntfy on Rocky Linux 9 using Docker Compose, secured it with Nginx, and enabled SSL with Let’s Encrypt. This setup is reliable, secure, and ideal for real-world production use cases such as monitoring and alerting.

https://shape.host/ For hosting ntfy and other self-hosted services with excellent performance and scalability, Shape.Host Linx SSD VPS provides a robust infrastructure tailored for modern applications.

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