How to Install Mealie (Recipe Manager) on Rocky Linux 9

Introduction

This guide explains how to install Mealie on Rocky Linux 9 using Docker Compose, PostgreSQL 16, and Nginx.

Mealie will be accessed directly through the server IP address. This guide does not include Let’s Encrypt or SSL configuration.

Step 1: Connect to the 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 2: Install Docker and Docker Compose

2.1 Update the System

dnf update

Updates all system packages to their latest versions.

2.2 Install Required Dependencies

dnf install ca-certificates curl gnupg2 dnf-utils

Installs tools required to manage repositories securely.

2.3 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 repository metadata.

2.4 Install Docker Engine 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 at boot.

systemctl start docker

Starts the Docker service.

docker --version

Verifies Docker installation.

docker compose version

Verifies Docker Compose availability.

Step 3: Configure Mealie with Docker Compose

3.1 Create Project Directory

mkdir -p /opt/mealie
cd /opt/mealie

3.2 Create Docker Compose File

vi docker-compose.yml

Paste the following configuration:

services:
  db:
    image: postgres:16
    container_name: mealie-db
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: mealie
      POSTGRES_USER: mealie
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: strong_db_password
    volumes:
      - /opt/mealie/db:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  mealie:
    image: ghcr.io/mealie-recipes/mealie:latest
    container_name: mealie
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:9000:9000"
    environment:
      ALLOW_SIGNUP: "false"
      DB_ENGINE: postgres
      POSTGRES_DB: mealie
      POSTGRES_USER: mealie
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: strong_db_password
      POSTGRES_SERVER: db
      POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
      BASE_URL: http://YOUR_SERVER_IP
    volumes:
      - /opt/mealie/data:/app/data
    depends_on:
      - db

This configuration:

• Uses PostgreSQL 16 as the database backend
• Restricts Mealie access to localhost
• Prepares the application for reverse proxy access

3.3 Create Persistent Storage Directories

mkdir -p /opt/mealie/db

mkdir -p /opt/mealie/data

3.4 Start Mealie

docker compose pull

Downloads the latest Mealie and PostgreSQL images.

docker compose up -d

Starts the containers in detached mode.

docker compose ps

Confirms that the containers are 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 Mealie

vi /etc/nginx/conf.d/mealie.conf

Paste:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name _;

    client_max_body_size 100M;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:9000;
        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;
    }
}

4.3 Test and Reload Nginx

nginx -t

systemctl reload nginx

Step 5: Verify the Installation

Open your browser:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP

Check container status:

docker compose ps

Verify Nginx status:

systemctl status nginx

If Mealie loads correctly through the server IP address, the installation is complete.

Conclusion

Mealie is now installed on Rocky Linux 9 using Docker Compose, PostgreSQL 16, and Nginx.

You can access Mealie through:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP