One-Click Apps: Deploy & Manage

Every hTech Cloud VPS can install and run popular web apps — WordPress, WooCommerce, n8n, Nextcloud, OpenCart, Ghost, Moodle and 70+ more — with no command line. This guide covers ordering with an app, installing one later, and everything on the management panel: backups, free HTTPS, restarts, updates, and reset.

Before you start

Three things need to be right for a one-click app to install cleanly:

• A supported operating system. Apps install on plain, unmanaged Linux — Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian, Rocky Linux, or AlmaLinux. They cannot install on a template that ships a control panel (cPanel, Plesk, InterWorx, CloudLinux, CWP), on Windows, or on Alpine/Arch. The panel owns the web server and ports, so our installer would conflict with it.
• A plan big enough for the app. Each app lists a minimum RAM / disk / CPU. Lightweight apps (WordPress) run on the smallest plan; heavier ones (an AI model like DeepSeek) need 8 GB RAM or more.
• Your server root password. We connect over SSH once to install, then remove our access (see Your root password). Have it handy.

Option A — Choose an app when you order the VPS

On the VPS order form you'll see the operating-system template, a one-click Application menu, and the plan sliders (Memory / Disk / vCPU). Pick your app here and it starts installing as soon as the server is ready.

The VPS order form with a one-click app selected

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  Operating System. Choose an unmanaged Linux template. If you pick one with a control panel, a notice appears and the Application resets to None — switch to unmanaged Ubuntu/Debian/Rocky/AlmaLinux to enable apps.
• 2
  Application. Pick the app you want pre-installed. Leave it on None if you'd rather install later from the client area.
• 3
  Automatic right-sizing. If your selected plan is below the app's minimum, the form bumps Memory / Disk / vCPU up to the smallest size that fits and tells you why.

Option B — Install an app on a VPS you already have

You can add an app to any eligible VPS at any time. In the Client Area, open the VPS service and scroll to the Installed Applications panel.

The “Installed Applications” panel, ready to install

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  Choose an app. The menu is grouped by category (CMS & Blogs, eCommerce, Business, AI, Helpdesk…). Each shows a one-line summary.
• 2
  App setup fields. Only appear for apps that need them (e.g. an admin login, license key, or API key). They show once you pick that app.
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  Server root password. Used one time over SSH to run the installer, then our access is removed. It is never saved.
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  SSH port. Leave at 22 unless you've changed your server's SSH port — then enter the custom port so we can connect.

Click Install App and the panel shows progress. The page auto-refreshes every 15 seconds while installing. A typical install takes a few minutes; Docker-based apps (n8n, Nextcloud) can take a little longer.

Status labels you may see:

Queued Installing… Active Failed  —  once it reads Active, your login details appear right in the panel.

Manage an installed app

When an app is Active, its card shows the address, login details, a live health indicator, and a row of management buttons.

An active app card with management controls

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  Health badge. Online means we reached the app in the last check; Not responding means it didn't answer (still installing, stopped, or crashed — try Restart). Hover for the last-checked time.
• 2
  Credentials. Passwords are hidden — click Show to reveal. Links open the app in a new tab.
• 3
  Action buttons. What each one does — below.

↻ Restart

Restarts the app (its web service or Docker containers). The quickest fix if the app is sluggish or shows Not responding. Your data is untouched.

💾 Backup now / 📦 Backups

Backup now takes an on-demand snapshot of the app's files and database. Backups lists what you have — see Backups.

🔒 Add HTTPS

Puts your app on your own domain with a free, auto-renewing SSL certificate — see Add free HTTPS.

↻ Check for updates / Update

For supported apps, Check for updates compares your installed version to the latest release. If one's available you'll see Update available and an Update button. We take a backup first, then upgrade — the app may be briefly unavailable. Some apps update from inside their own admin area instead; there you'll get an “Update in … admin” link.

> SSH port

Changes the port your VPS listens on for SSH — see Change SSH port.

🗑 Remove

Uninstalls just this app — drops its database, files and firewall rules. The shared web server / PHP / MariaDB stay in place so your other apps keep running. Requires your root password.

Add free HTTPS (your own domain + SSL)

By default an app answers on your server's IP over plain http. To put it on a real domain with a padlock, use Add HTTPS.

1. Point your domain at the server first. At your DNS provider, create an A record for the domain (e.g. shop.example.com) pointing to your VPS IP. Give it a few minutes to propagate.
2. Open Add HTTPS on the app card and enter the domain.
3. Pick a certificate source and submit with your root password.

Securing an app with a free Let's Encrypt certificate

• Free certificate (Let's Encrypt) — recommended. Issued automatically and renews itself. The DNS A record must be pointing at your VPS or issuance fails.
• Paste my own certificate — use a cert you already bought: paste the certificate, private key, and (recommended) the CA chain in PEM format. These don't auto-renew; the panel warns you when one is within 21 days of expiry so you can upload a fresh one.

To go back to plain HTTP, use Remove HTTPS.

Backups

Backups are stored on your VPS. Take one any time with Backup now; open the list with Backups.

Each backup can be downloaded, restored, or deleted

• ⇩ Download — saves the backup archive to your computer, so you have an off-server copy.
• Restore — rolls the app back to that snapshot. This overwrites the app's current data, so you're asked to confirm. The app briefly shows Updating… while it restores.
• Delete — removes that backup from the VPS.

What happens to backups when I remove an app? By default they're kept on the VPS. If you reinstall the same app you can restore from them. Tick “Also delete this app's backups” during removal to delete them and free the space.

Change your SSH port

Moving SSH off the default port 22 cuts down automated login attempts. Use SSH port on any app card (it's a server-wide setting — it doesn't affect the app itself).

After it succeeds: update any saved SSH client settings and your local firewall rules to the new port. Next time you install an app, enter the new port in the SSH port field.

Reset the server (clean slate)

At the bottom of the panel, Reset server (clean slate) wipes everything the installer put on the box — all apps, databases, files, containers, backups and certificates — returning it to a blank server for a fresh start.

Your root password & security

We ask for your server root password for install and management actions, but we don't store it:

• It's used once per action to open a single SSH connection.
• We plant a temporary key to run the task, then revoke it when finished. A leftover key would be a standing backdoor into your box, so removing it is non-negotiable.
• The password is never written to our database or logs.
• For ongoing conveniences (health checks, one-click updates, backups) a single dedicated management key is kept on the server — that's what lets those buttons work without re-entering your password each time.

Troubleshooting

The install failed — what now?

Open the failed app card and click Retry…, re-enter any setup fields and your root password. Most failures are one of:

• Wrong root password or SSH port — double-check both. If you changed the SSH port, use the new one.
• Plan too small — the app needs more RAM/disk than the plan has. Upgrade the plan, then retry.
• Incompatible OS — the template ships a control panel or isn't supported Linux. Rebuild the VPS on unmanaged Ubuntu/Debian/Rocky/AlmaLinux.
• Firewall blocking us — if you run CSF/other firewall, make sure your SSH port is open.

The app shows “Not responding” / I get a blank page or 404

• If it was just installed, give it a minute and let the page auto-refresh — provisioning may still be finishing.
• Click Restart.
• If you just added HTTPS, make sure you're visiting https://yourdomain (not the raw IP) and that DNS points at the VPS.

“Too many redirects” after adding HTTPS

This happens when the app thinks it's on http but is being served over https. For WordPress-family apps we configure this automatically. For other apps, log into the app admin and set the Site / Home URL to https://yourdomain. Clear your browser cookies for the site and retry.

SSL / “Add HTTPS” failed

• The domain's A record must point at your VPS IP before you request a free certificate — Let's Encrypt checks it. Verify DNS has propagated, then retry.
• Make sure the domain is spelled correctly and isn't proxied through a service that hides the real IP during validation.

There's no “Add HTTPS” button on my app

A few app types don't support one-click HTTPS (they don't expose a web port we can put behind the certificate). The button only appears when the app supports it.

I changed the SSH port and my SSH client can't connect

The change only succeeds after we verify the new port works, so the server is reachable — you just need to point your client at the new port (and open it in any local firewall). In the client area the button now shows the current port, e.g. SSH port (2222).

“Installed before managed updates — reinstall to enable”

Apps installed before we added managed updates don't have the management key needed for one-click updates/health. Remove and reinstall the app to enable those features (back up first if you have data).

FAQ

Question	Answer
How many apps can I run on one VPS?	As many as the plan's resources allow. Each app installs alongside the others; heavier apps need bigger plans.
Can I install two of the same app?	One instance per app slug per server. For a second copy, use another VPS.
Do you manage/patch the app for me?	You own the app. We provide one-click updates and backups; keeping the app and its plugins current is up to you.
Where does my data live?	Entirely on your VPS. We don't hold copies — download backups for off-server safety.
Can I still use SSH / do my own thing on the box?	Yes — it's your unmanaged server. Just avoid installing a control panel, which conflicts with the app stack.
Will an update break my app?	We take a backup before every one-click update, so you can Restore if something goes wrong.