Quick start

PicHost is a self-hosted image host for NAS, home servers, or VPS. Docker is recommended; the first visit runs a web wizard to create the admin account.

Try it online

Branch	Notes
main	No public demo — see screenshots or the repository README
cloudflare	R2-only live demo: pic.roven.cc

Docker (recommended)

docker run -d \
  --name pichost \
  -p 6892:6892 \
  -v ./data:/data \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  muxui/pichost:latest

Default port: 6892. Open http://<host>:6892 and complete setup.

If you cloned the repo:

docker compose up -d

See docker-compose.yml in the repository.

First-time setup

1. Open your instance URL (Docker default http://<host>:6892).
2. On /setup, choose Create admin or Restore backup:
   • Create admin — username, password, optional registration and dual-domain options.
   • Restore backup — upload a .phost.tar.gz full-site package (replaces current data; re-enter cloud storage secrets after restore).
3. (Optional) Configure site URL, image URL, Referer rules — see Environment variables and Dual-domain separation.
4. Upload from the home page via drag-and-drop, file picker, or Ctrl+V; copy direct/Markdown/HTML/BBCode links from the results panel and use batch tagging. Top nav: Gallery, Storage (admin), Settings, API.

Create admin	Restore from backup

For an already-initialized instance, use Storage → Backup & migration instead of /setup.

Sign in

Management pages (upload, gallery, settings, etc.) require login. Enter username and password, complete the verification challenge, then click Sign in.

The default is a local slider (align the thumb with the gap). Admins can switch to Cloudflare Turnstile or Cap under Settings → Access control, with the matching site key / secret or API endpoint.

If registration is enabled, create an account from the register page (same verification). Legacy deployments may still use a secret key (see the on-screen hint).

Locked out of verification

If Turnstile / Cap is misconfigured and you cannot sign in, reset to the local slider on the server:

docker exec pichost slider

Local dev: npm run slider

Forgot password

Requires docker exec (server access):

docker exec pichost reset-password              # admin only when there is exactly one
docker exec pichost reset-password <username> # admin or regular user

A random password is printed. Change it after login.

Local dev: npm run reset-password or npm run reset-password -- <username>

Dual-domain lockout

If dual-domain is enabled and IP / LAN access returns 404:

docker exec pichost clear-domains

Local: npm run clear-domains. See FAQ — Admin 404 after dual-domain setup.

Next steps

• Local development
• Environment variables
• Storage
• API