DirectusCloud - Multi-Instance Directus Hosting Platform

A powerful web-based management application that allows you to create, manage, and host multiple Directus CMS instances on a single server. Each instance runs independently with its own database, storage, and configuration.

✨ Features

• Multi-Instance Management: Create and manage unlimited Directus instances
• Unified Dashboard: Single interface to manage all your instances
• No Sudo Required: Runs entirely with user permissions
• HTTP & HTTPS Support: Caddy handles automatic SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt
• Process Management: PM2 integration for reliable instance management
• Modern UI: Clean, responsive interface built with server-side rendering
• System Monitoring: Real-time status of Caddy, PM2, and system resources

🏗️ Architecture

The project is structured as a unified Node.js/Express application that manages child processes for Directus instances.

directus-multimode/
├── app/                  # Unified Express application
│   ├── api/             # API routes and logic
│   ├── components/      # UI components and partials
│   ├── lib/             # Utilities and helpers
│   ├── public/          # Static assets (CSS, JS, Images)
│   ├── views/           # EJS Page templates
│   └── server.js        # Main application entry point
├── instances/            # Directory where Directus instances live
├── data/                 # Application data, PM2 logs, and main DB
├── .env                  # Main configuration file
├── package.json          # Project dependencies and scripts
├── start.sh              # Quick start script
└── stop.sh               # Stop script

📋 Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• Caddy (optional, for reverse proxy with HTTPS)
  • macOS: brew install caddy
  • macOS: brew install caddy
  • Linux: See Caddy installation guide
• PM2 (optional but recommended)
  • npm install -g pm2
  • If not installed, the app will use npx pm2 automatically (slower).

🚀 Quick Start

1. Configure Environment

Copy the example environment file:

cp .env.example .env

2. Install Dependencies

Install the project dependencies:

npm install

3. Start the Application

You can start the application using the helper script:

./start.sh

Or directly via npm:

npm start

The application will be available at http://localhost:3001 (or the port defined in your .env file).

🎯 Development

Watch Mode

For development, use the watch mode which automatically restarts the server when files change:

npm run dev

File Structure

• Views: Edit HTML structure in app/views/
• Styles: CSS files located in app/public/css/
• Logic: Backend logic in app/api/ and app/lib/

🔧 Usage

Creating an Instance

1. Navigate to the Dashboard.
2. Click "+ New Instance".
3. Enter the instance name, email, and password.
4. The system will create a new Directus instance in the instances/ directory.
5. Once created, you can Start/Stop/Restart/Clone/Delete the instance from the dashboard cards.

Creating a new instance

Real-time installation progress

Accessing Instances

• Direct Port: Each instance runs on a unique port (assigned automatically).
• Subdomain: If Caddy is configured, instances are accessible via http://<subdomain>.localhost.

Instance Actions

Manage your instances directly from the dashboard card menu.

Instance management menu

Cloning an existing instance

Command Line Tools

• Start All: ./start.sh
• Stop All: ./stop.sh - safe shutdown of all instances and the main app.
• PM2 Logs: npm run pm2:logs - View logs for all running instances.

📚 API Documentation

The application provides a REST API for management functions.

• GET /api/instances - List all instances
• POST /api/instances - Create a new instance
• POST /api/instances/:id/:action - Perform action (start/stop/restart/delete)
• GET /api/system/status - Get system status (Caddy, etc.)

🐛 Troubleshooting

App won't start

• Check if the defined port (default 3001) is in use.
• Verify Node.js version is 18+.

Instance creation fails

• Check the application logs: npm run pm2:logs.
• Ensure you have write permissions in the instances directory.

Caddy issues

• Ensure Caddy is installed and in your PATH.
• Check the generated Caddyfile in Caddyfile for errors.

PM2 issues

• The app uses a local PM2 instance stored in data/.pm2.
• View logs: npm run pm2:logs
• Kill all instances: npm run pm2:stop

📝 License

MIT License

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.