No luck opening AliasVault Self-Hosting docker container behind NPMplus on openmediavault NAS

[Stephan-P]

My NAS is an up-to-date openmediavault 8 system that runs a fair number of docker container apps behind NPMplus (Nginx Proxy Manager Plus).
After failing to get AliasVault (AV) up and running based upon the documented guidelines, I discovered the docker-compose.all-in-one.nas.yml with modified ports upon which my compose is now based.

services:
  aliasvault:
    image: ghcr.io/aliasvault/aliasvault:latest
    container_name: aliasvault
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "1080:80"
      - "1443:443"
      - "25:25"
      - "587:587"
    volumes:
      - ./database:/database
      - ./logs:/logs
      - ./secrets:${SECRETS_PATH:-/secrets}
      - ./certificates:/certificates
    environment:
      - PUID=${{ uid:"appuser" }}  # omv user 'appuser'
      - PGID=${{ gid:"users" }}    # omv usergroup 'users'
      - TZ=${{ tz }}               # omv system time zone
      - FORCE_HTTPS_REDIRECT=false
      - PUBLIC_REGISTRATION_ENABLED=true
      - TRUSTED_PROXIES=
networks:
    default:
      name: aliasvault-net

The Compose log suggests that all should be well, be it that there's no mention of ports 1080 and 1443 as specified in the compose file:

aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | ==================================================
aliasvault  |     _    _ _           __      __         _ _   
aliasvault  |    / \  | (_) __ _ ___ \ \    / /_ _ _   _| | |_
aliasvault  |   / _ \ | | |/ _` / __| \ \/\/ / _` | | | | | __|
aliasvault  |  / ___ \| | | (_| \__ \  \  / / (_| | |_| | | |_ 
aliasvault  | /_/   \_\_|_|\__,_|___/   \/  \__,__|\__,_|_|\__|
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | ==================================================
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | [init] Starting AliasVault...
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ Required directories already exist
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ PostgreSQL password already exists 
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ Data Protection Certificate password already exists
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ JWT key already exists
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ Admin password configuration deferred to manual setup
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ PostgreSQL data directory already initialized
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ AliasVault database and user already provisioned
aliasvault  | [init] ✅ Self-signed SSL certificates already exist
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | [init] Waiting for all services to be ready... this can take a short while...
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | Starting PostgreSQL server...
aliasvault  | Configuring nginx with HTTP and HTTPS support (80+443)
aliasvault  | Starting Nginx reverse proxy...
aliasvault  | Starting SMTP service...
aliasvault  | Starting Admin service...
aliasvault  | Starting TaskRunner service...
aliasvault  | Starting API service...
aliasvault  | Starting Client service...
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3000 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | [17:30:54 INF] Program Database is ready. All migrations have been applied. {"Application": "AliasVault.TaskRunner"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:54 INF] Program Database is ready. All migrations have been applied. {"Application": "AliasVault.Admin"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:54 INF] AliasVault.WorkerStatus.ServiceExtensions.StatusHostedService StatusHostedService<TaskRunnerWorker> ExecuteAsync called. {"Application": "AliasVault.TaskRunner"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:54 INF] Program Database is ready. All migrations have been applied. {"Application": "AliasVault.SmtpService"}
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3000 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | [17:30:54 INF] AliasVault.SmtpService.Workers.SmtpServerWorker SMTP advertised hostname (banner / EHLO): aliasvault {"Application": "AliasVault.SmtpService"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:55 INF] AliasVault.WorkerStatus.ServiceExtensions.StatusHostedService StatusHostedService<SmtpServerWorker> ExecuteAsync called. {"Application": "AliasVault.SmtpService"}
aliasvault  | Admin password hash not configured - skipping admin user creation.
aliasvault  | Run '$ aliasvault reset-admin-password' to configure the admin password.
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3000 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3001 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | [17:30:55 INF] AliasVault.WorkerStatus.StatusWorker Waiting for all workers to start. {"Application": "AliasVault.TaskRunner"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:55 INF] AliasVault.WorkerStatus.StatusWorker Waiting for all workers to start. {"Application": "AliasVault.SmtpService"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:56 INF] AliasVault.SmtpService.Workers.SmtpServerWorker AliasVault.SmtpService started at: 09/04/2026 17:30:56 +02:00 {"Application": "AliasVault.SmtpService"}
aliasvault  | [17:30:56 INF] AliasVault.TaskRunner.Workers.TaskRunnerWorker AliasVault.TaskRunner started at: 09/04/2026 17:30:56 +02:00 {"Application": "AliasVault.TaskRunner"}
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3000 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3001 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 3002 port [tcp/*] succeeded!
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 80 port [tcp/http] succeeded!
aliasvault  | Connection to 127.0.0.1 443 port [tcp/https] succeeded!
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | =========================================
aliasvault  | 🎉 AliasVault is now ready and accessible!
aliasvault  | =========================================
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | 🌐 Web Access:
aliasvault  |   • HTTP:  http://localhost:80
aliasvault  |   • HTTPS: https://localhost:443
aliasvault  |   • Admin: https://localhost:443/admin
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | 🔑 Admin Setup:
aliasvault  |   • Admin user is not configured by default
aliasvault  |   • To configure admin access:
aliasvault  |     1. $ docker exec -it aliasvault /bin/bash
aliasvault  |     2. $ aliasvault reset-admin-password
aliasvault  |     3. $ docker compose restart
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | 📧 Email Ports (if email server enabled):
aliasvault  |   • SMTP:     port 25
aliasvault  |   • SMTP TLS: port 587
aliasvault  | 
aliasvault  | [17:31:00 INF] AliasVault.WorkerStatus.StatusWorker All workers started. {"Application": "AliasVault.TaskRunner"}
aliasvault  | [17:31:00 INF] AliasVault.WorkerStatus.StatusWorker All workers started. {"Application": "AliasVault.SmtpService"}

Attempts to open the admin web page via http://192.168.2.211:1080/admin or https://192.168.2.211:1443/admin fail: ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

In NPMplus, I've created a Proxy Host for https://aliasvault.mydomain.tld with TLS certificate, pointing towards 192.168.2.11, but whichever port I point it to, it always ends up with a 502 Bad Gateway, which I reccon is consistent with the failures mentioned earlier.

As far as I can tell, there are no docker ports conflicts. The container would not have been allowed to start, if there were.

Any ideas as to why AliasVault is not responding to http://192.168.2.211:1080/admin as it is supposed to?

[lanedirt]

Hi @Stephan-P,

The docker-compose.yml structure looks fine, and the fact that the container logs report everything as healthy is also a good sign.

One thing I noticed: in your description you mention both 192.168.2.211 and 192.168.2.11. Is that just a typo?

For further troubleshooting, you could try logging into the AliasVault container itself and running a curl against localhost:80 and localhost:443. This should confirm whether nginx is actually responding from inside the container.

If the curl works internally, but 192.168.2.211:1080 / :1443 still gives connection refused, then the issue is likely with Docker/OMV port forwarding rather than AliasVault itself.

[Stephan-P]

Yep, the missing 2 is a typo.

How do I "log into the AliasVault container and run a curl"?
I think I understand what you're trying to achieve with it, but I'll need some guidance in order to understand what I am supposed to do.
I guess it'll start with opening an ssh terminal connection with my NAS, and then...?

And how could there be a docker/OMV port forwarding issue when there's plenty of docker containers running perfectly. I will try other, higher numbered ports tomorrow.

[lanedirt]

Hi @Stephan-P,

Yes, SSH into your NAS would be the starting point.

As this seems to be getting into Docker/OMV-specific troubleshooting rather than AliasVault itself, I’d recommend following Docker’s documentation for executing commands inside a running container:

Docker – Execute a command in a running container

It should look something like this:

docker exec -it [container-name] bash

For using curl to test if localhost:80 and localhost:443 are giving a response from inside the container, the official curl tutorial should help:

curl – Official Tutorial

Between those two guides, you should be able to run the connectivity tests from inside the AliasVault container.

Unfortunately, I’m not familiar enough with the specifics of OMV to provide detailed troubleshooting instructions for its Docker/networking setup, but hopefully this points you in the right direction.

[Stephan-P]

I've tried, but no sorry, this is beyond me.
I've asked the omv forum for their ideas.
This self-hosting thing: it's never straightforward, is it?

[Stephan-P]

One of the regular experts at the OMV forum remarked that AliasVault is claiming port 25, which is in use by the OMV system.
So, I decided to change all ports in the compose file, which did indeed remove the blockade.

services:
  aliasvault:
    image: ghcr.io/aliasvault/aliasvault:latest
    container_name: aliasvault
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - 1080:80
      - 1443:443
      - 1025:25
      - 1587:587
    volumes:
      - ./database:/database
      - ./logs:/logs
      - ./secrets:${SECRETS_PATH:-/secrets}
      - ./certificates:/certificates
    environment:
      - PUID=${{ uid:"appuser" }}  # omv user
      - PGID=${{ gid:"users" }}    # omv usergroup
      - TZ=${{ tz }}               # omv system time zone
      - FORCE_HTTPS_REDIRECT=false
      - PUBLIC_REGISTRATION_ENABLED=true
      - TRUSTED_PROXIES=
networks:
    default:
      name: aliasvault-net

I'm in the Admin page now.
But do I need to do something about these ports 1025 and 1587?