Your licence key
What the licence key is for, how to set it on each platform, how it is tied to one website, and what the site sends to the release server.
Community and Standard editions
What the free Community edition and the paid Standard edition of the self-hosted software each allow, and how your site knows which one it has.
How updates work
When a self-hosted site checks for new versions, what each update mode does, and where updated code is kept.
Update your site with one click
Check for a new version in the admin panel and install it with the Update now button, step by step.
Update by hand: Node and Cloudflare
Install a new version yourself on a Node server or a Cloudflare Worker, including a clean method that does not leave old files behind.
Update a Docker site
Update a Choir Master CMS container with the Update now button or with a new image, and why the data volume matters.
Beta versions and update channels
Choose whether your site is offered only finished releases or also versions still being tested, and what the Updates page shows for a beta.
When an update fails
How a downloaded update is verified, what the installer does step by step, every error message it can show, and how the site goes back by itself.
What to back up
The checklist of what a self-hosted site needs to be rebuilt, where each part lives for each way of running it, and how often to copy it.
Back up a single server
Copy the database and uploaded files of a site that runs on one server or one Docker container, with a script you can schedule.
Back up databases and object storage
Copy a PostgreSQL or MySQL database, an S3 or MinIO bucket pair, or a Cloudflare D1 database and R2 buckets, using each service's standard tools.
Restore a backup, or move to a new server
Put a backup back onto a fresh install, use the copy made before an update, and move a site to a new server.
Security
A checklist before going live, what the software already does to protect your site, what it leaves to you, and what leaves the server.
Logs and health checks
The health address for monitors, how to read the server log on each platform, what each log prefix means, and how to start, stop and restart the site.
Troubleshooting
Find the page that fixes what you are seeing, and where to get help if this guide does not.
The site will not start, or ignores my settings
Fixes for a server that will not start, settings that seem to have no effect, data in the wrong place, and a browser showing an old version.
Nobody can log in, or emails do not arrive
Fixes for logins that do not last, admin passwords that fail, login links and other emails that never arrive, and a bot check that refuses everyone.
Uploads fail, or updates misbehave
Fixes for files that will not upload, storage errors, a missing Update now button, lost updates and a footer link that will not switch off.
Command reference and what is where
Every command an operator can run from the download, with example output, how to run each on Node, Docker and Cloudflare, and where everything lives on disk.
Moving between a hosted site and your own server
What can and cannot be moved between the hosted service and a self-hosted site, and who to write to.