Hosting on Linux

IronSecureDoc is a Docker container designed to give you powerful PDF manipulation behind a simple REST API, without the hassle and overhead of online SaaS services. This guide will walk you through the steps to host IronSecureDoc on your machine, including setting up environment variables and a basic example of using the REST API. For the full API, view our REST API Reference.
docker pull ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
docker pull ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
Prerequisites
desktop-linux
, on startup.This means images and containers deployed on the Linux Docker Engine (before installation) are not available in Docker Desktop for Linux.
Platforms
- Ubuntu (x86_64 / amd64) - link to download Docker Desktop
- Debian (x86_64 / amd64) - link to download Docker Desktop
- Fedora (x86_64 / amd64) - link to download Docker Desktop
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux (x86_64 / amd64) - link to download Docker Desktop
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Install Docker Desktop
If you haven't already installed Docker Desktop, follow these steps:
- Go to the Docker Desktop download page.
- Download the Docker Desktop installer for Linux.
- Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
- After installation, start Docker Desktop and make sure it's running.
2. Pull the "IronSecureDoc" Docker Image
Open a command prompt and pull the latest IronSecureDoc image from Docker Hub:
docker pull ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
docker pull ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
3. Run the Container Without Certificate
Run the Docker container with the necessary environment variables:

docker container run --rm -p 8080:8080 -e IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey=<IRONSECUREDOC_LICENSE_KEY> -e ENVIRONMENT=Development -e HTTP_PORTS=8080 ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
docker container run --rm -p 8080:8080 -e IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey=<IRONSECUREDOC_LICENSE_KEY> -e ENVIRONMENT=Development -e HTTP_PORTS=8080 ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
Apply a Trial or License Key to Remove Watermarks
<IRONSECUREDOC_LICENSE_KEY>
with your actual IronSecureDoc license key. Otherwise, a watermark will be applied on Enterprise Features.
4. Access the Container
Once the container is running, you can access IronSecureDoc by opening a web browser and navigating to:
http://localhost:8080/swagger/index.html

You should see the IronSecureDoc interface, indicating that your container is running successfully.
5. Run the IronSecureDoc Container With Certificate
If you need to run the container with a certificate, follow these steps to generate the certificate and configure the local machine:
Generate Certificate:
dotnet dev-certs https -ep $HOME/.aspnet/https/ironsecuredoc.pfx -p <CREDENTIAL_PLACEHOLDER> dotnet dev-certs https --trust
dotnet dev-certs https -ep $HOME/.aspnet/https/ironsecuredoc.pfx -p <CREDENTIAL_PLACEHOLDER> dotnet dev-certs https --trust
SHELLReplace
<CREDENTIAL_PLACEHOLDER>
with a password.Run the Docker Container:
docker container run -d -p 8081:8081 -p 8080:8080 \ -e HTTP_PORTS=8080 -e HTTPS_PORTS=8081 \ -e IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey=<IRONSECUREDOC_LICENSE_KEY> \ -e ENVIRONMENT=Production \ -v $HOME/.aspnet/https:/https:ro \ -e CERTIFICATE_PATH=$HOME/.aspnet/https/ironsecuredoc.pfx \ -e CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD=<CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD> \ ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
docker container run -d -p 8081:8081 -p 8080:8080 \ -e HTTP_PORTS=8080 -e HTTPS_PORTS=8081 \ -e IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey=<IRONSECUREDOC_LICENSE_KEY> \ -e ENVIRONMENT=Production \ -v $HOME/.aspnet/https:/https:ro \ -e CERTIFICATE_PATH=$HOME/.aspnet/https/ironsecuredoc.pfx \ -e CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD=<CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD> \ ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
SHELLReplace
<IRONSECUREDOC_LICENSE_KEY>
and<CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD>
with your actual IronSecureDoc license key and certificate password, respectively.
6. Managing the Container
You can manage your running container using Docker commands. Here are a few useful commands:
Stop the container:
docker stop <container_id>
docker stop <container_id>
SHELLStart the container:
docker start <container_id>
docker start <container_id>
SHELLRemove the container:
docker rm -f <container_id>
docker rm -f <container_id>
SHELL
Replace <container_id>
with the actual container ID or name.
Environment Variables
The container can be configured using the following environment variables:
PDF_MAX_SIZE_MB
(Default: 30): Sets the maximum allowed file size for PDF uploads in Megabytes.REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
(Default: 5): Sets the timeout duration in seconds for API requests. A value of -1 allows requests to run indefinitely.ALLOWED_ORIGINS
: Configures Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) by specifying allowed origin URLs. Separate multiple URLs with commas. Use * or "all" to allow requests from any origin.HTTP_PORTS
: Defines the HTTP ports the container exposes. This should match the port mapping using the-p
flag (e.g., 8080). Separate multiple ports with a semicolon (;).HTTPS_PORTS
: Defines the HTTPS ports the container exposes. This should match the port mapping using the-p
flag (e.g., 8081). Separate multiple ports with a semicolon (;).IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey
(Required): Sets the IronSecureDoc license key. Important: Do not share this value publicly.
Basic Example: Redact Text in a Document
For the full list of API endpoints, refer to the full REST API Reference.
Redact Text
curl -X POST 'http://localhost:8080/v1/document-services/pdfs/redact-text' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
-F 'pdf_file=@/path/to/your/document.pdf;type=application/pdf' \
-F 'words_to_redact="sensitiveWord"' \
-F 'draw_black_box=true' \
-F 'match_whole_word=true' \
-F 'match_case=true'
curl -X POST 'http://localhost:8080/v1/document-services/pdfs/redact-text' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
-F 'pdf_file=@/path/to/your/document.pdf;type=application/pdf' \
-F 'words_to_redact="sensitiveWord"' \
-F 'draw_black_box=true' \
-F 'match_whole_word=true' \
-F 'match_case=true'
Replace /path/to/your/document.pdf
with the actual path to the document you want to redact and sensitiveWord
with the word you want to redact.
Redact Regular Expression
curl -X POST 'http://localhost:8080/v1/document-services/pdfs/redact-regular-expression' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
-F 'pdf_file=@/path/to/your/document.pdf;type=application/pdf' \
-F 'regular_expression="[0-9]"' \
-F 'draw_black_box=true'
curl -X POST 'http://localhost:8080/v1/document-services/pdfs/redact-regular-expression' \
-H 'accept: */*' \
-H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
-F 'pdf_file=@/path/to/your/document.pdf;type=application/pdf' \
-F 'regular_expression="[0-9]"' \
-F 'draw_black_box=true'
Replace /path/to/your/document.pdf
with the actual path to the document you want to redact and [0-9]
with the regular expression you want to match and redact.
Conclusion
You have successfully hosted IronSecureDoc on your machine and configured it with necessary environment variables. You also learned how to interact with the IronSecureDoc REST API using cURL for both basic and advanced operations. For further configuration and usage details, refer to the full REST API Reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IronSecureDoc and how does it work?
IronSecureDoc is a Docker container offering powerful PDF manipulation through a REST API, enabling offline document security without relying on SaaS services.
What are the requirements for setting up IronSecureDoc on a Linux server?
To set up IronSecureDoc on a Linux server, ensure Docker Desktop is installed on your Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
How can I download the IronSecureDoc Docker image?
Download the IronSecureDoc Docker image by executing the command: docker pull ironsoftwareofficial/ironsecuredoc:latest
in your terminal.
Is it possible to run the IronSecureDoc container without an SSL certificate?
Yes, you can run the container without an SSL certificate by using the command: docker container run --rm -p 8080:8080 -e IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey=
.
How can I access the IronSecureDoc interface on my browser?
After starting the container, access the IronSecureDoc interface by visiting http://localhost:8080/swagger/index.html
in your web browser.
How do I generate and trust an SSL certificate for IronSecureDoc?
Generate an SSL certificate by using: dotnet dev-certs https -ep $HOME/.aspnet/https/ironsecuredoc.pfx -p
and trust it with: dotnet dev-certs https --trust
.
What environment variables are available for configuration in IronSecureDoc?
Configurable environment variables in IronSecureDoc include PDF_MAX_SIZE_MB
, REQUEST_TIMEOUT_SECONDS
, ALLOWED_ORIGINS
, HTTP_PORTS
, HTTPS_PORTS
, and IronSecureDoc_LicenseKey
.
How can I redact text in a PDF using IronSecureDoc?
Redact text in a PDF by using a cURL command: curl -X POST 'http://localhost:8080/v1/document-services/pdfs/redact-text'
with the required form data.
What command should I use to stop a running IronSecureDoc Docker container?
Stop a running Docker container using the command: docker stop
.
Where can I find a comprehensive list of API endpoints for IronSecureDoc?
The complete list of API endpoints is available in the REST API Reference on the IronSecureDoc website.