updated docs

docs/run-an-instance.md

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# how to host a cobalt instance yourself
+## using docker compose and package from github (recommended)
+to run the cobalt docker package, you need to have `docker` and `docker-compose` installed and configured.
+
+if you need help with installing docker, follow *only the first step* of these tutorials by digitalocean:
+- [how to install docker](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorial-collections/how-to-install-and-use-docker)
+- [how to install docker compose](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorial-collections/how-to-install-docker-compose)
+
+## how to run a cobalt docker package: 
+1. create a folder for cobalt config file, something like this:  
+    ```sh
+    mkdir cobalt
+    ```  
+
+2. go to cobalt folder, and create a docker compose config file:  
+    ```sh
+    cd cobalt && nano docker-compose.yml
+    ```  
+    i'm using `nano` in this example, it may not be available in your distro. you can use any other text editor.  
+
+3. copy and paste the [sample config from here](https://github.com/wukko/cobalt/blob/current/docs/examples/docker-compose.example.json) for either web or api instance (or both, if you wish) and edit it to your needs.  
+    make sure to replace default URLs with yours or cobalt won't work correctly.  
+
+if you want your instance to support services that require authentication to view public content, create `cookies.json` file in the same directory as `docker-compose.yml`. example file for cookies file [can be found here](https://github.com/wukko/cobalt/blob/current/docs/examples/cookies.example.json).
+
+cobalt package will automatically update itself thanks to watchtower.
+
+it's highly recommended to use a reverse proxy (such as nginx) if you want your instance to face the public internet. look up tutorials for that online.
+
+## using regular node.js (useful for local development)
+setup script installs all needed `npm` dependencies, but you have to install `node.js` *(version 18 or above)* and `git` yourself.
+
+1. clone the repo: `git clone https://github.com/wukko/cobalt`.
+2. run setup script and follow instructions: `npm run setup`. you need to host api and web instances separately, so pick whichever applies.
+3. run cobalt via `npm start`.
+4. done.
+
+### ubuntu 22.04 workaround
+`nscd` needs to be installed and running so that the `ffmpeg-static` binary can resolve DNS ([#101](https://github.com/wukko/cobalt/issues/101#issuecomment-1494822258)):
+
+```bash
+sudo apt install nscd
+sudo service nscd start
+```