Ask HN: Letting users self-host your server software. Why is it so complicated?
How can this be?
In case you are tempted to suggest one of the following solutions, they are neither simple or easy (and would defeat many, if not most, users):
- providing docker images
- providing a list of command line instructions for installation
- using sandstorm or cloudron
Isn't it kind-of crazy that even web-friendly languages like Python and Ruby are anything but simple if you want to bundle and distribute your web app for easy server deployment?
I don't believe in conspiracies, but could it be that SaaS providers secretly prefer this situation? Why? Because anything to make the process of self-hosting an app as simple as a one-click WordPress install might tempt some customers down the self-install path.
Why aren't one-click installs the norm? Just think of the countless opportunities it would unlock for developers to reach more users or customers. But no-one seems to have any interest in solving this problem.
Agree or disagree?