2. The n8n card¶

One n8n process, two auth modes, written as a card that starts from n8n's own Compose file.

2.0 Why¶

n8n on Edgible publishes one process on port 5678 twice: the editor with org, and a webhook hostname with None. Tear down n8n deleted those hostnames and stopped the container. This chapter takes that pattern from cards and publishes the two apps again.

The card starts from the Compose file n8n publishes. The files and the edits are on the n8n card. Both apps are place workhorse. This chapter maps that place to minipc.

The n8n card lists two apps in one place, and no hostnames. Place workhorse is one serving device: n8n is n8n editor on port 5678, org login. n8n-hooks is n8n webhooks, same process as n8n on port 5678, open to anyone. The card names no device and no organization.

Where you run this: the Ubuntu guest. The n8n hostnames are gone. The n8n card fetches the Compose file.

2.1 The job¶

You fetch the n8n card, follow its README, generate ~/n8n.stack.yml from the card, and deploy it.

Done when

~/n8n-card.yml lists n8n on port 5678 with org, and n8n-hooks on port 5678 with none.
Both name docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n. n8n also names postgres:18.
The card has no deviceName, no <org>.edgible.com hostname, and no organization id.
Both applications name the same GitHub Compose URL, the same .env and init-data.sh URLs, and the same changes.
Both have place: workhorse.
ss shows 127.0.0.1:5678, and nothing is listening on 5432.
edgible stack validate -f ~/n8n.stack.yml reports 2 applications: n8n, n8n-hooks.
edgible app list shows n8n with org and n8n-hooks with None.

Need first: Tear down n8n, including the serving agent still installed. One published app stays, such as hello-world, so the n8n card can read your org label. That page fetches the Compose file, so ~/n8n does not have to already be the gold file.

Not this chapter: a second copy of the card, a cron workflow, or a webhook workflow. The file is cards/n8n/card.yml. card-to-stack.py writes the stack file from that card. The timezone in n8n on the VM stays off the card.

2.2 Fetch the n8n card¶

The field meanings are the same as The website card. The files and the edits are on the n8n card. If a setup you already run uses a different file, edit the card in cards.

On the guest:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Edgible/cards/main/cards/n8n/card.yml -o ~/n8n-card.yml

n8n-hooks is not a second program. It is the webhook hostname on the same process as n8n, the split from Public webhook hostname. none in the file is the auth mode None. org is the auth mode org.

from is the image name. place is workhorse on both apps because they are one process, so they stay on one serving device. Workflows in an older n8n_data volume stay on disk. This card uses the volume n8n_storage.

2.3 Start the container¶

The Compose file and the edits are on the n8n card. Follow that page. It fetches the files and runs tailor.sh. An existing ~/n8n/docker-compose.yml from n8n on the VM is replaced.

Start it:

docker compose -f ~/n8n/docker-compose.yml up -d
docker compose -f ~/n8n/docker-compose.yml ps
ss -ltnp | grep 5678
ss -ltnp | grep 5432
curl -sS -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}\n" http://127.0.0.1:5678/

127.0.0.1:5678 is listening. 5432 is not. curl prints 200 or a 3xx. The Compose process list shows n8n, postgres, and n8n-runner.

2.4 Generate the stack file and deploy it¶

The port from 2.3 is listening. edgible stack deploy reads a stack file, and each app in it is pre-existing, so deploy publishes that port twice. card-to-stack.py writes that file from the card. It reads ~/n8n-card.yml, takes the organization id from edgible config get organizationId, and writes one Application document per app. --device minipc places both on the serving device from Start here. Auth mode org in the card is written edgible-login in the stack file.

On the guest:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Edgible/cards/main/tools/card-to-stack.py -o ~/card-to-stack.py
python3 ~/card-to-stack.py ~/n8n-card.yml --device minipc > ~/n8n.stack.yml
edgible stack validate -f ~/n8n.stack.yml
edgible stack deploy -f ~/n8n.stack.yml
edgible app list

The report says 2 applications, n8n and n8n-hooks, each pre-existing. edgible app list shows n8n with org and n8n-hooks with None, both on port 5678.

Verify¶

grep -nE 'name: (n8n|n8n-hooks)|port:|authModes:' ~/n8n-card.yml shows the two apps, port 5678 twice, and auth modes org and none.
grep -nE 'from:|database:' ~/n8n-card.yml shows docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n twice and postgres:18 once.
grep -nE 'deviceName|organization' ~/n8n-card.yml prints nothing.
grep -n 'edgible.com' ~/n8n-card.yml prints nothing.
grep -n 'compose:' ~/n8n-card.yml shows https://raw.githubusercontent.com/n8n-io/n8n-hosting/main/docker-compose/withPostgres/docker-compose.yml under both apps.
grep -n 'place:' ~/n8n-card.yml shows workhorse for both.
ss -ltnp | grep 5678 shows 127.0.0.1:5678. ss -ltnp | grep 5432 prints nothing.
edgible stack validate -f ~/n8n.stack.yml reports 2 applications: n8n, n8n-hooks.
edgible app list shows n8n with org and n8n-hooks with None.

Next¶

Self Hosting is Social. The website card is The website card.

Last updated 6 October 2026