AMP Manager For Users

Welcome! This guide walks you through AMP Manager from scratch. No prior experience with Docker or local servers needed.

What You'll Set Up

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

• A local development environment for building websites
• Automatic HTTPS/SSL for your sites
• A dashboard to manage multiple projects
• Encrypted storage for your credentials

Prerequisites

Before installing AMP Manager, ensure you have the following:

1. Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop runs the web servers required for your local development sites.

Installation Steps:

Download

1. Visit the official Docker Desktop for Windows
2. Click "Download for Windows"
3. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts.

First Launch:

• Docker will request administrator permissions (this is normal).
• Wait for the Docker whale icon in your system tray to display Running.
• Initial startup may take 2–4 minutes.

WSL2

If you receive a WSL2-related error, download and install the latest WSL2 update package from Microsoft, then restart Docker Desktop.

2. AMP Manager

Installation Steps:

Download

1. Download the latest release of AMP Manager
2. Extract the contents to a dedicated folder e.g. D:\amp-manager
3. Open a terminal in that directory and initialize the required containers:

   docker compose up -d

4. Launch the application by running amp-manager-win_x64.exe
5. Windows dialog ask for administrator permission — click Yes to continue.

Login

Warning: There is no "Forgot Password". Your data is encrypted, if you lose it, your data is gone forever.

Understanding the Dashboard

Top Section	What It Means
Docker Indicator	Green [Running] = containers active, Orange [Stopped] = containers stopped, Red [Off] = Docker service not running
New Domain	Opens a dialog to create a new domain
Search	Opens a search palette to filter projects by tags
Domains	Lists all local sites and projects managed by AMP Manager
Workflows	Shows the number of saved remote tasks
Certificates	SSL certificates issued by your Certificate Authority
Databases	Available MySQL/MariaDB databases for your projects
Notes	Stores plain-text and encrypted notes for your domains
Credentials	Encrypted login details for remote servers
Clear Cache & Logs	Removes cache and log files generated by the Angie web server

Your First Sync

When you first log in, AMP runs a "sync" to set up your environment.

What happens during sync:

Don't worry if it takes a few seconds - it's checking everything is working correctly.

Install Your Root CA

To enable HTTPS on your local projects without browser warnings, AMP Manager creates a local Certificate Authority (CA). You need to trust this CA once on your computer.

1. Go to the Certificates Page Click Certificates in the sidebar.
2. Generate the Root CA
   AMP Manager automatically creates the required files:

• A private key (rootCA-key.pem)
• A root certificate (rootCA.pem)

3. Trust the Certificate (Important)
   You must add rootCA.pem to your system's trust store.

• Windows:
  A dialog will appear. Click Install Certificate.
  It's automatically installed in Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
• Linux/macOS:
  Follow the on-screen prompts to add the certificate to your keychain.

4. Start Using HTTPS
   Once trusted, AMP Manager uses this CA to sign certificates for your local sites automatically.

Creating Your First Site

Let's create a local site called myproject.local.

Step 1: Go to Domains

Click Domains in the sidebar.

Step 2: Create New Domain

1. Click the button "Add Domain"
2. Enter: myproject
3. Click Create

Step 3: What AMP Manager Does

Behind the scenes, AMP Manager:

1. Creates folder: D:\amp-manager\www\myproject
2. Adds entry to Windows hosts file
3. Creates SSL certificate (HTTPS support)
4. Configures web server (Angie/nginx)

Example files for myproject.local :

Certificate: D:\amp-manager\config\certs
Configuration: D:\amp-manager\config\angie-sites

Step 4: Test It

1. Open your browser
2. Go to: https://myproject.local
3. You should see a welcome page (or blank if empty)

Note: The "s" in https is important! SSL is automatic.

Common Issues

System Checks

Docker Running: FAIL

Quick Fix: Right-click Docker -> Restart -> Wait 30s -> Refresh AMP Manager

"SSL: FAIL"

1. Go to Certificates
2. Verify Root CA is installed and SSL is valid
3. Restart Angie web server
4. Wait 10 seconds

Site Not Loading

1. Check the URL has https:// (not http://)
2. Try clicking Sync in the top bar
3. Check Docker is running (green on dashboard)
4. Restart Docker containers

Glossary (For Now)

Term	Simple Meaning
Domain	Your website's address (like myportfolio.local)
SSL/HTTPS	Secure connection (the lock icon)
Docker	Software that runs web servers in the background
Sync	AMP checking that everything is working
Container	A running web server (Angie, PHP, MariaDB)

What's Next?

Now that you have a site running:

Goal	Do This
Build a website	Add files to D:\amp-manager\www\myproject
Use a database	Go to Databases -> Add Database
Add notes	Go to Notes -> Add a note
Learn more	See for-developers.md

Need Help?

1. Visit How To
2. Check Troubleshooting
3. Look at Workflows for deployment guides