Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about Siovos Desktop
General#
What is Siovos Desktop?#
Siovos Desktop is a desktop application that automates infrastructure deployment on your own servers. VPN, SSL certificates, private DNS, Kubernetes, Docker registry, CI/CD - everything is configured automatically through a guided wizard.
What systems are supported?#
Siovos Desktop runs on:
- macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
- Windows 10 or later
- Linux (distributions with AppImage support)
Target servers must run Debian 13.
Do I need DevOps experience?#
No. The wizard guides you through each step. Basic familiarity with servers and SSH is helpful, but no Kubernetes expertise is required.
Is my data secure?#
Yes:
- All infrastructure is deployed to your own servers
- SSH keys and credentials are stored encrypted on your local machine
- No infrastructure data passes through Siovos servers
- Only license validation requires internet connectivity
Licensing#
What are the differences between plans?#
See our pricing page for the full comparison. In summary:
| Free | Solo | Team | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes + Firewall | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VPN, DNS, SSL, PostgreSQL | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Harbor, Rancher, Monitoring, CI/CD | - | - | Yes | Yes |
| Application catalogue | - | - | - | Yes |
Can I change my plan?#
Yes. You can upgrade anytime through your customer portal. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period.
Can I use Siovos Desktop offline?#
Mostly. License validation requires occasional internet connectivity, but deployments themselves run directly via SSH without going through our servers.
What happens if my subscription expires?#
- Existing deployments continue running (they're on your servers)
- You can still access deployed services via VPN
- You can no longer deploy new infrastructure
- Siovos Desktop will show a renewal reminder
Do you offer refunds?#
If you encounter technical issues we can't resolve, or haven't activated your license yet, create a ticket in your customer portal within 14 days.
Deployment#
What server specifications do I need?#
The minimum depends on the chosen profile. See the Deployment Profiles page for details.
As a rule of thumb:
- Free: 1 GB RAM, 5 GB disk
- Light profile: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk
- Full profile: 4-8 GB RAM, 40 GB disk
The server must run Debian 13 with root SSH access via key.
How long does a deployment take?#
Between 10 and 30 minutes depending on the profile and server speed. First deployments may take longer as packages and images are downloaded.
Can I choose which services to deploy?#
Yes. Siovos Desktop offers pre-configured profiles for common use cases. You can also customize the passwords for each service before deployment.
What if deployment fails?#
- Check the error logs in Siovos Desktop
- See the Troubleshooting guide
- Fix the underlying issue (network, resources, etc.)
- Retry the deployment
- If still stuck, export logs from the Help menu and contact support
VPN & Access#
Why do I need a VPN?#
For security. Your services (Rancher, Harbor, Grafana, etc.) are not exposed to the internet. They're only accessible through an encrypted VPN tunnel, protecting them from unauthorized access.
Can I access services without the VPN?#
Not by default. The VPN ensures only authorized users access your services. If you need public access for certain applications, you can configure it through your CI/CD pipeline.
Can I share VPN access with my team?#
Yes, you can export the VPN configuration from Siovos Desktop and share it with team members.
What if I lose my VPN configuration?#
The VPN configuration is saved in Siovos Desktop. If you lose it, re-run the deployment - it will detect existing infrastructure and regenerate the configuration without affecting your services.
Certificates#
Why do I need to install a certificate?#
Your services use SSL certificates issued by a private certificate authority on your server. Since it's not a public authority (like Let's Encrypt), your computer doesn't trust it by default. Installing the root certificate tells your system to trust certificates from your infrastructure.
Why isn't installation automatic on macOS?#
Apple's security model requires explicit consent for trusting new certificate authorities. This is a security measure to protect users.
To install the certificate: click "Install SSL Certificate" in Siovos Desktop, then approve the profile in System Settings → General → Device Management. See the installation guide for details.
The certificate is installed but my browser shows warnings#
- Completely quit your browser (all windows)
- Clear the SSL cache
- Try in private browsing
- As a last resort, restart your computer
Services#
Can I deploy my own applications?#
Yes. Once the infrastructure is deployed, you can deploy any containerized application. With Team or Business plans, the CI/CD pipeline automates builds and deployments from GitHub.
Can I add more services later?#
Yes. From the application catalogue in Siovos Desktop, you can deploy additional services on an existing infrastructure.
How do I monitor my infrastructure?#
Team and Business plans include Grafana and Prometheus. Access Grafana at https://grafana.{your-suffix} to view cluster health dashboards, node and pod metrics. See Monitoring for details.
Billing#
How does billing work?#
All plans are annual subscriptions, managed through Stripe. Renewal is automatic unless you cancel.
Can I cancel anytime?#
Yes. You'll retain access until the end of your current billing period.
Do you store my credit card information?#
No. All payment processing is handled by Stripe. We never see or store your card details.
Still have questions?#
- Check the Getting Started guide
- Browse the Troubleshooting page
- Create a ticket in your customer portal