Quickstart

Run DBLoom on your computer in a few commands. Nothing is required to start it.

Start the stack


docker compose -f compose.yaml -f compose.local.yaml up --build

compose.local.yaml publishes the app on 127.0.0.1:3000 only. Nothing else on your network can reach it. You do not need a .env file to start.

Open DBLoom

Go to http://localhost:3000.

Use Chrome or Firefox for a local trial. Safari does not accept http://localhost for cookies.

Run the first-time setup

The first visit starts a setup wizard. It needs a setup token, which the container prints at start. Find the container name with docker ps, then print the token:


docker exec CONTAINER node .output/cli/dbloom.mjs setup-token

Replace CONTAINER with the name from docker ps. Paste the token into the wizard and choose how people sign in.

Mode	What it needs in `.env`
Account mode (DBLoom users, second factors)	`DBLOOM_PUBLIC_ORIGIN` and `DBLOOM_SECRET_KEY`
Direct mode (sign in with a database account)	`DBLOOM_DIRECT_FREE_FORM_ACK=true` or `DBLOOM_DIRECT_TARGETS`

For account mode on your computer:


cp .env.example .env


DBLOOM_PUBLIC_ORIGIN=http://localhost:3000
DBLOOM_SECRET_KEY=PASTE_A_KEY_HERE

Make the key with openssl rand -base64 32, and keep a copy outside the server. http is allowed for the origin only on a loopback host such as localhost.

DBLOOM_TRUST_PROXY is not needed: a local trial has no proxy. When you deploy behind one, it is optional and narrows which proxy addresses DBLoom trusts. See Security model.

Prefer a guided start

The Setup guide asks a few questions and creates the .env file for you, including a server key.

Next steps

Login modes: pick account mode or direct mode.
Storage: what lives in /data and what to back up.
Docker Compose deploy: run it behind a TLS proxy for real use.
Behind Cloudflare: https and real visitor addresses.