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Using Docker Compose

Docker is a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers, and Docker Compose is a tool for defining and managing multi-container Docker applications.

In this guide, you will learn how to set up GameVault using Docker and Docker Compose.

Prerequisites​

  • Docker Engine is installed on your system. (Docker Desktop should work too, but this guide is tailored for Docker Engine. Steps might look different on Desktop, but the gist is the same.)

Step 1: Creating a Docker Compose file​

Create a new file named docker-compose.yml in a directory of your choice and copy the following code:

services:
  gamevault-backend:
    image: phalcode/gamevault-backend:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      DB_HOST: db
      DB_USERNAME: gamevault
      DB_PASSWORD: YOURPASSWORDHERE
    volumes:
      # Mount the folder where your games are
      - /your/games/folder:/files
      # Mount the folder where GameVault should store its media
      - /your/media/folder:/media
    ports:
      - 8080:8080/tcp
  db:
    image: postgres:16
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: gamevault
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: YOURPASSWORDHERE
      POSTGRES_DB: gamevault
    volumes:
      # Mount the folder where your PostgreSQL database files should land
      - /your/database/folder:/var/lib/postgresql/data
note

Replace the variables (YOURPASSWORDHERE, etc.), as well as the folder paths with what suits you, of course. You can change the port on the left side of the colon aswell.

warning

Password (YOURPASSWORDHERE) can't be empty! else the database will not work. If you don't want a password, consider running without a PostgreSQL Database (Not recommended)

Tips for Running Docker on Windows​

The above docker-compose.yaml file might not work as expected with Docker for Windows. Here are some things to consider to make it compatible:

  • Use Forward Slashes in Paths: In your volumes, replace Windows-style backslashes (\) with forward slashes (/).

    volumes:
      # Path to your games folder
      - C:/Your/Games/Folder:/files

  • PostgreSQL Database Volume: For PostgreSQL, it’s often better to use a Docker volume instead of mounting a folder, due to compatibility issues of PostgreSQL with Windows Filesystems. To do this, leave out any volume definition in the database section of your YAML file. Read more here.

Alternative Step 1: Running without a PostgreSQL Database​

We don't recommend it, but you can run GameVault without a PostgreSQL Database too using the following configuration:

services:
  gamevault-backend:
    image: phalcode/gamevault-backend:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      DB_SYSTEM: "SQLITE"
    volumes:
      - /your/games/folder:/files
      - /your/media/folder:/media
      - /your/sqlite/database/folder:/db
    ports:
      - 8080:8080/tcp
note

Replace the variables (YOURPASSWORDHERE, etc.), as well as the folder paths with what suits you, of course. You can change the port on the left side of the colon aswell.

Step 2: Start the Service​

Open a terminal, navigate to the directory where the docker-compose.yml file is located, and run the following command:

docker compose up -d

This will start the GameVault server and PostgreSQL server in the background. The -d parameter detaches the process from the terminal.

Conclusion​

Congratulations! Your GameVault Server has been successfully set up using Docker and Docker Compose. You can now access it using your server's IP address followed by the designated port, such as http://192.168.0.15:8080 for example.

Click here to continue.

Additional Info​

Stopping the server​

Open a terminal, navigate to the directory where the docker-compose.yml file is located, and run the following command:

docker compose down

Reading the logs​

Open a terminal and run the following command:

docker logs gamevault-backend