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This guide covers installing SnailyCAD using Docker and Docker Compose. This is the recommended installation method for production deployments.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:
  • Docker (version 20.10 or higher)
  • Docker Compose (version 2.0 or higher)
  • Git
  • At least 4GB of RAM
  • At least 10GB of free disk space

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Installation

1

Clone the repository

Clone the SnailyCAD repository to your server:
git clone https://github.com/SnailyCAD/snaily-cadv4.git
cd snaily-cadv4
2

Configure environment variables

Copy the example environment file and configure it:
cp .env.example .env
Edit the .env file and configure the following required variables:
# Database credentials
POSTGRES_PASSWORD="your-secure-password"
POSTGRES_USER="postgres"
POSTGRES_DB="snaily-cad-v4"

# Database connection (use 'postgres' for Docker)
DB_HOST="postgres"
DB_PORT="5432"

# Security tokens
JWT_SECRET="your-random-jwt-secret"
ENCRYPTION_TOKEN="your-32-character-encryption-token"

# URLs (update with your domain or IP)
CORS_ORIGIN_URL="http://your-domain.com:3000"
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLIENT_URL="http://your-domain.com:3000"
NEXT_PUBLIC_PROD_ORIGIN="http://your-domain.com:8080/v1"

# Ports
PORT_API=8080
PORT_CLIENT=3000

# Environment
NODE_ENV="production"
Generate a secure 32-character encryption token at CodeBeautify Random String Generator.
3

Create Docker network

Create the external Docker network required by the compose file:
docker network create cad_web
4

Build and start containers

Use the production Docker Compose file to build and start all services:
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml up -d --build
This will:
  • Build the API and Client Docker images
  • Start the PostgreSQL database
  • Start the API server on port 8080
  • Start the Client server on port 3000
The initial build may take 10-20 minutes depending on your server’s resources.
5

Verify installation

Check that all containers are running:
docker ps
You should see three containers:
  • snaily-cad-postgres
  • snaily-cad-api
  • snaily-cad-client
View logs to ensure everything started correctly:
# View all logs
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml logs

# View specific service logs
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml logs client
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml logs api
6

Access SnailyCAD

Open your browser and navigate to:
  • Client: http://your-server-ip:3000
  • API: http://your-server-ip:8080/v1
Complete the initial setup wizard to create your admin account.

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Docker Compose Configuration

The production.docker-compose.yml file defines three services: 
services:
  postgres:
    container_name: "snaily-cad-postgres"
    image: postgres:latest
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PORT: ${DB_PORT}
      POSTGRES_USER: ${POSTGRES_USER}
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
      POSTGRES_DB: ${POSTGRES_DB}
    ports:
      - "${DB_PORT}:5432"
    networks:
      - cad_web
    volumes:
      - ./.data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

  api:
    container_name: "snaily-cad-api"
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: ./Dockerfile
      target: api
    ports:
      - "${PORT_API}:${PORT_API}"
    depends_on:
      - postgres
    networks:
      - cad_web
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - ./apps/api/public:/snailycad/apps/api/public

  client:
    container_name: "snaily-cad-client"
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: ./Dockerfile
      target: client
    ports:
      - "${PORT_CLIENT}:${PORT_CLIENT}"
    depends_on:
      - postgres
    networks:
      - cad_web
    restart: always

networks:
  cad_web:
    external: true

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Managing Your Installation

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Updating SnailyCAD

To update to the latest version: 
cd snaily-cadv4
git pull
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml up -d --build

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Stopping Services

docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml down

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Restarting Services

docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml restart

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Viewing Logs

# All services
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml logs -f

# Specific service
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml logs -f client

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Database Backup

Backup your PostgreSQL database: 
docker exec snaily-cad-postgres pg_dump -U postgres snaily-cad-v4 > backup.sql
Restore from backup: 
docker exec -i snaily-cad-postgres psql -U postgres snaily-cad-v4 < backup.sql

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Troubleshooting

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Containers Won’t Start

Check the logs for error messages: 
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml logs

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Port Already in Use

If ports 3000 or 8080 are already in use, change them in your .env file: 
PORT_API=8081
PORT_CLIENT=3001
Then rebuild: 
docker compose -f production.docker-compose.yml up -d --build

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Database Connection Issues

Ensure DB_HOST is set to postgres (the Docker service name) in your .env file: 
DB_HOST="postgres"

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Out of Memory

Increase Docker’s memory limit in Docker Desktop settings or your Docker daemon configuration.

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Next Steps

Reverse Proxy Setup

Configure nginx or Caddy for SSL and domain routing

Environment Variables

Complete environment variable reference

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