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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ZhFahim/anchor/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Anchor releases updates regularly with new features, improvements, and security fixes. This guide covers how to safely update your self-hosted instance.

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Update Process

The update process varies slightly depending on whether you’re using the pre-built image or building from source.

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Pre-built Image

For deployments using ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:latest:
1

Backup your data

Always backup before updating:
# Create backup directory
mkdir -p ~/anchor-backups

# Stop Anchor (optional, for consistent backup)
docker compose down

# Backup data volume
docker run --rm \
  -v anchor_data:/data \
  -v ~/anchor-backups:/backup \
  alpine tar czf /backup/anchor-data-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).tar.gz -C /data .
The /data volume contains your JWT secret. Always include it in backups.
2

Pull the latest image

Download the newest version:
docker compose pull anchor
This pulls the :latest tag or whatever tag you specified in your docker-compose.yml.
3

Stop the current container

docker compose down
Your data persists in the volume and won’t be deleted.
4

Start the updated container

docker compose up -d
The container will:
  1. Start with the new image
  2. Connect to the database (embedded or external)
  3. Automatically run any pending migrations
  4. Start the API and web services
5

Verify the update

Check logs to ensure successful startup:
docker compose logs -f anchor
Look for:
  • [anchor] Postgres ready
  • [anchor] Running migrations...
  • No error messages
  • Health check passing
# Check container health
docker ps
# Should show "healthy" status

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Building from Source

For deployments building from the repository:
1

Backup your data

Same as pre-built image (see above).
2

Pull latest source code

cd anchor
git pull origin main
Check for breaking changes:
git log --oneline -10
3

Rebuild and restart

docker compose down
docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d
The --no-cache flag ensures a clean build with all updates.
4

Verify the update

docker compose logs -f anchor

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Version Pinning

For production, consider pinning to specific versions instead of using :latest:
docker-compose.yml
services:
  anchor:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:v1.2.3  # Pin to specific version
    # or
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:1.2     # Pin to minor version

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Finding Available Versions

# Visit the releases page
open https://github.com/zhfahim/anchor/releases

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Updating from Pinned Version

1

Update version in docker-compose.yml

docker-compose.yml
services:
  anchor:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:v1.3.0  # Update version
2

Apply update

docker compose pull anchor
docker compose up -d

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Database Migrations

Anchor automatically runs database migrations on startup using Prisma Migrate.

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How Migrations Work

  1. Container starts
  2. Entrypoint script connects to database
  3. Runs: prisma migrate deploy
  4. Applies any pending migrations
  5. Starts application services
From docker-entrypoint.sh: 
echo "[anchor] Running migrations..."
cd /app/server
./node_modules/.bin/prisma migrate deploy

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Manual Migration

If you need to run migrations manually: 
# Check migration status
docker exec anchor sh -c "cd /app/server && npx prisma migrate status"

# Apply pending migrations
docker exec anchor sh -c "cd /app/server && npx prisma migrate deploy"

# View migration history
docker exec anchor sh -c "cd /app/server && ls prisma/migrations"

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Rolling Back Migrations

Prisma Migrate doesn’t support automatic rollbacks. To revert:
1

Stop Anchor

docker compose down
2

Restore database backup

docker compose up -d
docker exec -i anchor pg_restore -U anchor -d anchor -h 127.0.0.1 -c \
  < ~/anchor-backups/anchor-db-20240115.dump
docker compose down
3

Revert to previous image

docker-compose.yml
services:
  anchor:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:v1.2.0  # Previous version

docker compose pull anchor
docker compose up -d
Always test updates in a staging environment before applying to production.

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Update Checklist

Before updating:
  • Backup /data volume
  • Backup database (pg_dump)
  • Review release notes for breaking changes
  • Note current version (check logs or container tag)
  • Test in staging environment (if available)
  • Schedule maintenance window (if needed)
  • Verify sufficient disk space
After updating:
  • Check logs for errors
  • Verify health check passes
  • Test login and core functionality
  • Verify sync works (create/edit note)
  • Check admin panel (if applicable)
  • Monitor for 24-48 hours

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Automated Updates

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Using Watchtower

Automatically update containers when new images are available:
docker-compose.yml
services:
  anchor:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:latest
    # ... anchor config ...

  watchtower:
    image: containrrr/watchtower
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    environment:
      - WATCHTOWER_CLEANUP=true
      - WATCHTOWER_POLL_INTERVAL=86400  # Check daily
      - WATCHTOWER_INCLUDE_STOPPED=false
    command: anchor  # Only watch anchor container
Automatic updates can cause unexpected downtime. Only use in non-critical environments or with extensive monitoring.

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Using Renovate

Automatically create PRs for version updates in your infrastructure repo:
renovate.json
{
  "extends": ["config:base"],
  "docker": {
    "enabled": true
  },
  "packageRules": [
    {
      "matchPackageNames": ["ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor"],
      "schedule": ["before 3am on Monday"]
    }
  ]
}

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Zero-Downtime Updates

For high-availability deployments:
1

Use external database

Required for multi-instance deployments:
docker-compose.yml
environment:
  - PG_HOST=postgres.example.com
2

Run multiple Anchor instances

Behind a load balancer:
docker-compose.yml
services:
  anchor-1:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:latest
    environment:
      - PG_HOST=postgres

  anchor-2:
    image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:latest
    environment:
      - PG_HOST=postgres

  nginx:
    image: nginx:alpine
    # Load balancer config
3

Rolling update

Update instances one at a time:
# Update instance 1
docker compose stop anchor-1
docker compose pull anchor-1
docker compose up -d anchor-1

# Wait for health check
sleep 30

# Update instance 2
docker compose stop anchor-2
docker compose pull anchor-2
docker compose up -d anchor-2

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Troubleshooting Updates

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Update fails to start

# View detailed logs
docker compose logs anchor

# Check migration errors
docker compose logs anchor | grep -i migration

# Verify database connection
docker exec anchor pg_isready -h 127.0.0.1 -p 5432 -U anchor

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Data loss concerns

# Verify volume still exists
docker volume ls | grep anchor

# Inspect volume contents
docker run --rm -v anchor_data:/data alpine ls -la /data

# Check JWT secret persisted
docker run --rm -v anchor_data:/data alpine cat /data/.jwt_secret

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Reverting to previous version

# Stop current version
docker compose down

# Edit docker-compose.yml to use old version
# image: ghcr.io/zhfahim/anchor:v1.2.0

# Start old version
docker compose pull anchor
docker compose up -d

# Restore database if needed (see Rolling Back Migrations)

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Migration stuck or failing

# Check migration status
docker exec anchor sh -c "cd /app/server && npx prisma migrate status"

# Mark migration as applied (use with caution)
docker exec anchor sh -c "cd /app/server && npx prisma migrate resolve --applied 20240115120000_migration_name"

# Reset and reapply (destructive!)
# Only for development/testing
docker exec anchor sh -c "cd /app/server && npx prisma migrate reset"

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Release Notes

Always review release notes before updating:

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Next Steps

Configuration

Review configuration options

Database Options

Learn about database management

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