Database Configuration

BookBoss supports four database backends. Choose the one that fits your deployment:

SQLite

SQLite requires no separate server — the database is a single file on disk.

Set BOOKBOSS__DATABASE__DATABASE_URL to a file path:

sqlite:///path/to/bookboss.db

Or use a relative path:

sqlite://./bookboss.db

Tip: SQLite is the simplest option for personal use. No additional software required.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is recommended for multi-user or production deployments.

Prerequisites

A running PostgreSQL instance is required. You can run one with Docker:

docker run -d \
  --name bookboss-postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=bookboss \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=yourpassword \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=bookboss \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  postgres:16

Configuration

BOOKBOSS__DATABASE__DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:password@host:5432/database

MySQL / MariaDB

Prerequisites

A running MySQL or MariaDB instance is required. You can run one with Docker:

docker run -d \
  --name bookboss-mysql \
  -e MYSQL_USER=bookboss \
  -e MYSQL_PASSWORD=yourpassword \
  -e MYSQL_DATABASE=bookboss \
  -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpassword \
  -p 3306:3306 \
  mysql:8

Configuration

Both MySQL and MariaDB use the same connection string format:

BOOKBOSS__DATABASE__DATABASE_URL=mysql://user:password@host:3306/database

Migrations

BookBoss applies database migrations automatically on startup. No manual steps are required.