Installation

Docker Compose (recommended)

The easiest way to run BookBoss is with Docker Compose. Pre-built compose files are provided in the deploy/ directory for each supported database backend.

Quick Start

1. Create directories for your library and bookdrop:

   mkdir -p Library/Books Library/Bookdrop
   

2. Download the compose file for your preferred database:

   Backend	File	Notes
   PostgreSQL (recommended)	docker-compose-postgres.yaml	Best performance, recommended for production
   MySQL / MariaDB	docker-compose-mysql.yaml	Alternative relational backend
   SQLite	docker-compose-sqlite.yaml	Simplest setup, single container, no separate database

   # Example: PostgreSQL
   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/szinn/BookBoss/main/deploy/docker-compose-postgres.yaml
   

3. Edit the compose file and change BOOKBOSS__ENCRYPTION_SECRET to a random string. Update BOOKBOSS__FRONTEND__BASE_URL if you are accessing BookBoss from a different hostname or behind a reverse proxy.

4. Start BookBoss:

   docker compose -f docker-compose-postgres.yaml up -d
   

5. Open http://localhost:8080 and create your admin account.

What’s Next

• Getting Started — first-run admin setup and orientation
• Database Configuration — details on each database backend
• Configuration Reference — all available environment variables

Requirements

BookBoss needs:

• A supported database — SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MariaDB
• A filesystem directory for the book library (BOOKBOSS__LIBRARY__LIBRARY_PATH)
• A filesystem directory for the bookdrop inbox (BOOKBOSS__IMPORT__BOOKDROP_PATH)

Build from Source

See Development Setup for instructions on building and running BookBoss from source.