Quick Start (Docker)

Hey there! Welcome to the fastest way to launch Palmr., your very own secure file sharing solution. Whether you're a first-timer to self-hosting or a tech wizard, we've made this process incredibly straightforward. In just a few minutes, you'll have a sleek, user-friendly file sharing platform running on your server or VPS.

This guide is all about speed and simplicity, using our built-in file storage system ideal for most users. While Palmr. supports advanced setups like manual installation or Amazon S3-compatible external storage, we're focusing on the easiest path with Docker Compose. Curious about other options? Check out the dedicated sections in our docs for those advanced configurations.

Let's dive in and get Palmr. up and running!

What you'll need

To get started, you only need two tools installed on your system. Don't worry, they're easy to set up:

• Docker (https://docs.docker.com) - This will run Palmr. in a container.
• Docker Compose (https://docs.docker.com/compose) - This helps manage the setup with a simple configuration file.

Note: Palmr. was developed on MacOS and thoroughly tested on Linux servers, ensuring top-notch performance on these platforms. We haven't tested on Windows or other environments yet, so there might be some hiccups. Since we're still in beta, bugs can pop up anywhere. If you spot an issue, we'd love your help please report it on our GitHub issues page.

Setting up with Docker Compose

Docker Compose is the simplest way to deploy Palmr. across different environments. Once you've got Docker and Docker Compose installed, you're ready to roll with our streamlined setup.

In the root folder of the Palmr. project, you'll find a few compose files. For this guide, we're using docker-compose.yaml the only file you need to run Palmr. with file system storage. No need to build anything yourself; our pre-built images are hosted on DockerHub and referenced in this file.

You can tweak settings directly in docker-compose.yaml or use environment variables (more on that later). Let's take a closer look at what's inside this file.

Exploring the docker-compose.yaml file

Here's the full content of our docker-compose.yaml. Feel free to copy it from here or grab it from our official repository (Docker Compose).

services:
  palmr:
    image: kyantech/palmr:latest
    container_name: palmr
    environment:
      - ENABLE_S3=false
      - ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-this-key-in-production-min-32-chars # CHANGE THIS KEY FOR SECURITY
    ports:
      - "5487:5487" # Web port
      - "3333:3333" # API port (OPTIONAL EXPOSED - ONLY IF YOU WANT TO ACCESS THE API DIRECTLY, IF YOU DONT WANT TO EXPOSE THE API, JUST REMOVE THIS LINE )
    volumes:
      - palmr_data:/app/server # Volume for the application data
    restart: unless-stopped # Restart the container unless it is stopped
 
volumes:
  palmr_data:

We've added helpful comments in the file to guide you through customization. Let's break down what you can adjust to fit your setup.

Understanding the services

Palmr. runs as a single service in this filesystem storage setup. Here's a quick overview:

Customizing with environment variables

You can fine-tune Palmr. using environment variables. Here's what's available for the filesystem storage setup:

Important: These variables can be set in a .env file at the project root or directly in your environment when running Docker Compose. The ENCRYPTION_KEY is crucial for securing your filesystem storage always change it to a unique, secure value in production. you can generate a secure key using the KeyGenerator tool.

Managing persistent data

To ensure your data sticks around even if the container restarts, we use a persistent volume:

Launching Palmr.

With your docker-compose.yaml ready, it's time to start Palmr.! Run this command to launch everything in the background:

docker-compose up -d

This runs Palmr. in detached mode, meaning it operates silently in the background without flooding your terminal with logs.

Now, open your browser and visit:

http://localhost:5487

If you're on a server, replace localhost with your server's IP:

http://[YOUR_SERVER_IP]:5487

For example, if your server IP is 192.168.1.10, the URL would be http://192.168.1.10:5487. Remember, this is just an example use your actual server IP.

Pro Tip: For full functionality and security, configure your server with HTTPS by setting up a valid SSL certificate.

Keeping Palmr. up to date

Want the latest features and fixes? Updating Palmr. is a breeze. Run these commands to pull the newest version from DockerHub and restart the service:

docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

That's it! You're now running the latest version of Palmr.

Running with Docker (without Compose)

Prefer to skip Docker Compose and use plain Docker? No problem! Use this command to start Palmr. directly:

docker run -d \
  --name palmr \
  -e ENABLE_S3=false \
  -e ENCRYPTION_KEY=change-this-key-in-production-min-32-chars \
  -p 5487:5487 \
  -p 3333:3333 \
  -v palmr_data:/app/server \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  kyantech/palmr:latest

This also runs in detached mode, so it's hands-off. Access Palmr. at the same URLs mentioned earlier.

Critical Reminder: Whichever method you choose, change the ENCRYPTION_KEY to a secure, unique value. This key encrypts your files on the filesystem if you lose it, your files become inaccessible.

Generating a Secure Encryption Key

Need a strong key for ENCRYPTION_KEY? Use our handy Password Generator Tool below to create one:

You're all set!

Congratulations! You've just deployed your own secure file sharing solution with Palmr. in record time. We're thrilled to have you on board and hope you love using this powerful tool as much as we loved building it.

Got questions or ideas? Dive into the rest of our documentation or reach out via our GitHub issues page. Happy sharing!