Setting Up Focalboard with Docker Compose¶

Focalboard is deprecated

Focalboard was deprecated by Mattermost in late 2023 and is no longer actively developed. Consider migrating to an actively maintained alternative such as Plane or Vikunja.

See the official deprecation notice for details.

Introduction to Focalboard¶

Focalboard is an open-source, self-hosted project management tool that's an alternative to Trello, Notion, and Asana. It's designed to help teams stay organized and aligned.

Docker Compose Configuration for Focalboard¶

This Docker Compose setup deploys Focalboard in a Docker container, providing a straightforward and efficient environment for project management.

Docker Compose File (`docker-compose.yml`)¶

services:
  focalboard:
    ports:
      - 8000:8000
    restart: always
    image: mattermost/focalboard

Key Components of the Configuration¶

Service: Focalboard¶

Image: mattermost/focalboard is used to pull the latest Focalboard image.
Ports:
8000:8000 exposes Focalboard on port 8000, both on the host and inside the container.
Restart Policy: always ensures that the Focalboard service restarts automatically after a crash or reboot.

Deploying Focalboard¶

Save the Docker Compose configuration in a docker-compose.yml file.
Run docker compose up -d to start Focalboard in detached mode.
Access Focalboard by navigating to http://<host-ip>:8000.

Configuring and Using Focalboard¶

After deployment, you can begin using Focalboard by creating boards, adding tasks, and managing projects directly through the web interface.

Youtube Video¶

Updating Focalboard¶

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Back up before updating

This compose file defines no volumes, so Focalboard's data lives inside the container (at /opt/focalboard/data) and is lost when the container is recreated. Add a volume mapping for that path, or back it up with docker cp, before updating.

If there is an issue with this guide or you wish to suggest changes, please raise an issue on GitHub.