Setting Up Peppermint with Docker Compose¶

Introduction to Peppermint¶

Peppermint is a self-hosted application designed to streamline support ticketing and knowledge management, providing a simple, efficient solution for customer support teams. This guide details how to set up Peppermint using Docker Compose for easy deployment.

Prerequisites¶

Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system.
Basic familiarity with Docker Compose configurations.

Docker Compose Configuration for Peppermint¶

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

services:
  peppermint_postgres:
    container_name: peppermint_postgres
    image: postgres:latest
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: peppermint
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: securepassword
      POSTGRES_DB: peppermint

  peppermint:
    container_name: peppermint
    image: pepperlabs/peppermint:latest
    ports:
      - 3000:3000
      - 5003:5003
    restart: always
    depends_on:
      - peppermint_postgres
    environment:
      DB_USERNAME: "peppermint"
      DB_PASSWORD: "securepassword"
      DB_HOST: "peppermint_postgres"
      SECRET: "YourSecureSecretKey"

volumes:
  pgdata:

Environment Variables Explained¶

POSTGRES_USER: Database username (set securely).
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: Secure password for the PostgreSQL database.
POSTGRES_DB: Database name used by Peppermint.
DB_USERNAME/DB_PASSWORD/DB_HOST: Connection details for Peppermint to communicate with PostgreSQL.
SECRET: Secure key used by Peppermint for encryption and security purposes. Generate a strong random key.

Deployment Steps¶

Step 1: Prepare Your Docker Compose File¶

Create a directory for Peppermint deployment.
Save the provided docker-compose.yml file within this directory.

Step 2: Customize Your Environment Variables¶

Replace securepassword and YourSecureSecretKey with securely generated credentials.

Step 3: Deploy Peppermint¶

Run the following command in your deployment directory to start the containers:

docker compose up -d

Accessing Peppermint¶

Once running, Peppermint will be accessible via:

http://yourdomain.com:3000

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name or IP address.

Post-Deployment Recommendations¶

Secure Your Deployment: Implement HTTPS using a reverse proxy like Nginx or Traefik for secure, encrypted communication.
Regular Backups: Ensure regular backups of your database (pgdata volume) to avoid data loss.

Troubleshooting Common Issues¶

Database Connection Issues: Confirm database credentials (DB_USERNAME, DB_PASSWORD, and DB_HOST) match in both the PostgreSQL and Peppermint configurations.
Containers Not Starting: Verify volume permissions and environment variable configurations are correct.