Docker Compose

The Probo repository includes a Compose definition that runs Probo, PostgreSQL, SeaweedFS, and headless Chrome on one host. Use it for evaluation, internal deployments, or small installations where a single-host failure is acceptable.

Understand the trade-off

This is not a high-availability architecture. The supplied Compose definition also exposes database and storage ports, uses fixed development credentials for PostgreSQL and SeaweedFS, and tracks the latest Probo image. Review and harden it before exposing the host to the internet.

For workloads that require independent scaling, managed data services, or rolling updates, use the Kubernetes deployment.

Requirements

• A Linux host with Docker Engine and Docker Compose v2
• A DNS record for the hostname you will use
• A TLS-terminating reverse proxy or load balancer
• An SMTP relay if you want Probo to send email
• Enough memory for Probo and its dependencies; the supplied PostgreSQL configuration alone requests 4 GB of shared buffers

Install Probo

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/getprobo/probo.git
   cd probo

   Keep compose.prod.yaml and the compose/ directory together. The Compose definition mounts the PostgreSQL initialization script and SeaweedFS configuration from that directory.

2. Generate application secrets

   umask 077
   openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2048 \
     -out oauth2-signing-key.pem
   
   export PROBOD_ENCRYPTION_KEY="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
   export PROBOD_AUTH_COOKIE_SECRET="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
   export PROBOD_AUTH_PASSWORD_PEPPER="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"
   export PROBOD_TRUST_AUTH_TOKEN_SECRET="$(openssl rand -base64 32)"

   Preserve these values. Changing encryption, signing, or authentication secrets after users and data exist can invalidate sessions or make stored data inaccessible.

3. Create the environment file

   Replace probo.example.com and the SMTP values, then run:

   cat > .env <<EOF
   PROBOD_ENCRYPTION_KEY=${PROBOD_ENCRYPTION_KEY}
   PROBOD_AUTH_COOKIE_SECRET=${PROBOD_AUTH_COOKIE_SECRET}
   PROBOD_AUTH_PASSWORD_PEPPER=${PROBOD_AUTH_PASSWORD_PEPPER}
   PROBOD_TRUST_AUTH_TOKEN_SECRET=${PROBOD_TRUST_AUTH_TOKEN_SECRET}
   
   PROBOD_BASE_URL=https://probo.example.com
   PROBOD_API_ADDR=0.0.0.0:8080
   PROBOD_API_CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=https://probo.example.com
   
   PROBOD_SMTP_ADDR=smtp.example.com:587
   PROBOD_SMTP_USER=replace-with-smtp-user
   PROBOD_SMTP_PASSWORD=replace-with-smtp-password
   PROBOD_SMTP_TLS_REQUIRED=true
   PROBOD_MAILER_SENDER_EMAIL=no-reply@example.com
   EOF

   chmod 600 .env oauth2-signing-key.pem

4. Add the required OAuth signing key

   The current compose.prod.yaml does not pass the OAuth signing key to Probo. Create compose.local.yaml:

   services:
     probo:
       environment:
         PROBOD_OAUTH2_SERVER_SIGNING_KEY: ${PROBOD_OAUTH2_SERVER_SIGNING_KEY}
         PROBOD_SMTP_ADDR: ${PROBOD_SMTP_ADDR}
         PROBOD_SMTP_USER: ${PROBOD_SMTP_USER}
         PROBOD_SMTP_PASSWORD: ${PROBOD_SMTP_PASSWORD}
         PROBOD_SMTP_TLS_REQUIRED: ${PROBOD_SMTP_TLS_REQUIRED}
         PROBOD_MAILER_SENDER_EMAIL: ${PROBOD_MAILER_SENDER_EMAIL}

   Export the key before every Compose command:

   export PROBOD_OAUTH2_SERVER_SIGNING_KEY="$(cat oauth2-signing-key.pem)"

   Note

   Docker Compose only interpolates variables referenced by the Compose files. Adding the key to .env alone is not sufficient with the current compose.prod.yaml.

5. Review the rendered configuration

   docker compose \
     -f compose.prod.yaml \
     -f compose.local.yaml \
     config

   Do not continue if a required value is empty. The rendered output contains secrets, so do not save or share it.

6. Start the services

   docker compose \
     -f compose.prod.yaml \
     -f compose.local.yaml \
     up -d

7. Verify startup

   docker compose \
     -f compose.prod.yaml \
     -f compose.local.yaml \
     ps
   
   docker compose \
     -f compose.prod.yaml \
     -f compose.local.yaml \
     logs --tail=100 probo
   
   curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:8080/

   A successful HTTP response and a running probo service confirm that the application is reachable. Also test sign-in, file upload, and email delivery before inviting users.

Put Probo behind HTTPS

Terminate TLS at a reverse proxy or load balancer and forward requests to port 8080. Preserve the original Host, X-Forwarded-For, and X-Forwarded-Proto headers.

The supplied Compose definition publishes Probo, PostgreSQL, SeaweedFS, and Chrome ports on every host interface. Before making the server public:

• restrict inbound traffic with the host or cloud firewall;
• expose only ports 80 and 443 through the reverse proxy;
• prevent external access to ports 5432, 8080, 8081, 8333, 8443, 9222, and 9333;
• replace the bundled PostgreSQL and SeaweedFS credentials, or use external managed services;
• pin the Probo image to a tested release instead of latest.

Mounting a certificate into the Probo container does not configure TLS by itself.

Data and backups

The deployment stores state in three named volumes:

• probo-data for local Probo data;
• postgres-data for PostgreSQL;
• seaweedfs-data for object storage.

Back up PostgreSQL and SeaweedFS as one recovery point. A database dump without its corresponding objects can leave document records whose files cannot be restored.

Create a database dump with:

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  exec -T postgres \
  pg_dump -U postgres -d probod --format=custom > probod.dump

Use a volume-aware backup tool or a storage snapshot for SeaweedFS. Stop writes while taking an offline volume backup, and test restoration on another host. Copy .env, oauth2-signing-key.pem, and any proxy configuration into your encrypted backup system separately.

Upgrade

Read the release notes and take a tested backup first. Then pull and recreate the containers:

export PROBOD_OAUTH2_SERVER_SIGNING_KEY="$(cat oauth2-signing-key.pem)"

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  pull

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  up -d

Check the Probo logs and repeat the functional checks used during installation. Database migrations run when Probo starts; do not interrupt startup while a migration is running.

Troubleshooting

Probo exits during startup

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  logs --tail=200 probo

If the logs report a missing PROBOD_OAUTH2_SERVER_SIGNING_KEY, confirm that the key is exported in the current shell and that both Compose files are included in the command.

PostgreSQL is unhealthy

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  logs --tail=200 postgres

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  exec postgres pg_isready -U postgres -d probod

The supplied PostgreSQL settings require considerably more than 4 GB of total host memory. If PostgreSQL is killed by the kernel, increase host memory or review its configuration before reducing limits.

Uploads or PDF generation fail

Inspect the Probo, SeaweedFS, and Chrome logs:

docker compose \
  -f compose.prod.yaml \
  -f compose.local.yaml \
  logs --tail=200 probo seaweedfs chrome

See the environment variable reference when adding optional integrations or changing runtime behavior.