Getting Started with BoardOil

This guide gets BoardOil running in the simplest way. For HTTPS, persistent data, and MCP configuration, see Advanced Installation.

Install BoardOil

The quickest way to get going is with Docker Compose. Save the following as compose.yml:

services:
  boardoil:
    image: dozigden/boardoil:latest
    container_name: boardoil
    ports:
      - "5000:5000"
    environment:
      BoardOilAuth__AllowInsecureCookies: "true"
    volumes:
      - ./boardoil-data:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Start BoardOil:

docker compose up -d

Follow the startup logs:

docker compose logs -f boardoil

Once the container is ready, open http://localhost:5000 in a browser. If BoardOil is installed on another computer, replace localhost accordingly.

The first visit opens the initial admin setup. You should do it straight away. This setup is available only while the installation has no users.

Next steps

This configuration serves BoardOil over plain HTTP and is suitable for localhost or a trusted private network. See Advanced Installation for anything more complex.

The boardoil-data folder holds the database, uploaded images, and authentication signing key. Do not remove it when recreating or updating the container.