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Pullbase consists of two components:
  1. Central Server — Coordinates environments, monitors Git, serves the dashboard.
  2. Agents — Run on each managed Linux server.
This guide covers deploying the Central Server. For installing agents on your servers, see Agent Operations.

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Prerequisites

  • Docker (v24.0+) with Docker Compose
  • Git repository for your configuration
  • Database: SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL (production)

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Choose Your Database

Pullbase supports two database backends. Choose the one that fits your needs:
FeatureSQLite (Default)PostgreSQL (Recommended)
Best forTesting, POCs, Small deploymentsProduction, High Availability
SetupZero configurationRequires Postgres container/RDS
StorageSingle file on diskExternal volume/service
PerformanceGood for < 100 agentsScales to thousands

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Quick Start (SQLite)

The easiest way to get started is using the default SQLite database. This requires zero external dependencies and is perfect for testing.
1

Create docker-compose.yml

Create a file named docker-compose.yml with the following content:
docker-compose.yml
services:
  central-server:
    image: pullbaseio/pullbase:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      # Database
      - PULLBASE_DB_TYPE=sqlite
      - PULLBASE_DB_PATH=/data/pullbase.db
      # Security
      # ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Generate secure random strings for production use
      - PULLBASE_JWT_SECRET=change-this-to-a-secure-random-string
      - PULLBASE_WEBHOOK_SECRET_KEY=change-this-to-a-secure-random-string
      - PULLBASE_BOOTSTRAP_SECRET_FILE=/app/secrets/bootstrap.secret
      # Logging (optional)
      - PULLBASE_LOG_FORMAT=json   # json or text (default: text)
      - PULLBASE_LOG_LEVEL=info    # debug, info, warn, error (default: info)
    volumes:
      - pullbase_data:/data
      - pullbase_secrets:/app/secrets

volumes:
  pullbase_data:
  pullbase_secrets:
2

Start the server

docker compose up -d
3

Verify installation

Check if the server is running:
curl http://localhost:8080/api/v1/healthz
# Output: {"status":"ok"}
4

Bootstrap the Admin

You need to create your first admin user to access the UI. Follow the CLI Guide to bootstrap your admin account using the secret file.

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Production Setup (PostgreSQL)

For production environments, we recommend using PostgreSQL for better performance, reliability, and concurrency.
1

Create docker-compose.yml

Use this configuration to spin up Pullbase with a dedicated PostgreSQL container.
docker-compose.yml
services:
  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: ${PULLBASE_DB_USER:-pullbaseuser}
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${PULLBASE_DB_PASSWORD}
      POSTGRES_DB: ${PULLBASE_DB_NAME:-pullbasedb}
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U $${POSTGRES_USER} -d $${POSTGRES_DB}"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5

  central-server:
    image: pullbaseio/pullbase:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      # Database Connection
      - PULLBASE_DB_TYPE=postgres
      - PULLBASE_DB_HOST=db
      - PULLBASE_DB_PORT=5432
      - PULLBASE_DB_USER=pullbaseuser
      - PULLBASE_DB_NAME=pullbasedb
      # Security
      - PULLBASE_JWT_SECRET=${PULLBASE_JWT_SECRET}
      - PULLBASE_WEBHOOK_SECRET_KEY=${PULLBASE_WEBHOOK_SECRET_KEY}
      - PULLBASE_BOOTSTRAP_SECRET_FILE=/app/secrets/bootstrap.secret
      # Logging (optional)
      - PULLBASE_LOG_FORMAT=json   # json recommended for production
      - PULLBASE_LOG_LEVEL=info
    volumes:
      - pullbase_secrets:/app/secrets

volumes:
  postgres_data:
  pullbase_secrets:
2

Configure Secrets

Create a .env file to store your sensitive secrets. Do not commit this file to Git.
.env
PULLBASE_JWT_SECRET=generate-a-long-random-string-here
PULLBASE_WEBHOOK_SECRET_KEY=generate-another-random-string
PULLBASE_DB_PASSWORD=generate-a-secure-database-password
3

Start the stack

docker compose up -d

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Next Steps

Now that your server is running:
  1. Bootstrap the Admin to create your first user.
  2. Login to the Dashboard at http://localhost:8080.
  3. Secure your installation with TLS before going to production.