Up and running
in minutes.

Live demo

Not ready to install anything yet? There is a fully working demo you can explore right now — no sign-up, no email address of your own required. It comes pre-loaded with sample data and resets every day, so you can click around freely without worrying about breaking anything.

→ Read the full walkthrough on the blog

Try it with Docker

The fastest way to see Cannelle running. Pre-built images include everything — the database, both apps, and automatic migrations. No Node.js or PostgreSQL required on your machine.

// you need

// configure docker/.env

The docker/ folder ships with an .env.example. Copy it and set these values before starting:

For the full variable reference see the configuration docs →

// start the stack

cd docker
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env — set your domain, secrets, and SMTP config

docker compose up -d

# Community app → http://localhost:3000
# Atelier portal → http://localhost:3001

// what's included

// useful commands

Development Setup

Check out the source, run both apps locally with hot reload, and make changes. When you're ready, build your own Docker images and deploy them to your own container repository.

// you need

// get started

git clone https://github.com/cannelleio/community.git
cd cannelle-sveltekit

npm install

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env — at minimum set DATABASE_URL and the four secret variables

openssl rand -hex 32   # JWT_SECRET
openssl rand -hex 16   # HASHID_SALT
openssl rand -hex 32   # ENCRYPTION_KEY
openssl rand -hex 16   # ENCRYPTION_SALT

npm run db:generate
npm run db:migrate

npm run dev
# Community app → http://localhost:5173
# Atelier portal  → http://localhost:5174

For the full variable reference — required fields, SMTP, S3, Atelier, and more — see the configuration docs →

// useful dev commands

// build your own docker images

Once you're happy with your changes, build production images and push them to your registry. Use the same Docker Compose setup to deploy.

npm run build

# Build and tag images
docker build -f docker/community.Dockerfile -t your-registry/cannelle-community:latest .
docker build -f docker/atelier.Dockerfile   -t your-registry/cannelle-atelier:latest .

# Push and deploy
docker push your-registry/cannelle-community:latest
docker push your-registry/cannelle-atelier:latest

// code conventions

Database

Cannelle requires PostgreSQL 17. The schema is managed with Prisma. When using Docker Compose, migrations run automatically on startup. For an external or managed database, run them once manually before your first deploy.

// run migrations against an external database

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@your-host:5432/cannelle?schema=public" \
  npx prisma migrate deploy --schema=packages/core/prisma/schema.prisma

// useful database commands

Production Deployment

We recommend Docker Compose with a reverse proxy. It handles TLS termination, restarts on failure, and keeps the database isolated behind the compose network. The checklist below covers everything to address before going live.

// recommended: docker compose + reverse proxy

docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.proxy.yml up -d

The proxy compose file adds Nginx with automatic Let's Encrypt certificates. Point your domain to the server, set BASE_URL in your .env, and you're done.

// go-live checklist

// minimal nginx config

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name app.example.com;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/letsencrypt/live/app.example.com/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/app.example.com/privkey.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}

// alternative: manual node.js

If you prefer not to use Docker in production, build the apps and run them directly with Node under PM2 or systemd.

npm install
npm run db:generate
npm run db:migrate
npm run build

# Start Community app
node apps/community/build/index.js

# Start Atelier portal (separate process / PM2 / systemd)
node apps/atelier/build/index.js