The tag manager reads `#LIBREPORTAL|<TAG>|<VALUE>` and takes <VALUE> as the current literal to search for on that line, so it must equal the string in the line body. Mastodon used `unconfigured` as the annotation value against bodies like `PASSWORD_TAG_1_DATA` — nothing matched, nothing was ever substituted, and the placeholder shipped as the live database password, SECRET_KEY_BASE, OTP secret and VAPID keypair. Nothing caught it either: `unconfigured` doesn't match `_DATA`, so tagsManagerGetTagState reported the tags as configured, and the stale-tag gate in dockerComposeUp (which tests the annotation value against `^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*_DATA(_[0-9]+)?$`) let the app start. Adopt the convention every other app already uses — body placeholder identical to the annotation value, `<KIND>_DATA_<n>`. All 11 tags now substitute, the app and postgres services agree on the same generated credentials, and an unfilled tag is visible to the pre-start gate. Existing 0.1.0 installs keep their literal credentials until re-installed, and their Postgres was initialised with them, so a plain re-install desynchronises the compose from the volume. Document both recovery paths in upgrade notes. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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LibrePortal — Install & Use
How to install, place, update, and remove LibrePortal. For building releases or running a dev copy, see development guide.
Note: the
get.libreportal.orghost isn't live yet. Until it is, install from a local release artifact or a git/local checkout — see development guide. The commands below are the intended public flow.
Requirements
- A Debian or Ubuntu host.
- root (run with
sudo). curl(orwget) andtar.
Install
curl -fsSL https://get.libreportal.org/install.sh | sudo bash
This downloads a versioned, checksum-verified release tarball (no git, no
login), installs LibrePortal, and prints the WebUI address + a generated password
(also saved to the install log). To choose the password yourself add
--password=….
Put data where you want it (separate disks, external drives)
LibrePortal uses three independent roots, each can be its own path/disk:
| Flag (default) | Holds | Owner |
|---|---|---|
--system-dir=/libreportal-system |
configs, database, logs, install | the manager user |
--containers-dir=/libreportal-containers |
live app data | the container user |
--backups-dir=/libreportal-backups |
backup repositories | the container user |
curl -fsSL https://get.libreportal.org/install.sh | sudo bash -s -- \
--system-dir=/mnt/ssd/libreportal \
--containers-dir=/mnt/ssd/libreportal-apps \
--backups-dir=/mnt/bigdisk/libreportal-backups
Notes:
- Defaults are top-level dirs on purpose — they avoid the permission/encryption
pitfalls of living inside a user's home. To put
containers/backupsinside/home/<user>you must add--allow-home(it needs the container user to traverse that home — a small privacy trade-off). - Other flags:
--manager-user=NAME(defaultlibreportal),--channel=stable|edge(defaultstable),--version=X.Y.Z(pin a version).
Where things end up
<system-dir>/ configs/ logs/ install/ database.db ssl/ ssh/
<containers-dir>/ one folder per installed app (+ the libreportal WebUI)
<backups-dir>/ one folder per backup location
The locations are chosen at install and fixed afterward (changing them is a deliberate reinstall, not a setting — this is part of the security model).
Update
LibrePortal checks its channel for a newer version and shows a badge in the WebUI when one is available. Apply it from the dashboard, or on the host:
libreportal update apply # update now if a newer version exists
libreportal update check # just re-check the channel
Updates download + verify the new release tarball and redeploy. Your data, configs, and backups are untouched (they live outside the replaced install tree).
Some releases carry a fix that an already-installed app only picks up on its next install — see upgrade notes for the versions that need a manual step.
Backups on an external / removable drive
Point a backup location at the drive's mount path. For a removable disk, set
Require Mounted Drive on the location (config key
CFG_BACKUP_LOC_<n>_REQUIRE_MOUNT=true): LibrePortal then refuses to back up
when the drive isn't mounted, so an unplugged disk never silently fills your
system disk. Use a Linux filesystem (ext4/xfs/btrfs) — FAT/exFAT/NTFS can't hold
the required ownership and will warn.
Uninstall
sudo libreportal-uninstall
# keep the rootless Docker layer + image cache for a fast reinstall:
sudo libreportal-uninstall --skip-docker-images
libreportal-uninstall is a fixed command on $PATH (no data path to type — it
reads the real install locations from the installed service, so it works even with
custom roots). It removes the three roots, the system users, and the small
out-of-tree footprint (/usr/local/lib/libreportal, the /etc integration files).
⚠️ Uninstall permanently deletes all app data, configs, and the database. Take a backup first if you want to keep anything.