#  Quick Start Guide

This guide provides a streamlined process for setting up and running the FlowFuse platform using Docker and docker-compose.

The provided docker-compose file facilitates the deployment of the following services:

  • FlowFuse Platform: Includes the core application, MQTT broker, and file server for storage
  • Database: A pre-configured database for storing platform data
  • Proxy Server: A pre-configured proxy server for managing HTTP traffic

For a full installation guide, including how to setup FlowFuse in a production environment, please refer to the dedicated page for running FlowFuse on Docker.

#  Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  1. A domain name that you own and can configure DNS settings for (explained in step 1)
  2. Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system (either as a standalone binary or as docker plugin)

#  Step 1: Configure DNS

Before running FlowFuse, you need to configure your fully qualified domain name settings:

  1. Set up an A record for your domain (e.g., example.com) to your server's IP address (this works with subdomain as well e.g. flowfuse.example.com). FlowFuse will run here.
  2. In the same manner, set up a wildcard DNS record (e.g., *.example.com, *.flowfuse.example.com) to point to your server's IP address. Any Node-RED instances setup by FlowFuse will run here.

This step is crucial for the proper functioning of the application. FlowFuse will not run properly on localhost domain.

#  Step 2: Download Compose file

curl -L -o docker-compose.yml https://github.com/FlowFuse/docker-compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-quick-start.yml

#  Step 3: Start the Application

Run the following command to deploy FlowFuse. Replace the yourdomain.com with your domain name configured in step 1.:

DOMAIN=example.com docker compose up -d

This command will download the necessary Docker images, run initial setup and start all the required services in detached mode.

#  Step 4: Complete the application Setup

Open your web browser and navigate to http://forge.example.com/setup . You will be redirected to the setup page where you can create your admin account and set up your instance. For detailed information about first setup and configuration, please follow this guide.

#  Cleanup

To stop and remove the FlowFuse application, run the following command. Replace yourdomain.com with your domain name:

DOMAIN=example.com docker compose down -v

#  Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues, please check the following:

  1. Ensure all prerequisites are correctly installed
  2. Verify your DNS settings are correct and have propagated
  3. Check the Docker logs for any error messages: 
    docker compose logs

For more detailed information or advanced configuration options for running FlowFuse on Docker, please refer to our full documentation.