If you're into organizing your personal life digitally and have a knack for self-hosted solutions, you might have come across Monica. Monica is an open-source web application for personal relationship management. Think of it as a CRM, but for your personal life. Today, I'll guide you through the process of installing Monica using Docker on Unraid, including a detailed explanation of a Docker Compose YAML file.
Prerequisites
Before diving into the YAML file, let's cover the basics. To use Docker Compose on Unraid, you'll need to install a community application called "Docker Compose Manager" developed by "primeval_god". This is essential for running the Docker Compose YAML script. You can find more about it on the Unraid forum.
Understanding the Docker Compose YAML File
First of all , here is the docker-compose yaml file I produced based on the official one and I also looked at how Marius did it with the email settings :
version: "3.9"
services:
app:
image: monica
depends_on:
- db
ports:
- 8181:80
environment:
- APP_KEY= # Generate with `echo -n 'base64:'; openssl rand -base64 32`
- DB_HOST=db
- DB_USERNAME=monica
- DB_PASSWORD=secret
- APP_ENV=local
- MAIL_MAILER=smtp
- MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
- MAIL_PORT=587
- MAIL_USERNAME=Your-own-gmail-address
- MAIL_PASSWORD=Your-own-app-password
- MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
- MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=Your-own-gmail-address
- MAIL_FROM_NAME=Monica
volumes:
- /mnt/user/appdata/monica:/var/www/html/storage
restart: always
db:
image: mariadb:11
environment:
- MYSQL_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD=true
- MYSQL_DATABASE=monica
- MYSQL_USER=monica
- MYSQL_PASSWORD=secret
volumes:
- /mnt/user/appdata/monica-db:/var/lib/mysql
restart: alwaysLet's break down the Docker Compose YAML file I created, as it was a bit of a learning curve for me:
Version
version: "3.9"This line specifies the version of the Docker Compose file format. I used the one from the official example.
Services
The services section defines the containers we will be running.
App Service
services:
app:
image: monica
...image: monica: Specifies the Docker image to use, in this case, 'monica'.
depends_on: - db: Ensures the database (db) service is started before the app.
ports: - 8181:80: Maps port 80 in the container to port 8181 on the host machine (Unraid).
Environment Variables
APP_KEY: A key for your application encryption. Generate one of a lenghts of 32 characters
DB_HOST=db and other DB variables: These set up the database connection.
MAIL_*: Configuration for sending emails through the application.
Volumes
/mnt/user/appdata/monica:/var/www/html/storage: Maps a directory on your host to a directory in the container for persistent storage. By default on Unraid containers will store the data in /mnt/user/appdata/name_of_your_container
Restart Policy
restart: always: Ensures the container always restarts unless manually stopped.
Database Service
db:
image: mariadb:11
...image: mariadb:11: Specifies the MariaDB image to use for the database.
environment: Similar to the app service, it's used for database configuration.
volumes: Ensures data persistence for the database.
Change Your Variables Values
Before you deploy Monica using the Docker Compose YAML file, it's crucial to customize certain values to fit your setup:
APP_KEY: This is a unique encryption key for your instance.
Database Credentials: DB_USERNAME, DB_PASSWORD, and their corresponding values in the db service should be set to your preferred database credentials.
Mail Configuration: Adjust MAIL_* variables with your email settings. This includes your email provider details and credentials for sending out emails from Monica. Regarding the email I am using an application password for my gmail address.
Volumes: The paths in the volumes section should be adjusted according to your Unraid file system and where you want to store Monica's data.
Adjusting Ports: It’s vital to ensure that the port defined in the ports section of the app service (e.g., 8181:80) does not conflict with other services on your Unraid server. Change 8181 to any available port on your host.
Making these adjustments is key to a successful and tailored Monica installation on your Unraid server.
Installing Monica on Unraid
Install Docker Compose Manager on Unraid
You will find it in the community apps :
Navigate to "Docker" and then after the list of your existing container you will find this :
Create the stack using the YAML file
Click on "ADD NEW STACK" and choose the name of your stack, for example "Monica"
You should get a success message after hitting OK
Now let's edit the stack :
Edit stack
Choose "COMPOSE FILE"
Copy the content of your YAML file and replace everything here. Then hit "SAVE CHANGES"
Then you will receive this window :
Replace Icon by some icons URLs, for example I used thoses :
app Icon :
db Icon :
And just write down your Web UI URL for the app, so it will be something like :
Leave blank for shell.
And HIT OK . Once done, hit "COMPOSE UP" in order to run docker-compose and install everything :
It will open a window that will display the progress
And you are done !
CONGRATULATIONS ! Everything is running smoothly and you learned how to create your docker-compose yaml file and how to use it !
You can now access to Monica by going to http://your_unraid_IP:yourPort/ !
By following these steps, you should have a working instance of Monica on your Unraid server, customized to your preferences. It's a great example of the flexibility Docker offers, and a perfect project for diving into Docker Compose!
Enjoy 😎
AlexIn Tech
Update 04.02.2024 : Email reminders doesn't work ? How to solve this issue
I also had this issue and after a few days of searching a working solution I've finally came up with something working smoothly. In the following article you will find the solution :
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