Self-Hosting PodPeopleDB

Getting Started with Self-Hosting

PodPeopleDB is designed to be easily self-hosted using Docker and Docker Compose. This guide will walk you through setting up your own instance.

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system
Basic understanding of Docker and container management
A server or machine that can run Docker containers
Access to a ntfy server for notifications (optional but recommended)
A current download of the sqllite database (if you want all the existing host data)

Quick Start

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/madeofpendletonwool/podpeople-db.git
cd podpeople-db

Create your docker-compose.yml file:

services:
    podpeopledb:
        image: madeofpendletonwool/podpeople_db:latest
        ports:
          - "8085:8085"
        environment:
          - ADMIN_USERNAME=your_admin_username
          - ADMIN_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
          - SEARCH_API_URL=https://my-podcast-index-backend:5000
          - NTFY_URL=https://your-ntfy-instance
          - NTFY_TOPIC=your-secret-topic
          - BASE_URL=https://your-podpeople-domain.com
        volumes:
          - /path/to/your/data:/app/podpeople-data

Note on the SEARCH_API_URL, that is how PodPeople accesses the PodcastIndex. For information on setting up that container. See here

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Required
ADMIN_USERNAME	Username for the admin dashboard	Yes
ADMIN_PASSWORD	Password for the admin dashboard	Yes
SEARCH_API_URL	URL for the podcast search API	Yes
NTFY_URL	Your ntfy server URL	No
NTFY_TOPIC	Your ntfy topic for notifications	No
BASE_URL	Your PodPeopleDB instance URL	No

Setting Up Notifications

PodPeopleDB uses ntfy for notifications about new host submissions. To set this up:

Set up a ntfy server or use a public instance like ntfy.sh
Create a unique topic name that's not easily guessable
Configure the NTFY_URL and NTFY_TOPIC environment variables
Install the ntfy app on your mobile device
Subscribe to your topic in the app

Database Management

The SQLite database is stored in the mounted volume at /app/podpeople-data. Important considerations:

Regular backups are recommended
The database can be downloaded through the web interface
Database migrations happen automatically on startup

Security Considerations

Use a secure, random ntfy topic name
Keep your BASE_URL environment variable accurate for proper notifications
Consider using a reverse proxy with SSL

Updating PodPeopleDB

# Pull the latest image
docker-compose pull

# Restart the service
docker-compose up -d

Troubleshooting

Check container logs: docker-compose logs podpeopledb
Ensure all required environment variables are set
Verify your data directory has proper permissions
Check ntfy connectivity if notifications aren't working
Are you hosting your own Search API container? Is that for sure working correctly?

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