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Database Setup for Self-Hosting

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Overview

When you first start your self-hosted DeployStack instance, you’ll need to choose and configure a database. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step. Important: This setup only needs to be done once when you first install DeployStack.

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What You’ll Need

  • Your DeployStack instance running (backend and frontend)
  • Access to your server’s environment variables (if choosing cloud databases)
  • About 5-10 minutes to complete the setup

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Step 1: Access the Setup Page

  1. Start your DeployStack instance following your installation guide
  2. Open your web browser and navigate to your DeployStack URL
  3. You’ll be automatically redirected to the setup page at /setup
If you see a message like “Database setup required” or are redirected to a setup page, you’re in the right place!

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Step 2: Choose Your Database

You’ll see two database options. Here’s what each one means:
  • Best for: Small to medium teams, development, testing
  • Pros:
    • No additional setup required
    • Works immediately
    • No external dependencies
    • Perfect for getting started
  • Cons:
    • Single server only (no clustering)
    • Limited to one database file
Choose this if: You’re just getting started, have a small team, or want the simplest setup.

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Option 2: Turso (For Advanced Users)

  • Best for: Advanced users needing distributed databases
  • Pros:
    • Multi-region replication
    • Advanced SQLite features
    • Good performance
  • Cons:
    • Requires Turso account
    • More complex setup
Choose this if: You need advanced database features or multi-region deployment.

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Step 3: Configure Your Chosen Database

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If You Chose SQLite (Easiest)

  1. Select “SQLite” from the options
  2. Click “Setup Database”
  3. Wait for confirmation (usually takes 10-30 seconds)
  4. Done! You’ll be redirected to the main application
No additional configuration needed - SQLite works out of the box!

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If You Chose Turso

Before you can use Turso, you need to set up environment variables:

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Prerequisites

  1. Create a Turso account at turso.tech
  2. Install Turso CLI and create a database: 
    turso db create deploystack-db
  3. Get your database URL and auth token: 
    turso db show deploystack-db
turso db tokens create deploystack-db

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Server Configuration

Add these environment variables to your server: 
TURSO_DATABASE_URL=libsql://your-database-url
TURSO_AUTH_TOKEN=your_auth_token_here

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Complete Setup

  1. Restart your DeployStack instance after setting the environment variables
  2. Go back to the setup page (/setup)
  3. Select “Turso”
  4. Click “Setup Database”
  5. Wait for confirmation

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Step 4: Verify Setup

After successful setup, you should:
  1. See a success message confirming database initialization
  2. Be redirected to the main application
  3. Be able to create your first user account
If you see any errors, check the troubleshooting section below.

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Troubleshooting

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”Database setup has already been performed”

  • This means your database is already configured
  • You can proceed to use the application normally
  • If you need to change databases, contact your system administrator

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”Configuration incomplete” or “Missing environment variables”

  • For Turso: Check that both Turso environment variables are set correctly
  • Restart your server after setting environment variables

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”Failed to connect” or “Network error”

  • Check your internet connection
  • For Turso: Verify your database URL and auth token are correct
  • Check server logs for more detailed error messages

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Setup page keeps loading

  • Check that your backend server is running
  • Verify the backend is accessible from your browser
  • Check browser console for any JavaScript errors

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Changing Databases Later

Important: Once you’ve set up a database, changing to a different type requires:
  1. Backing up your data (if you have important information)
  2. Stopping your DeployStack instance
  3. Removing the database selection file (persistent_data/db.selection.json)
  4. Updating environment variables for the new database type
  5. Restarting and going through setup again
Note: This will reset your application data, so make sure to backup anything important first.

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Getting Help

If you’re having trouble with database setup:
  1. Check the server logs for detailed error messages
  2. Verify environment variables are set correctly
  3. Ensure your server has internet access (for cloud databases)
  4. Contact support with your error messages and setup details

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Security Notes

  • Keep your API tokens secure - never share them publicly
  • Use environment variables - don’t put credentials directly in code
  • Regularly rotate API tokens for cloud databases
  • Backup your SQLite database file if using SQLite

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Next Steps

After successful database setup:
  1. Create your administrator account
  2. Configure your application settings
  3. Set up user authentication (email, GitHub, etc.)
  4. Invite your team members
Your DeployStack instance is now ready to use!
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