Set up NodeBB via environment variables

[PitaJ]

@Nicolas Seems like we need a better CLI. Maybe a Node-based one possibly called NBBVM?

adds to long list of plugins/utilities to build

[Moritz Friedrich]

@Nicolas You could just npm install? That's what I did while development multiple times, git clone, cp ~/config.json ./, npm install.

[julian]

Thanks for the comments guys

The automated setup via environment variables is to aid with setup on cloud services and our SaaS platform. The interactive prompt will still continue to be in use, but we're looking to change the default installation steps to utilise the web installation interface Andrew has implemented.

From there, we can reduce the steps to:

1. Install dependencies
2. Clone the repository
3. npm install --production
4. Start the web install (via npm start possibly)

A cloud hosting provider can automate all four steps, so nobody has to mess with a shell again

[Moritz Friedrich]

@julian said:

A cloud hosting provider

read: The NodeBB Saas platform

[julian]

maybe?

[Xiph]

@julian Objection! When setting settings through env variables, they are always strings. Currently NodeBB doesn't seem to take this into account. i.e. running ./nodebb start (or npm start) with the env variables daemon and silent both set to false, NodeBB still starts both daemonized and silent.
(false does not equal "false" )

Also, slightly unrelated, but when doing the setup thingy with a redis password provided, i.e. like

 $ database=redis redis__password=CorrectHorseBatteryStaple node app --setup`

the password provided is used during the install but not actually saved to config.json.

[julian]

@Xiph https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/commit/671db16

[axel12]

Maybe you should add that to the docs was really hared for me to find out it was possible and it is really interesting if setting it up with docker-compose. You guys might just add it to the docker read me page. https://hub.docker.com/r/nodebb/docker/

[julian]

Hi @axel12 -- add what to the readme?

[Tom_Rade]

@julian A docker-compose.yml file example for Docker. Basically how to setup NodeBB-Docker.