Quick Start

Healdan runs as a Docker Compose stack on one server: a MariaDB database and the Healdan app. This page takes you from nothing to signing in.

You need Docker with Compose v2.24.4 or newer, and at least 8 GB of memory for Docker. The first start builds Healdan from source, which takes 5 to 30 minutes depending on your machine and network.

git clone https://github.com/Healdan-Project/healdan.git
cd healdan
cp .env.example .env

DB_PASSWORD='choose-a-strong-password'

docker compose up -d --build
docker compose logs -f app

By default Healdan is only reachable from the machine running Docker. To use it from other machines, put a reverse proxy in front of it.

What Happens on First Start

On its first start the app creates LogicalDOC’s database schema. Then, on this and every later start, Healdan sets up its own data:

1. Healdan’s tables. Healdan creates or upgrades its own tables, whose names start hd_. It never changes LogicalDOC’s tables.

2. One-time setup steps. These create what Healdan needs inside LogicalDOC:

   • the Everyone group, which every user except read-only ones joins and can’t leave;
   • the Healdan profile, the set of properties every document and folder carries (Class, Subclass, Author, Typist, the email fields and more), with the Class “Docs”;
   • the Templates Store, which only admins can see. It holds the folder trees new matters are copied from;
   • Healdan’s default settings, and the default columns of the document lists.

   Each step runs once. If an admin later changes or deletes something a step made, the change stays.

3. A failure stops the app. If either fails, Healdan doesn’t start, and docker compose logs app says why. See Troubleshooting.

Healdan doesn’t create any Stores, clients or matters. An admin creates them in the app, and Healdan only accepts documents inside a matter. The Admin Guide covers that.