docker.recipes

Focalboard

beginner

Open source project management for Mattermost.

Overview

Focalboard is an open-source project management platform originally developed by Mattermost as an alternative to tools like Notion, Trello, and Asana. Built with React and Go, Focalboard offers multiple viewing modes including Kanban boards, tables, galleries, and calendars, making it a versatile solution for organizing projects, tasks, and workflows. The platform has since been integrated into Mattermost as the 'Boards' feature, but continues to exist as a standalone application for teams seeking a self-hosted project management solution. This Docker deployment runs Focalboard as a single-container application that stores all project data, user accounts, and board configurations in a persistent volume. The container exposes a web interface on port 8000 and includes built-in SQLite database storage, eliminating the need for external database dependencies. Focalboard supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on boards simultaneously with live updates across all connected clients. This setup is ideal for small to medium teams, startups, or organizations that need project management capabilities without the complexity of multi-component stacks. Development teams already using Mattermost can evaluate Focalboard before migrating to the integrated Boards feature, while privacy-conscious organizations benefit from complete data ownership and control through self-hosting.

Key Features

  • Multiple view modes including Kanban boards, table views, gallery layouts, and calendar perspectives for the same data
  • Built-in import functionality for migrating projects from Trello, Asana, Notion, and Todoist
  • Pre-built templates for common workflows including project roadmaps, meeting notes, personal task management, and content calendars
  • Real-time collaborative editing with live cursor tracking and instant synchronization across multiple users
  • Custom properties system supporting text, numbers, select options, dates, and checkboxes for flexible data modeling
  • Card-based organization with support for rich text editing, file attachments, and hierarchical task structures
  • User authentication and permission management with board-level access controls and sharing capabilities
  • SQLite database integration with automatic schema management and data persistence through Docker volumes

Common Use Cases

  • 1Software development teams tracking sprint progress, bug reports, and feature requests across multiple projects
  • 2Marketing departments managing campaign timelines, content calendars, and creative asset workflows
  • 3Remote teams coordinating project deliverables with different stakeholders requiring different data views
  • 4Educational institutions organizing course materials, assignment tracking, and student project management
  • 5Small businesses replacing expensive SaaS project management tools with self-hosted alternatives
  • 6Homelab enthusiasts managing personal projects, home improvement tasks, and technical documentation
  • 7Organizations with strict data privacy requirements needing on-premises project management solutions

Prerequisites

  • Docker and Docker Compose installed with support for persistent volumes
  • Minimum 512MB RAM available for the Focalboard container and SQLite operations
  • Port 8000 available on the host system for web interface access
  • Basic understanding of web-based project management concepts and Kanban workflows
  • Administrative access to create user accounts and configure board permissions
  • Storage space for project data, file attachments, and SQLite database growth over time

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

docker-compose.yml
1services: 
2  focalboard: 
3    image: mattermost/focalboard:latest
4    container_name: focalboard
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    ports: 
7      - "8000:8000"
8    volumes: 
9      - focalboard_data:/opt/focalboard/data
10
11volumes: 
12  focalboard_data:

.env Template

.env
1# No environment variables required

Usage Notes

  1. 1Docs: https://www.focalboard.com/docs/
  2. 2Access at http://localhost:8000 - create account on first visit
  3. 3Views: Board, Table, Gallery, Calendar
  4. 4Templates for project roadmaps, meeting notes, personal tasks
  5. 5Now integrated into Mattermost as Boards feature
  6. 6Import from Trello, Asana, Notion, Todoist

Quick Start

terminal
1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  focalboard:
5    image: mattermost/focalboard:latest
6    container_name: focalboard
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    ports:
9      - "8000:8000"
10    volumes:
11      - focalboard_data:/opt/focalboard/data
12
13volumes:
14  focalboard_data:
15EOF
16
17# 2. Create the .env file
18cat > .env << 'EOF'
19# No environment variables required
20EOF
21
22# 3. Start the services
23docker compose up -d
24
25# 4. View logs
26docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal
1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/focalboard/run | bash

Troubleshooting

  • Port 8000 already in use: Change the host port mapping in docker-compose.yml from '8000:8000' to 'XXXX:8000' where XXXX is an available port
  • Cannot create account on first visit: Ensure the focalboard_data volume has proper write permissions and the container has started completely by checking logs
  • Board changes not syncing between users: Verify WebSocket connections are working by checking browser developer tools network tab for WebSocket errors
  • Import from Trello/Notion fails: Ensure exported files are in the correct format and under the file size limit, check container logs for specific import error messages
  • Container fails to start with database errors: Remove the focalboard_data volume to reset the database, or restore from a known good backup if data recovery is needed
  • Performance issues with large boards: Monitor container memory usage and consider increasing Docker memory limits, or archive completed cards to reduce active data

Community Notes

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Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

focalboard

Tags

#focalboard#boards#notion#project-management

Category

Productivity & Collaboration

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