# atBB Deployment Guide

**Version:** 1.2
**Last Updated:** 2026-02-26
**Audience:** System administrators deploying atBB to production

> **Related Documentation:**
> - [docs/trust-model.md](trust-model.md) — Trust model for self-hosted deployment: what the AppView controls, user data guarantees, and security implications
> - [docs/plans/complete/2026-02-11-deployment-infrastructure-design.md](plans/complete/2026-02-11-deployment-infrastructure-design.md) — Architectural decisions and design rationale behind this deployment approach

## Table of Contents

1. [Prerequisites](#1-prerequisites)
2. [Quick Start](#2-quick-start)
3. [Environment Configuration](#3-environment-configuration)
4. [Database Setup](#4-database-setup)
5. [Running the Container](#5-running-the-container)
6. [Reverse Proxy Setup](#6-reverse-proxy-setup)
7. [Monitoring & Logs](#7-monitoring--logs)
8. [Upgrading](#8-upgrading)
9. [Troubleshooting](#9-troubleshooting)
10. [Docker Compose Example](#10-docker-compose-example)
11. [NixOS Deployment](#11-nixos-deployment)

---

## 1. Prerequisites

Before deploying atBB, ensure you have the following:

### Infrastructure Requirements

- **PostgreSQL 14+**
  - Managed service recommended: AWS RDS, DigitalOcean Managed Database, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, or similar
  - Minimum 1GB RAM, 10GB storage (scales with forum size)
  - SSL/TLS support enabled (`?sslmode=require`)
  - Database user with CREATE/ALTER/SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE permissions

- **Domain Name & DNS**
  - Registered domain name (e.g., `forum.example.com`)
  - DNS A/AAAA record pointing to your server's public IP
  - Recommended: wildcard DNS for future subdomains (`*.forum.example.com`)

- **Container Runtime**
  - Docker 20.10+ or Docker Desktop
  - Minimum 512MB RAM allocated to container (1GB+ recommended)
  - 2GB disk space for container image and logs

### AT Protocol Requirements

**IMPORTANT:** atBB integrates with the AT Protocol network (the decentralized protocol powering Bluesky). You must set up your forum's AT Protocol identity before deployment.

#### 1. Choose a Personal Data Server (PDS)

Your forum needs a PDS to store its records (forum metadata, categories, moderation actions). Options:

- **Self-hosted PDS:** Run your own PDS instance (advanced, recommended for sovereignty)
  - Guide: https://github.com/bluesky-social/pds
  - Requires separate server and domain
  - Full control over data and federation

- **Hosted PDS:** Use Bluesky's PDS (`https://bsky.social`) or another provider
  - Simpler setup, lower maintenance
  - Suitable for testing and small forums

#### 2. Create Forum Account

Create an account for your forum on your chosen PDS:

```bash
# Example with Bluesky PDS
# Visit https://bsky.app and create account with your forum's handle
# Handle should match your domain: forum.example.com
```

**Record these values (you'll need them later):**
- Forum Handle: `forum.example.com`
- Forum Password: (choose a strong password, minimum 16 characters)
- Forum DID: `did:plc:xxxxxxxxxxxxx` (found in account settings or PDS admin interface)
- PDS URL: `https://bsky.social` (or your PDS URL)

#### 3. Understand Lexicon Namespace

atBB uses the `space.atbb.*` lexicon namespace for its records:
- `space.atbb.forum.forum` — Forum metadata (name, description, rules)
- `space.atbb.forum.category` — Forum categories
- `space.atbb.post` — User posts and replies
- `space.atbb.membership` — User membership records
- `space.atbb.modAction` — Moderation actions

Your forum's DID will own the forum-level records, while users' DIDs own their posts and memberships.

### Security Requirements

- **TLS/SSL Certificate:** Let's Encrypt (free) or commercial certificate
- **Firewall:** Restrict inbound ports to 80/443 only
- **SSH Access:** Key-based authentication (disable password auth)
- **Secrets Management:** Secure storage for environment variables (consider cloud secrets manager)

> **Before deploying:** Read [docs/trust-model.md](trust-model.md). It explains what the AppView controls (the Forum DID's credentials and write access), what your users can count on, and the security implications of a compromised server.

---

## 2. Quick Start

Follow these steps for a minimal working deployment. Detailed explanations follow in later sections.

### Step 1: Pull the Docker Image

```bash
# Pull latest stable version
docker pull ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest

# Or pin to a specific version (recommended for production)
docker pull ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.0.0
```

Expected output:
```
latest: Pulling from malpercio-dev/atbb
e7c96db7181b: Pull complete
...
Status: Downloaded newer image for ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

### Step 2: Create Environment File

```bash
# Copy the template
curl -o .env.production https://raw.githubusercontent.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/main/.env.production.example

# Generate a strong session secret
openssl rand -hex 32
# Output: a1b2c3d4e5f6789012345678901234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef123456
```

**Edit `.env.production` and fill in these REQUIRED values:**

```bash
# Database connection (from your PostgreSQL provider)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://atbb_user:YOUR_DB_PASSWORD@db.example.com:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require

# AT Protocol credentials (from Prerequisites step)
FORUM_DID=did:plc:YOUR_FORUM_DID
PDS_URL=https://bsky.social
FORUM_HANDLE=forum.example.com
FORUM_PASSWORD=YOUR_FORUM_PASSWORD

# OAuth configuration (your public domain)
OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL=https://forum.example.com

# Session security (use the openssl output from above)
SESSION_SECRET=a1b2c3d4e5f6789012345678901234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef123456
```

**Secure the file:**
```bash
chmod 600 .env.production
```

### Step 3: Run Database Migrations

**CRITICAL:** Run migrations BEFORE starting the application. This creates the database schema.

```bash
docker run --rm \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest \
  pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate
```

Expected output:
```
> @atbb/db@0.1.0 db:migrate
> drizzle-kit migrate

Reading migrations from migrations/
Applying migration: 0000_initial_schema.sql
Migration applied successfully
```

**If this fails, DO NOT proceed.** See [Section 4: Database Setup](#4-database-setup) for troubleshooting.

### Step 4: Start the Container

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

Options explained:
- `-d` — Run in background (detached mode)
- `--name atbb` — Name the container for easy management
- `--restart unless-stopped` — Auto-restart on crashes or server reboot
- `-p 8080:80` — Map host port 8080 to container port 80
- `--env-file .env.production` — Load environment variables

**Verify the container is running:**
```bash
docker ps | grep atbb
# Expected: Container with STATUS "Up X seconds"

docker logs atbb
# Expected: No errors, services starting
```

**Test the application:**
```bash
curl http://localhost:8080/api/healthz
# Expected: {"status":"ok"}
```

### Step 5: Configure Reverse Proxy

**The container is now running on port 8080, but NOT accessible publicly yet.** You need a reverse proxy to:
- Terminate TLS/SSL (HTTPS)
- Forward traffic from your domain to the container
- Handle automatic certificate renewal

**Recommended setup with Caddy (automatic HTTPS):**

Install Caddy:
```bash
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install caddy
```

Edit `/etc/caddy/Caddyfile`:
```
forum.example.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}
```

Reload Caddy:
```bash
sudo systemctl reload caddy
```

**Caddy will automatically obtain a Let's Encrypt certificate and enable HTTPS.**

### Step 6: Verify Deployment

Visit your forum: **https://forum.example.com**

Expected: atBB home page loads with no errors.

**If you see errors, proceed to [Section 9: Troubleshooting](#9-troubleshooting).**

---

## 3. Environment Configuration

Complete reference for all environment variables. See `.env.production.example` for detailed comments.

### Required Variables

| Variable | Description | Example |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| `DATABASE_URL` | Database connection string (PostgreSQL or SQLite) | PostgreSQL: `postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/dbname?sslmode=require`; SQLite: `file:./atbb.db` |
| `FORUM_DID` | Forum's AT Protocol DID | `did:plc:abcdef1234567890` |
| `PDS_URL` | Personal Data Server URL | `https://bsky.social` |
| `FORUM_HANDLE` | Forum's AT Protocol handle | `forum.example.com` |
| `FORUM_PASSWORD` | Forum account password | (minimum 16 characters, alphanumeric + symbols) |
| `OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL` | Public URL for OAuth redirects | `https://forum.example.com` (MUST be HTTPS in production) |
| `SESSION_SECRET` | Session encryption key | Generate with: `openssl rand -hex 32` |

### Optional Variables

| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `PORT` | `3000` | AppView API port (internal) |
| `WEB_PORT` | `3001` | Web UI port (internal) |
| `APPVIEW_URL` | `http://localhost:3000` | Internal API URL (keep as localhost for single container) |
| `JETSTREAM_URL` | `wss://jetstream2.us-east.bsky.network/subscribe` | AT Protocol firehose URL |
| `SESSION_TTL_DAYS` | `30` | Session lifetime in days (1-90 range) |
| `REDIS_URL` | (none) | Redis connection string (future: multi-instance deployments) |

### Security Best Practices

**SESSION_SECRET Generation:**
```bash
# CRITICAL: Never use a predictable value or leave blank
openssl rand -hex 32

# Use different secrets for dev/staging/production
# Rotating the secret invalidates all active sessions
```

**Password Requirements:**
- Minimum 16 characters
- Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols
- Unique per environment (never reuse)
- Store in password manager or secrets vault

**Connection String Security:**
```bash
# Good: SSL/TLS enforced
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=require

# Bad: Plain text connection (vulnerable to MITM)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db
```

**File Permissions:**
```bash
# Protect your environment file
chmod 600 .env.production

# Verify permissions
ls -la .env.production
# Expected: -rw------- (read/write for owner only)
```

### Environment Loading Methods

**Docker CLI:**
```bash
# Recommended: Load from file with --init for better signal handling
docker run --init --env-file .env.production ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest

# Alternative: Individual variables (for orchestrators)
docker run --init \
  -e DATABASE_URL="postgresql://..." \
  -e FORUM_DID="did:plc:..." \
  -e SESSION_SECRET="..." \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

**Note:** The `--init` flag enables tini as PID 1, improving signal handling for graceful shutdown. While not strictly required (the container has its own signal handling), it's considered best practice.

**Docker Compose:**
```yaml
services:
  atbb:
    image: ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
    env_file:
      - .env.production
```

**Kubernetes:**
```yaml
# Use Secrets (NOT ConfigMaps for sensitive data)
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: atbb-secrets
type: Opaque
stringData:
  DATABASE_URL: "postgresql://..."
  SESSION_SECRET: "..."
---
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: atbb
        envFrom:
        - secretRef:
            name: atbb-secrets
```

---

## 4. Database Setup

atBB supports two database backends:

- **PostgreSQL** (recommended for production) — full-featured, suitable for multi-user/multi-server deployments
- **SQLite/LibSQL** (lightweight alternative) — single-file database, ideal for small self-hosted forums. Use a `file:` prefix in `DATABASE_URL` (e.g. `file:./atbb.db`) and run the SQLite-specific migrations (`docker-compose.sqlite.yml` for Docker or set `database.type = "sqlite"` in the NixOS module).

The rest of this section covers PostgreSQL provisioning. SQLite requires no separate server setup — just point `DATABASE_URL` at a file path.

### PostgreSQL Provisioning

#### Option 1: Managed Database (Recommended)

**AWS RDS:**
1. Navigate to RDS Console → Create Database
2. Choose PostgreSQL 14+ (latest stable version)
3. Select appropriate instance size:
   - Small forum (<1000 users): `db.t3.micro` or `db.t4g.micro`
   - Medium forum (1000-10000 users): `db.t3.small` or `db.t4g.small`
   - Large forum (10000+ users): `db.t3.medium` or higher
4. Enable "Storage Auto Scaling" (start with 20GB)
5. Enable "Automated Backups" (7-30 day retention)
6. Enable "Publicly Accessible" only if container is in different VPC
7. Security group: Allow PostgreSQL (5432) from container's IP/VPC
8. Create database: `atbb_prod`
9. Create user: `atbb_user` with generated password

Connection string format:
```
postgresql://atbb_user:PASSWORD@instance-name.region.rds.amazonaws.com:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require
```

**DigitalOcean Managed Database:**
1. Navigate to Databases → Create → PostgreSQL
2. Choose datacenter closest to your Droplet/container
3. Select plan (Basic $15/mo sufficient for small forums)
4. Create database: `atbb_prod`
5. Create user: `atbb_user` with generated password
6. Add trusted source: Your Droplet's IP or "All" for simplicity
7. Download CA certificate (optional, for certificate validation)

Connection string provided in dashboard (copy and use directly).

**Azure Database for PostgreSQL:**
1. Navigate to Azure Database for PostgreSQL → Create
2. Choose "Flexible Server" (simpler, cheaper)
3. Select region and compute tier (Burstable B1ms sufficient for small forums)
4. Enable "High Availability" for production (optional)
5. Configure firewall: Add your container's public IP
6. Create database: `atbb_prod`

Connection string format:
```
postgresql://atbb_user@servername:PASSWORD@servername.postgres.database.azure.com:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require
```

#### Option 2: Self-Hosted PostgreSQL

**Installation (Ubuntu/Debian):**
```bash
# Install PostgreSQL
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib

# Start and enable service
sudo systemctl enable postgresql
sudo systemctl start postgresql
```

**Create database and user:**
```bash
sudo -u postgres psql

-- In psql prompt:
CREATE DATABASE atbb_prod;
CREATE USER atbb_user WITH PASSWORD 'YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE atbb_prod TO atbb_user;
\q
```

**Enable remote connections (if container is on different host):**

Edit `/etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf`:
```
listen_addresses = '*'  # Or specific IP
```

Edit `/etc/postgresql/14/main/pg_hba.conf`:
```
# Add this line (replace 0.0.0.0/0 with specific IP range in production)
host    atbb_prod    atbb_user    0.0.0.0/0    scram-sha-256
```

Restart PostgreSQL:
```bash
sudo systemctl restart postgresql
```

Connection string:
```
postgresql://atbb_user:YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD@your-server-ip:5432/atbb_prod
```

### Running Database Migrations

Migrations create the database schema (tables, indexes, constraints).

**First-time setup:**
```bash
docker run --rm \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest \
  pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate
```

Options explained:
- `--rm` — Remove container after migration completes
- `--env-file .env.production` — Load database connection string
- `pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate` — Run Drizzle migrations

**Expected output (success):**
```
Reading migrations from /app/packages/db/migrations
Applying migration: 0000_initial_schema.sql
Applying migration: 0001_add_deleted_flag.sql
All migrations applied successfully
```

**Verify migrations:**
```bash
# Connect to your database
psql "postgresql://atbb_user:PASSWORD@host:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require"

# List tables
\dt

# Expected output (12 tables):
#  Schema |         Name          | Type  |   Owner
# --------+-----------------------+-------+-----------
#  public | backfill_errors       | table | atbb_user
#  public | backfill_progress     | table | atbb_user
#  public | boards                | table | atbb_user
#  public | categories            | table | atbb_user
#  public | firehose_cursor       | table | atbb_user
#  public | forums                | table | atbb_user
#  public | memberships           | table | atbb_user
#  public | mod_actions           | table | atbb_user
#  public | posts                 | table | atbb_user
#  public | role_permissions      | table | atbb_user
#  public | roles                 | table | atbb_user
#  public | users                 | table | atbb_user
```

### Migration Troubleshooting

**Error: "database does not exist"**
```
FATAL: database "atbb_prod" does not exist
```

Solution: Create the database first (see self-hosted instructions above, or create via cloud console).

**Error: "password authentication failed"**
```
FATAL: password authentication failed for user "atbb_user"
```

Solution: Verify credentials in `DATABASE_URL` match database user.

**Error: "connection refused"**
```
Error: connect ECONNREFUSED
```

Solution:
- Check database host/port are correct
- Verify firewall allows connections from container's IP
- For cloud databases, ensure "trusted sources" includes your IP

**Error: "SSL connection required"**
```
FATAL: no pg_hba.conf entry for host, SSL off
```

Solution: Add `?sslmode=require` to connection string.

**Error: "permission denied for schema public"**
```
ERROR: permission denied for schema public
```

Solution: Grant schema permissions:
```sql
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO atbb_user;
GRANT CREATE ON SCHEMA public TO atbb_user;
```

---

## 5. Running the Container

### Basic Deployment

**Production command (recommended):**
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

**Pin to specific version (recommended for stability):**
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.0.0
```

**Pin to specific commit SHA (for rollback/testing):**
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:main-a1b2c3d
```

### Advanced Options

**Custom port mapping:**
```bash
# Expose on different host port
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  -p 3000:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest

# Bind to specific interface (localhost only)
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

**Resource limits:**
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --memory="1g" \
  --cpus="1.0" \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

**Custom network:**
```bash
# Create network
docker network create atbb-network

# Run with network
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --network atbb-network \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

### Container Management

**View logs:**
```bash
# All logs
docker logs atbb

# Follow logs (live)
docker logs -f atbb

# Last 100 lines
docker logs --tail 100 atbb

# Logs since timestamp
docker logs --since 2026-02-12T10:00:00 atbb
```

**Stop container:**
```bash
docker stop atbb
```

**Start stopped container:**
```bash
docker start atbb
```

**Restart container:**
```bash
docker restart atbb
```

**Remove container:**
```bash
# Stop first
docker stop atbb

# Remove
docker rm atbb
```

**Execute commands inside container (debugging):**
```bash
# Interactive shell
docker exec -it atbb sh

# Run single command
docker exec atbb ps aux
docker exec atbb df -h
docker exec atbb cat /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
```

### Health Checks

The container exposes a health endpoint:

**Check via curl:**
```bash
curl http://localhost:8080/api/healthz
```

**Expected response:**
```json
{"status":"ok"}
```

**Check via Docker:**
```bash
docker inspect atbb | grep -A 5 Health
```

**Use in monitoring scripts:**
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# health-check.sh

HEALTH=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://localhost:8080/api/healthz)

if [ "$HEALTH" != "200" ]; then
  echo "ALERT: atBB health check failed (HTTP $HEALTH)"
  # Send alert (email, Slack, PagerDuty, etc.)
  exit 1
fi

echo "OK: atBB is healthy"
exit 0
```

**Run as cron job:**
```bash
# Check every 5 minutes
*/5 * * * * /path/to/health-check.sh >> /var/log/atbb-health.log 2>&1
```

---

## 6. Reverse Proxy Setup

The container exposes HTTP on port 80. In production, you need a reverse proxy to:
- Terminate TLS/SSL (enable HTTPS)
- Manage domain routing
- Handle certificate renewal
- Provide additional security headers

### Caddy (Recommended)

**Why Caddy:**
- Automatic HTTPS with Let's Encrypt (zero configuration)
- Simple configuration syntax
- Auto-renewal of certificates
- Modern defaults (HTTP/2, security headers)

**Installation:**

Ubuntu/Debian:
```bash
sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install caddy
```

CentOS/RHEL:
```bash
dnf install 'dnf-command(copr)'
dnf copr enable @caddy/caddy
dnf install caddy
```

**Basic Configuration:**

Edit `/etc/caddy/Caddyfile`:
```
forum.example.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}
```

**Advanced Configuration (with security headers):**

```
forum.example.com {
    # Reverse proxy to atBB container
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080

    # Security headers
    header {
        # Enable HSTS (force HTTPS)
        Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload"

        # Prevent clickjacking
        X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"

        # Prevent MIME sniffing
        X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"

        # XSS protection
        X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"

        # Referrer policy
        Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin"

        # Content Security Policy (adjust as needed)
        Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline';"
    }

    # Access logs
    log {
        output file /var/log/caddy/atbb-access.log
        format json
    }
}
```

**Apply configuration:**
```bash
# Validate configuration
sudo caddy validate --config /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

# Reload Caddy (no downtime)
sudo systemctl reload caddy

# Check status
sudo systemctl status caddy
```

**Verify HTTPS:**
```bash
curl -I https://forum.example.com
# Expected: HTTP/2 200 with security headers
```

### nginx

**Installation:**
```bash
sudo apt install -y nginx
```

**Configuration:**

Create `/etc/nginx/sites-available/atbb`:
```nginx
# HTTP -> HTTPS redirect
server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    server_name forum.example.com;
    return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;
}

# HTTPS server
server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
    server_name forum.example.com;

    # SSL certificates (obtain via certbot)
    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/forum.example.com/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/forum.example.com/privkey.pem;
    ssl_trusted_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/forum.example.com/chain.pem;

    # SSL settings (Mozilla Modern configuration)
    ssl_protocols TLSv1.3;
    ssl_prefer_server_ciphers off;
    ssl_session_timeout 1d;
    ssl_session_cache shared:SSL:10m;
    ssl_session_tickets off;

    # Security headers
    add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload" always;
    add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always;
    add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;
    add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block" always;

    # Proxy to atBB container
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        # WebSocket support (for future features)
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    }

    # Access logs
    access_log /var/log/nginx/atbb-access.log combined;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/atbb-error.log;
}
```

**Obtain SSL certificate with Certbot:**
```bash
# Install Certbot
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx

# Obtain certificate (interactive)
sudo certbot --nginx -d forum.example.com

# Certbot will automatically:
# - Validate domain ownership
# - Obtain certificate from Let's Encrypt
# - Update nginx configuration
# - Set up auto-renewal
```

**Enable site:**
```bash
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/atbb /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t  # Test configuration
sudo systemctl reload nginx
```

### Traefik

**docker-compose.yml with Traefik:**
```yaml
version: '3.8'

services:
  traefik:
    image: traefik:v2.11
    command:
      - "--providers.docker=true"
      - "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
      - "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.tlschallenge=true"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.email=admin@example.com"
      - "--certificatesresolvers.letsencrypt.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro"
      - "./letsencrypt:/letsencrypt"

  atbb:
    image: ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
    env_file:
      - .env.production
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.atbb.rule=Host(`forum.example.com`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.atbb.entrypoints=websecure"
      - "traefik.http.routers.atbb.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
      - "traefik.http.services.atbb.loadbalancer.server.port=80"
```

Start with:
```bash
docker-compose up -d
```

---

## 7. Monitoring & Logs

### Container Logs

**View logs:**
```bash
# All logs
docker logs atbb

# Follow logs (real-time)
docker logs -f atbb

# Filter by timestamp
docker logs --since 2026-02-12T10:00:00 atbb
docker logs --until 2026-02-12T12:00:00 atbb
```

**Log format:** JSON structured logs

Example log entry:
```json
{
  "level": "info",
  "time": "2026-02-12T14:30:00.000Z",
  "service": "appview",
  "msg": "HTTP request",
  "method": "GET",
  "path": "/api/forum",
  "status": 200,
  "duration": 15
}
```

**Parse logs with jq:**
```bash
# Filter by level
docker logs atbb | grep '^{' | jq 'select(.level == "error")'

# Extract errors from last hour
docker logs --since 1h atbb | grep '^{' | jq 'select(.level == "error")'

# Count requests by path
docker logs atbb | grep '^{' | jq -r '.path' | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr
```

### Log Persistence

**Forward to log aggregator:**

Using Docker logging driver (syslog):
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --log-driver syslog \
  --log-opt syslog-address=udp://logserver:514 \
  --log-opt tag="atbb" \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

Using Docker logging driver (json-file with rotation):
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --log-driver json-file \
  --log-opt max-size=10m \
  --log-opt max-file=3 \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

### Health Monitoring

**Health endpoint:** `GET /api/healthz`

Example monitoring script (save as `/usr/local/bin/atbb-health-check`):
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# atbb-health-check - Monitor atBB health and restart if needed

CONTAINER_NAME="atbb"
HEALTH_URL="http://localhost:8080/api/healthz"
MAX_FAILURES=3

FAILURES=0

while true; do
  # Check health endpoint
  HTTP_CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$HEALTH_URL")

  if [ "$HTTP_CODE" != "200" ]; then
    FAILURES=$((FAILURES + 1))
    echo "$(date): Health check failed (HTTP $HTTP_CODE), failures: $FAILURES/$MAX_FAILURES"

    if [ "$FAILURES" -ge "$MAX_FAILURES" ]; then
      echo "$(date): Max failures reached, restarting container"
      docker restart "$CONTAINER_NAME"
      FAILURES=0
      sleep 60  # Wait for restart
    fi
  else
    # Reset failure counter on success
    if [ "$FAILURES" -gt 0 ]; then
      echo "$(date): Health check recovered"
    fi
    FAILURES=0
  fi

  sleep 60  # Check every minute
done
```

Run as systemd service:
```bash
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/atbb-health-check

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/atbb-health-check.service
[Unit]
Description=atBB Health Check Monitor
After=docker.service
Requires=docker.service

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/atbb-health-check
Restart=always
StandardOutput=append:/var/log/atbb-health-check.log
StandardError=append:/var/log/atbb-health-check.log

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable atbb-health-check
sudo systemctl start atbb-health-check
```

### Resource Monitoring

**Monitor container resource usage:**
```bash
# Real-time stats
docker stats atbb

# Example output:
# CONTAINER   CPU %   MEM USAGE / LIMIT   MEM %   NET I/O     BLOCK I/O
# atbb        2.5%    256MiB / 1GiB       25%     1.2MB/5MB   0B/0B
```

**Set up alerts for resource limits:**
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# atbb-resource-alert - Alert on high resource usage

CONTAINER="atbb"
CPU_THRESHOLD=80
MEM_THRESHOLD=80

STATS=$(docker stats --no-stream --format "{{.CPUPerc}},{{.MemPerc}}" "$CONTAINER")
CPU=$(echo "$STATS" | cut -d',' -f1 | tr -d '%')
MEM=$(echo "$STATS" | cut -d',' -f2 | tr -d '%')

if [ "$(echo "$CPU > $CPU_THRESHOLD" | bc)" -eq 1 ]; then
  echo "ALERT: CPU usage is ${CPU}% (threshold: ${CPU_THRESHOLD}%)"
  # Send notification (email, Slack, etc.)
fi

if [ "$(echo "$MEM > $MEM_THRESHOLD" | bc)" -eq 1 ]; then
  echo "ALERT: Memory usage is ${MEM}% (threshold: ${MEM_THRESHOLD}%)"
  # Send notification
fi
```

### Future: Observability

Planned enhancements (not yet implemented):
- Prometheus metrics endpoint (`/api/metrics`)
- OpenTelemetry tracing
- Grafana dashboard templates
- Alert manager integration

---

## 8. Upgrading

### Upgrade Process

**IMPORTANT:** Upgrading will cause brief downtime (sessions are stored in memory and will be lost).

**Step 1: Check release notes**
```bash
# View releases on GitHub
# https://github.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/releases

# Look for:
# - Breaking changes
# - Database migration requirements
# - New environment variables
```

**Step 2: Backup database**
```bash
# Backup current database (critical!)
pg_dump "postgresql://atbb_user:PASSWORD@host:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require" \
  > atbb_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).sql

# Verify backup
ls -lh atbb_backup_*.sql
```

**Step 3: Pull new image**
```bash
# Pull specific version
docker pull ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.1.0

# Or pull latest
docker pull ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
```

**Step 4: Run migrations (if required)**
```bash
# Check release notes for migration requirements
# If migrations are needed:
docker run --rm \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.1.0 \
  pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate
```

**Step 5: Stop old container**
```bash
docker stop atbb
docker rm atbb
```

**Step 6: Start new container**
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.1.0
```

**Step 7: Verify upgrade**
```bash
# Check logs for errors
docker logs atbb

# Test health endpoint
curl http://localhost:8080/api/healthz

# Visit forum in browser
# Test key functionality (login, post, etc.)
```

### Rollback Procedure

If upgrade fails, rollback to previous version:

**Step 1: Stop broken container**
```bash
docker stop atbb
docker rm atbb
```

**Step 2: Restore database (if migrations were run)**
```bash
# Connect to database
psql "postgresql://atbb_user:PASSWORD@host:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require"

# Drop all tables
DROP SCHEMA public CASCADE;
CREATE SCHEMA public;

# Restore from backup
psql "postgresql://atbb_user:PASSWORD@host:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require" \
  < atbb_backup_20260212_140000.sql
```

**Step 3: Start old version**
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name atbb \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.0.0
```

### Zero-Downtime Upgrades (Future)

Once Redis session storage is implemented, you can upgrade with zero downtime:

1. Start new container on different port
2. Test new version
3. Switch reverse proxy to new port
4. Stop old container

**Not currently supported** because sessions are in-memory.

---

## 9. Troubleshooting

### Container Won't Start

**Symptom:** Container exits immediately after starting

**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker logs atbb
```

**Common causes:**

1. **Missing environment variables**
   ```
   Error: DATABASE_URL is required
   ```
   Solution: Verify `.env.production` has all required variables (see Section 3).

2. **Database connection failed**
   ```
   Error: connect ECONNREFUSED
   ```
   Solution:
   - Verify `DATABASE_URL` is correct
   - Check firewall allows connections from container's IP
   - Test connection manually: `psql "postgresql://..."`

3. **Port already in use**
   ```
   Error: bind: address already in use
   ```
   Solution: Change host port mapping: `-p 8081:80`

4. **Migrations not run**
   ```
   Error: relation "forums" does not exist
   ```
   Solution: Run migrations (Section 4).

### Database Connection Issues

**Symptom:** Application starts but fails on database queries

**Error examples:**
```
FATAL: password authentication failed for user "atbb_user"
FATAL: no pg_hba.conf entry for host, SSL off
Error: connect ETIMEDOUT
```

**Solutions:**

1. **Test connection manually:**
   ```bash
   psql "postgresql://atbb_user:PASSWORD@host:5432/atbb_prod?sslmode=require"
   ```
   If this fails, the issue is NOT with atBB (fix database access first).

2. **Check credentials:**
   - Verify username/password in `DATABASE_URL`
   - Ensure user has been created in database

3. **Check SSL settings:**
   ```bash
   # If database requires SSL, ensure connection string includes:
   DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...?sslmode=require
   ```

4. **Check network/firewall:**
   - Verify container can reach database host
   - Test from within container: `docker exec atbb ping db.example.com`
   - Check cloud provider security groups/firewall rules

### OAuth Redirect URI Mismatch

**Symptom:** Login fails with "redirect URI mismatch" error

**Cause:** `OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL` doesn't match the actual domain users access

**Solution:**

1. Verify `OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL` in `.env.production`:
   ```bash
   OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL=https://forum.example.com  # Must match actual domain
   ```

2. Common mistakes:
   - ❌ `http://` instead of `https://` (use HTTPS in production)
   - ❌ Trailing slash: `https://forum.example.com/` (remove trailing slash)
   - ❌ Wrong subdomain: `https://www.forum.example.com` vs `https://forum.example.com`

3. Restart container after fixing:
   ```bash
   docker restart atbb
   ```

### PDS Connectivity Problems

**Symptom:** Cannot create posts, forum metadata not syncing

**Error in logs:**
```
Error: Failed to connect to PDS: ENOTFOUND
Error: Invalid credentials for FORUM_HANDLE
```

**Solutions:**

1. **Verify PDS URL:**
   ```bash
   curl https://bsky.social/xrpc/_health
   # Should return: {"version":"0.x.x"}
   ```

2. **Test forum credentials:**
   ```bash
   # Use atproto CLI or curl to test auth
   curl -X POST https://bsky.social/xrpc/com.atproto.server.createSession \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "identifier": "forum.example.com",
       "password": "YOUR_FORUM_PASSWORD"
     }'
   # Should return: {"did":"did:plc:...","accessJwt":"..."}
   ```

3. **Check environment variables:**
   ```bash
   docker exec atbb env | grep -E 'FORUM_|PDS_'
   # Verify all values are correct
   ```

### High Memory Usage

**Symptom:** Container using excessive memory (>1GB)

**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker stats atbb
```

**Solutions:**

1. **Set memory limit:**
   ```bash
   docker update --memory="512m" atbb
   ```

2. **Check for memory leak:**
   - Monitor over time: `docker stats atbb`
   - If memory grows continuously, report issue with logs

3. **Increase container memory:**
   ```bash
   # For large forums, 1-2GB may be normal
   docker update --memory="2g" atbb
   ```

### Logs Filling Disk

**Symptom:** Disk space running out due to large log files

**Check log size:**
```bash
du -sh /var/lib/docker/containers/*/
```

**Solutions:**

1. **Configure log rotation (recommended):**
   ```bash
   # Stop container
   docker stop atbb
   docker rm atbb

   # Restart with log rotation
   docker run -d \
     --name atbb \
     --log-opt max-size=10m \
     --log-opt max-file=3 \
     -p 8080:80 \
     --env-file .env.production \
     ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest
   ```

2. **Manually clean logs:**
   ```bash
   # Truncate logs (preserves container)
   truncate -s 0 $(docker inspect --format='{{.LogPath}}' atbb)
   ```

3. **Use external log aggregator** (syslog, fluentd, etc.)

### Container Performance Issues

**Symptom:** Slow response times, high CPU usage

**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker stats atbb
docker top atbb
```

**Solutions:**

1. **Check database performance:**
   - Slow queries often bottleneck at database
   - Monitor database server metrics
   - Add indexes if needed (consult forum performance guide)

2. **Increase resources:**
   ```bash
   docker update --cpus="2.0" --memory="1g" atbb
   ```

3. **Check reverse proxy settings:**
   - Ensure proxy is not buffering excessively
   - Verify HTTP/2 is enabled for better performance

4. **Monitor specific endpoints:**
   ```bash
   # Extract slow requests from logs
   docker logs atbb | grep '^{' | jq 'select(.duration > 1000)'
   ```

### Session Errors / Random Logouts

**Symptom:** Users randomly logged out, "session expired" errors

**Causes:**

1. **Container restarted** — Sessions are in-memory, lost on restart
2. **SESSION_SECRET changed** — Invalidates all sessions
3. **SESSION_SECRET not set** — Each restart generates new secret

**Solutions:**

1. **Verify SESSION_SECRET is set:**
   ```bash
   docker exec atbb env | grep SESSION_SECRET
   # Should show a 64-character hex string
   ```

2. **If blank, generate and set:**
   ```bash
   openssl rand -hex 32
   # Add to .env.production
   # Restart container
   ```

3. **Future:** Use Redis for persistent sessions (not yet implemented)

### Getting Help

If you cannot resolve an issue:

1. **Collect diagnostics:**
   ```bash
   # Container logs
   docker logs atbb > atbb-logs.txt

   # Container info
   docker inspect atbb > atbb-inspect.json

   # Resource usage
   docker stats --no-stream atbb
   ```

2. **Sanitize sensitive data:**
   - Remove passwords from logs
   - Remove `SESSION_SECRET` from environment dumps

3. **Report issue:**
   - GitHub Issues: https://github.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/issues
   - Include: atBB version, error messages, steps to reproduce
   - Attach sanitized logs

---

## 10. Docker Compose Example

For simpler local testing or single-server deployments, use Docker Compose.

**File:** `docker-compose.example.yml` (included in repository)

### What It Provides

- PostgreSQL database (local development)
- atBB application container
- Automatic dependency management (atBB waits for PostgreSQL)
- Volume persistence for database
- Health checks

### Usage

**Step 1: Download files**
```bash
# Download docker-compose.example.yml
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/main/docker-compose.example.yml

# Download .env.production.example
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/main/.env.production.example

# Rename to .env
mv .env.production.example .env
```

**Step 2: Configure environment**
```bash
# Generate session secret
openssl rand -hex 32

# Edit .env and fill in:
nano .env
```

Required changes in `.env`:
```bash
# AT Protocol credentials (from Prerequisites)
FORUM_DID=did:plc:YOUR_FORUM_DID
PDS_URL=https://bsky.social
FORUM_HANDLE=forum.example.com
FORUM_PASSWORD=YOUR_FORUM_PASSWORD

# OAuth (for local testing, use http://localhost)
OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL=http://localhost

# Session secret (generated above)
SESSION_SECRET=a1b2c3d4e5f6...

# Database connection will be set by docker-compose
# (Uses container name "postgres" as hostname)
```

**Step 3: Start services**
```bash
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml up -d
```

Expected output:
```
Creating network "atbb_default" with the default driver
Creating volume "atbb_postgres_data" with default driver
Creating atbb-postgres ... done
Creating atbb-app ... done
```

**Step 4: Run migrations**
```bash
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml exec atbb \
  pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate
```

**Step 5: Access forum**

Visit: **http://localhost**

### Management Commands

**View logs:**
```bash
# All services
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml logs -f

# Specific service
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml logs -f atbb
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml logs -f postgres
```

**Stop services:**
```bash
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml down
```

**Stop and remove data:**
```bash
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml down -v
# WARNING: This deletes the database volume!
```

**Restart services:**
```bash
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml restart
```

**Upgrade to new version:**
```bash
# Pull new image
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml pull atbb

# Run migrations (if required by release notes)
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml exec atbb \
  pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate

# Restart
docker-compose -f docker-compose.example.yml restart atbb
```

### Production Considerations

**DO NOT use docker-compose.example.yml as-is in production.**

Limitations:
- Database password is weak (change in compose file)
- No TLS/SSL for database
- No backups configured
- Single-server only

**For production:**
1. Use managed PostgreSQL (AWS RDS, DigitalOcean, etc.)
2. Run atBB container separately (not with local PostgreSQL)
3. Set up reverse proxy with HTTPS (Caddy/nginx)
4. Use strong passwords and secrets
5. Configure automated backups
6. Set up monitoring and alerting

**Modified compose for production (atBB only, external DB):**
```yaml
version: '3.8'

services:
  atbb:
    image: ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:v1.0.0
    container_name: atbb
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:8080:80"  # Bind to localhost only
    env_file:
      - .env.production
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "wget", "--no-verbose", "--tries=1", "--spider", "http://localhost/api/healthz"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 3s
      retries: 3
```

---

## Appendix: Quick Reference

### Required Environment Variables

```bash
# PostgreSQL (production recommended)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=require
# SQLite (lightweight alternative)
# DATABASE_URL=file:./atbb.db
FORUM_DID=did:plc:xxxxxxxxxxxxx
PDS_URL=https://bsky.social
FORUM_HANDLE=forum.example.com
FORUM_PASSWORD=strong_password_16+_chars
OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL=https://forum.example.com
SESSION_SECRET=64_hex_chars_from_openssl_rand
```

### Essential Commands

```bash
# Pull image
docker pull ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest

# Run migrations
docker run --rm --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest \
  pnpm --filter @atbb/appview db:migrate

# Start container
docker run -d --name atbb --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 8080:80 --env-file .env.production \
  ghcr.io/malpercio-dev/atbb:latest

# View logs
docker logs -f atbb

# Stop/restart
docker stop atbb
docker restart atbb

# Health check
curl http://localhost:8080/api/healthz
```

### Support Resources

- **Documentation:** https://github.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/tree/main/docs
- **Issues:** https://github.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/issues
- **Releases:** https://github.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/releases
- **AT Protocol Docs:** https://atproto.com/docs

### Security Checklist

Before going to production:

- [ ] Generated `SESSION_SECRET` with `openssl rand -hex 32`
- [ ] Used strong, unique passwords (minimum 16 characters)
- [ ] Enabled database SSL/TLS (`?sslmode=require`)
- [ ] Set `OAUTH_PUBLIC_URL` to HTTPS domain (not HTTP)
- [ ] Set file permissions: `chmod 600 .env.production`
- [ ] Never committed `.env.production` to version control
- [ ] Configured reverse proxy with HTTPS (Caddy/nginx)
- [ ] Set up database backups
- [ ] Configured log rotation
- [ ] Set up health monitoring
- [ ] Restricted firewall to ports 80/443 only
- [ ] Tested backup restoration procedure

---

## 11. NixOS Deployment

The atBB flake provides a NixOS module that manages all services declaratively:

- **`atbb-appview`** — Hono API server (systemd service)
- **`atbb-web`** — Hono web UI server (systemd service)
- **`atbb-migrate`** — One-shot database migration service
- **PostgreSQL 17** — Local database with peer authentication (optional)
- **nginx** — Reverse proxy with automatic ACME/Let's Encrypt TLS (optional)

The module is suitable for single-server deployments. Sections 1–10 of this guide describe Docker-based deployment; this section covers the NixOS path exclusively.

### Step 1: Add atBB as a Flake Input

In your NixOS system flake:

```nix
{
  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
    atbb.url    = "github:malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo";
  };

  outputs = { nixpkgs, atbb, ... }: {
    nixosConfigurations.my-server = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
      system  = "x86_64-linux";
      modules = [
        atbb.nixosModules.default
        ./configuration.nix
      ];
    };
  };
}
```

> **Note:** The module is exported as `nixosModules.default`, not `nixosModules.atbb`.

### Step 2: Create the Environment File

The module reads secrets from an environment file on the server (never bake secrets into the Nix store). Create the file at a path of your choosing — `/etc/atbb/env` is a reasonable default:

```bash
sudo mkdir -p /etc/atbb
sudo tee /etc/atbb/env > /dev/null <<'EOF'
# Database — Unix socket peer auth (matches services.atbb.user = "atbb")
DATABASE_URL=postgres:///atbb?host=/run/postgresql
# PGHOST makes postgres.js use the Unix socket directory reliably,
# since it does not always honour the ?host= query parameter in URLs.
PGHOST=/run/postgresql

# Session security
SESSION_SECRET=<generate with: openssl rand -hex 32>

# Forum AT Protocol account credentials
FORUM_HANDLE=forum.example.com
FORUM_PASSWORD=<your forum account password>
EOF

sudo chmod 600 /etc/atbb/env
```

**Why Unix socket for `DATABASE_URL`?**
When `database.enable = true` (the default), the module creates a local PostgreSQL 17 instance and configures peer authentication. Peer auth maps the OS user name to the database user name — no password needed. The connection string `postgres:///atbb?host=/run/postgresql` says: connect to the `atbb` database via the Unix socket at `/run/postgresql`, as the current OS user (`atbb`).

**Secrets management:** For automated deployments, consider [sops-nix](https://github.com/Mic92/sops-nix) or [agenix](https://github.com/ryantm/agenix) to provision `/etc/atbb/env` as an encrypted secret rather than managing it manually.

### Step 3: Configure the Module

Add to your `configuration.nix`:

```nix
{
  services.atbb = {
    enable  = true;
    domain  = "forum.example.com";
    forumDid = "did:plc:your-forum-did";
    pdsUrl  = "https://bsky.social";

    # Path to the environment file created in Step 2
    environmentFile = /etc/atbb/env;

    # Local PostgreSQL (default: true)
    # Set to false to use an external database via DATABASE_URL
    database.enable = true;

    # Run migrations manually after each deploy (safer)
    # Set to true to run automatically on every appview start
    autoMigrate = false;
  };

  # Required when enableACME = true (the default)
  security.acme = {
    acceptTerms = true;
    defaults.email = "admin@example.com";
  };
}
```

**Important:** When `database.enable = true`, the system user name (`services.atbb.user`, default `"atbb"`) must match the database name (`services.atbb.database.name`, default `"atbb"`). PostgreSQL peer authentication requires this. The module enforces this with an assertion — if you change either value, change both to match.

#### Key Options Reference

| Option | Default | Description |
|--------|---------|-------------|
| `domain` | *(required)* | Public domain for the forum |
| `forumDid` | *(required)* | Forum's AT Protocol DID |
| `pdsUrl` | *(required)* | URL of the forum's PDS |
| `environmentFile` | *(required)* | Path to secrets file |
| `database.enable` | `true` | Provision local PostgreSQL 17 |
| `database.name` | `"atbb"` | Database name |
| `autoMigrate` | `false` | Run migrations on appview start |
| `enableNginx` | `true` | Configure nginx reverse proxy |
| `enableACME` | `true` | Enable Let's Encrypt TLS |
| `appviewPort` | `3000` | Internal port for appview |
| `webPort` | `3001` | Internal port for web UI |
| `user` / `group` | `"atbb"` | System user/group for services |

### Step 4: Deploy

Apply your configuration using your preferred NixOS deployment tool:

```bash
# Local rebuild
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#my-server

# Remote via colmena
colmena apply --on my-server

# Remote via nixos-rebuild
nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#my-server \
  --target-host root@forum.example.com
```

### Step 5: Run Database Migrations

The `atbb-migrate` service is a one-shot systemd unit — it runs once and exits. Trigger it manually after each deployment:

```bash
sudo systemctl start atbb-migrate

# Check migration output
sudo journalctl -u atbb-migrate
```

**Expected output:**
```
Reading migrations from /nix/store/.../apps/appview/drizzle
Applying migration: 0000_initial_schema.sql
...
All migrations applied successfully
```

If you prefer migrations to run automatically on every appview start, set `autoMigrate = true`. Be aware this adds startup latency and prevents appview from starting if migrations fail.

### Step 6: Verify Services

```bash
# Check all atBB services
systemctl status atbb-appview atbb-web

# View live logs
journalctl -fu atbb-appview
journalctl -fu atbb-web

# Test the API
curl http://localhost:3000/api/healthz
# Expected: {"status":"ok"}

# Verify nginx is routing correctly
curl https://forum.example.com/api/healthz
```

### Using Caddy Instead of nginx

If you prefer Caddy, disable the built-in nginx proxy and configure `services.caddy` yourself:

```nix
{
  services.atbb = {
    # ... other options
    enableNginx = false;   # disable built-in nginx virtualHost
    enableACME  = false;   # Caddy manages TLS automatically
  };

  services.caddy = {
    enable = true;
    virtualHosts."forum.example.com".extraConfig = ''
      # AT Protocol well-known endpoints → appview
      # Must reach appview (not web UI) for OAuth to work
      handle /.well-known/* {
        reverse_proxy localhost:${toString config.services.atbb.appviewPort}
      }

      # REST API → appview
      handle /api/* {
        reverse_proxy localhost:${toString config.services.atbb.appviewPort}
      }

      # Web UI — catch-all
      handle {
        reverse_proxy localhost:${toString config.services.atbb.webPort}
      }
    '';
  };
}
```

See `nix/Caddyfile.example` in the repository for the equivalent standalone Caddyfile.

### Upgrading

To upgrade atBB, update the flake input and redeploy:

```bash
# Update atBB to latest
nix flake update atbb

# Redeploy
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#my-server

# Run migrations for the new version
sudo systemctl start atbb-migrate
```

NixOS handles the service restart automatically when the package changes. Because `atbb-appview` and `atbb-web` are declared with `Restart = "on-failure"`, a failed startup will not leave broken processes running.

---

**End of Deployment Guide**

For questions or issues not covered here, please open an issue at:
https://github.com/malpercio-dev/atbb-monorepo/issues