Install with Docker¶
Tip
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Zammad can be deployed using Docker-Compose. You can even use graphical docker front ends like Portainer.
Hint
We do not provide support in terms of Docker (-Compose) or Portainer specific problems. If you choose to run Zammad via Docker, support is only provided for the Zammad application.
Prerequisites¶
This documentation expects you already have a working Docker Compose environment.
Make sure to have at least 4 GB of RAM to run the containers.
Adjust your host’s settings to run Elasticsearch properly:
sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=262144
Deployment with Portainer¶
The easiest way to get Zammad running is via a graphical docker UI. We recommend Portainer. For installation instructions, check out Portainer’s documentation.
- Step 1: Add Stack
In the Portainer GUI (e.g.
https://yourdomain.tld:9443
), choose your target environment, select Stacks and choose Add stack as you can see in the screenshot below.

- Step 2: Build From Repository
Switch to Repository build method and provide the information below:
Name: enter a desired name of the stack
Repository URL:
https://github.com/zammad/zammad-docker-compose
Repository reference:
refs/heads/master
Compose path:
docker-compose.yml
(default)
In some cases, our default environment is not what a Docker-Compose user is looking for. You can customize the stack using pre-defined scenarios and adjust environment variables. Jump to the the customization section below to find more information.

- Step 3: Deploy the Stack
Finally, click the Deploy the stack button. The first time, it may take some time until the Docker images are fetched.
After the stack is ready, you can access Zammad via the configured docker host and port, e.g.
http://localhost:8080/
.
Deployment with Docker-Compose¶
- Step 1: Clone the GitHub Repo
git clone https://github.com/zammad/zammad-docker-compose.git
Make sure to run
git pull
frequently to fetch updates. Alternatively, you can download the files from the releases page.- Step 2: Adjust Environment as Needed
In some cases, our default environment is not what a docker-compose user is looking for. You can customize the stack using pre-defined scenarios and adjust environment variables. Jump to the customization section below to find more information.
- Step 3: Start the stack
cd zammad-docker-compose docker compose up -d
Optional: Use an additional
.yml
file to use a pre-defines scenario. Read on in the Customizing the Zammad Stack section.After the stack is ready, you can access Zammad via the configured docker host and port, e.g.
http://localhost:8080/
.
Exposing the Stack via HTTPS¶
To publish a Zammad stack on the internet, it needs be secured via the HTTPS protocol. To achieve that without modifying the Zammad stack, you can:
Use a reverse proxy like Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM). It has a GUI that provides an easy Letsencrypt integration.
Use a cloudflare tunnel, which provides SSL termination.
Both scenarios are covered in the Docker compose scenarios section.
Customizing the Zammad Stack¶
The Zammad stack can be customized by loading additional scenario files for common use cases. For example, you can deploy the stack with an included Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) or with disabled Postgres or Elasticsearch services, in case you already have these services running.
Please see the Docker compose scenarios section.
To adjust the stack and settings, use docker specific environment variables.
How to Run Commands in the Stack¶
The docker entrypoint script sets up environment variables required by Zammad
to function properly. That is why calling rails
or rake
on the console
should be done via one of the following methods:
In your Portainer GUI, go to the container view and select the running rails container from your Zammad stack. Click on the Exec Console icon in the “Quick Actions” column.
In the “Execute” dialog, select the “rails console” entry point as you can see in the screenshot:
Directly execute a specific command:
docker compose run --rm zammad-railsserver rails r '...your rails command here...'
Run the interactive rails console to manually enter Rails commands:
docker compose run --rm zammad-railsserver rails c
Via docker exec
:
docker exec zammad-docker-compose-zammad-railsserver-1 /docker-entrypoint.sh rails r '...your rails command here...'
If you need to retrieve information from the rails server, you can place
for example pp
(pretty print) in front of your rails command. This
leads to an output in your terminal.