Deploy MarlinSpike as a shared, reverse-proxied Docker workbench.

Local Docker deployment

The checked-in install flow is the normal starting point for local, lab, or field-host deployment:

1. Copy .env.example to .env.
2. Set strong values for DB_PASSWORD, SECRET_KEY, and ADMIN_PASSWORD.
3. Build and start the stack.
4. Check the logs and then open the app on the internal port or through your proxy.

cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d --build
docker compose logs -f app

If ADMIN_PASSWORD is left blank, the first boot generates a random admin password and prints it into the container logs.

Common commands

The install guide keeps the day-two operations set minimal:

docker compose ps
docker compose logs -f app
docker compose down
docker compose restart app

Persistent data

MarlinSpike stores runtime state in named Docker volumes so a rebuild does not remove user uploads, reports, or the database.

Reverse proxy guidance

The project docs recommend keeping the app bound to 127.0.0.1:5001 and placing nginx, Caddy, or Traefik in front of it for TLS termination and public ingress.

• Terminate TLS at the proxy.
• Forward only the internal app port.
• Keep the Flask app bound privately unless you have a deliberate reason to expose it directly.
• Treat the deployment as a shared team surface rather than a general public internet app.

Upgrades and backups

For a normal code update, pull the latest changes and rebuild the containers:

git pull
docker compose up -d --build

Before major upgrades, back up both the database and the data volume:

docker compose exec db pg_dump -U marlinspike marlinspike > marlinspike.sql

Also archive the contents of the data volume or whatever mounted data directory your deployment uses.

Remote deployment and live capture

The repository includes a generic deploy.sh script for remote deployment. The documented pattern is:

REMOTE=deploy@example-host ./deploy.sh

For staging, the project docs also call out deploy-dev.sh.

Live capture is available, but the install notes frame it carefully: it depends on tshark inside the container and should only be enabled on an authorized physical interface for controlled local use, not broad public exposure.