15: BookStack - Documentation Platform / Wiki

BookStack is a self-hosted documentation and wiki platform built with PHP and Laravel. It provides a hierarchical content structure (Books → Chapters → Pages), WYSIWYG editing with Markdown support, full-text search, user roles, and export capabilities. For API documentation, advanced customization, and development guides, see the official BookStack documentation.

Prerequisites

• ✅ Docker installed (Chapter 3)
• ✅ Docker Compose (Chapter 3)
• ✅ Optional: Traefik installed (Chapter 4) for HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
• ✅ Optional: Domain configured (Chapter 4.5), e.g., docs.example.com

Installation via Infinity Tools

Menu Installation

📱 APPLICATIONS → BookStack → Install

CLI Installation

sudo bash /opt/InfinityTools/Solutions/setup-bookstack.sh --install

# With domain (Traefik mode)
export BS_DOMAIN="docs.example.com"
export BS_EMAIL="admin@example.com"
sudo -E bash /opt/InfinityTools/Solutions/setup-bookstack.sh --install

# Standalone mode with custom port
export BS_USE_TRAEFIK=false
export BS_PORT=8092
sudo -E bash /opt/InfinityTools/Solutions/setup-bookstack.sh --install

# Fresh install (delete all data)
sudo bash /opt/InfinityTools/Solutions/setup-bookstack.sh --install --deleteall

Deployment Modes

Traefik Mode (Default)

Uses Traefik for SSL termination and domain routing:

• Automatic Let's Encrypt certificate provisioning
• Domain-based access: https://docs.example.com
• HTTP → HTTPS redirect configured
• Security headers (X-Frame-Options, CSP, etc.)
• Requires: Traefik running, DNS A record configured

Standalone Mode

Direct access with optional HTTPS (self-signed):

• HTTP: http://SERVER_IP:8092
• HTTPS: https://SERVER_IP:8092 (self-signed cert via nginx proxy)
• Default port: 8092 (configurable)
• No domain required

Architecture

Containers

• bookstack - Main BookStack application (lscr.io/linuxserver/bookstack:latest)
• bookstack-db - MariaDB 10.11 database
• bookstack-ssl-proxy - Nginx SSL proxy (standalone HTTPS mode only)

Data Persistence

• Database: /opt/speedbits/bookstack/db_data/ (MariaDB data)
• Config: /opt/speedbits/bookstack/config/ (BookStack config, uploads)
• SSL: /opt/speedbits/bookstack/ssl/ (standalone mode certificates)

Networks

• Traefik network: Joins Traefik's proxy network (Traefik mode)
• bookstack-internal: Isolated bridge network (standalone mode)
• borgmatic-db: Database backup network (for Borgmatic integration)

Installation Process

Configuration Steps

1. SSL Mode Selection: Choose Traefik (default) or Standalone
2. If Traefik: Provide domain name and email
3. If Standalone: Specify port (default: 8092) and SSL mode
4. Database Setup: Random passwords generated and saved
5. App Key: Encryption key generated for BookStack

What Gets Created

• Directory: /opt/speedbits/bookstack
• Containers: bookstack, bookstack-db
• Docker Compose: /opt/speedbits/bookstack/docker-compose.yml
• Password Files: db_password.txt, db_root_password.txt, app_key.txt
• Volumes: Database data, config, SSL certificates

Database Configuration

Database Details

• Type: MariaDB 10.11
• Database: bookstack
• User: bookstack
• Password: Randomly generated, saved in db_password.txt
• Root Password: Saved in db_root_password.txt
• Character Set: utf8mb4
• Collation: utf8mb4_unicode_ci
• Max Packet Size: 256MB

Accessing Database

# View database password
cat /opt/speedbits/bookstack/db_password.txt

# Connect to database
docker exec -it bookstack-db mysql -u bookstack -p bookstack
# Enter password from db_password.txt

# Backup database
docker exec bookstack-db mysqldump -u bookstack -p bookstack > backup.sql

Access Methods

Traefik Mode

https://docs.example.com

Direct web access after DNS propagation and SSL certificate generation (30-60 seconds).

Standalone Mode

HTTP:

http://SERVER_IP:8092

HTTPS:

https://SERVER_IP:8092

Accept self-signed certificate warning (Advanced → Proceed).

Authentication

Default Credentials

• Email: admin@admin.com
• Password: password

⚠️ CRITICAL: Change these immediately after first login! These are public defaults.

User Roles

• Admin - Full system access, user management, settings
• Editor - Can create/edit content, manage own content
• Viewer - Read-only access
• Guest - Public access (if enabled)

Environment Variables

BookStack Container

• APP_URL - Base URL (https://docs.example.com or http://SERVER_IP:8092)
• APP_KEY - Encryption key (base64 encoded, auto-generated)
• DB_HOST - Database host (bookstack-db:3306)
• DB_DATABASE - Database name (bookstack)
• DB_USERNAME - Database user (bookstack)
• DB_PASSWORD - Database password (from db_password.txt)
• MAIL_DRIVER - Email driver (smtp)
• MAIL_HOST - SMTP server
• MAIL_PORT - SMTP port
• MAIL_FROM - From email address

Key Features

Content Management

• Hierarchical structure: Books → Chapters → Pages
• WYSIWYG editor with Markdown support
• Full-text search across all content
• Image uploads and attachments
• Version history and revisions
• Tags and categorization

User Management

• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• User invitations via email
• LDAP/Active Directory integration (advanced)
• OAuth providers (GitHub, Google, etc.)

Export & Integration

• Export to PDF, HTML, Markdown, Plain Text
• REST API for programmatic access
• Webhook support
• RSS feeds

Security Configuration

Access Security

• ✅ Traefik mode uses Let's Encrypt SSL (production-ready)
• ✅ Standalone HTTPS uses self-signed certificates (acceptable for internal use)
• ✅ Security headers configured (X-Frame-Options, CSP, etc.)
• ✅ Password hashing (bcrypt)
• ⚠️ Change default admin credentials immediately

Container Security

• Runs as non-root user (PUID/PGID: 1000)
• Database isolated in separate container
• Network isolation (internal networks)
• Volume mounts for data persistence

Configuration Persistence

• Database Volume: db_data persists all content
• Config Volume: config persists settings and uploads
• Password Files: Saved in /opt/speedbits/bookstack/
• All settings survive container restarts

Backup & Restore

Backup Strategy

# Full backup
cd /opt/speedbits
tar czf bookstack-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz bookstack/

# Database-only backup
docker exec bookstack-db mysqldump -u bookstack -p bookstack > bookstack-db-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

# Config-only backup
tar czf bookstack-config-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz -C /opt/speedbits/bookstack config/

Restore Process

1. Stop containers: cd /opt/speedbits/bookstack && docker compose down
2. Restore data: Extract backup to /opt/speedbits/bookstack/
3. Restore database: docker exec -i bookstack-db mysql -u bookstack -p bookstack < backup.sql
4. Start containers: docker compose up -d

Troubleshooting

Container Not Starting

docker logs bookstack
docker logs bookstack-db
docker ps -a | grep bookstack

Database Connection Issues

• Verify database is running: docker ps | grep bookstack-db
• Check database logs: docker logs bookstack-db
• Test connection: docker exec bookstack-db mysqladmin ping -h localhost
• Verify password: cat /opt/speedbits/bookstack/db_password.txt

SSL Certificate Issues

• Traefik mode: Check Traefik logs: docker logs traefik
• Traefik mode: Verify DNS: dig docs.example.com
• Standalone mode: Check nginx proxy logs: docker logs bookstack-ssl-proxy
• Standalone mode: Verify certificates: ls -la /opt/speedbits/bookstack/ssl/

Performance Issues

• Check container resources: docker stats bookstack bookstack-db
• Review database performance: docker exec bookstack-db mysqladmin processlist
• Optimize images before upload
• Consider database indexing for large content

Production Considerations

• Access Method: Use Traefik mode for production (trusted SSL)
• Password Policy: Enforce strong passwords via user management
• Backup Strategy: Implement automated backups (integrate with Borgmatic)
• User Management: Use LDAP/OAuth for enterprise environments
• Monitoring: Monitor container health and resource usage
• Updates: Re-run install script periodically for updates
• Email: Configure SMTP for password resets and notifications

Integration with Infinity Tools

BookStack complements Infinity Tools by providing:

• Documentation platform for Infinity Tools guides
• Knowledge base for server configurations
• Team collaboration on documentation
• Export capabilities for offline access

Note: The Infinity Tools documentation sync script (sync-bookstack.sh) can automatically upload HTML documentation files to BookStack.

SMTP Configuration

After installation, you can configure SMTP for email functionality:

• Run SMTP config wizard: sudo bash Infrastructure/bookstack-smtp-config.sh
• Or edit docker-compose.yml and set MAIL_HOST, MAIL_PORT, etc.
• Restart container: docker restart bookstack

Next Steps

BookStack is now operational. Use it to:

• Create documentation for your infrastructure
• Organize knowledge in books and chapters
• Collaborate with team members
• Export content for offline access
• Integrate with other tools via API

For advanced features, API usage, custom themes, and development guides, refer to the official BookStack documentation.