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Environment variables let you configure Pala for different deployment environments. These are particularly useful for Docker deployments and automated setup.

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Initial Setup Variables

These variables only take effect on first startup when initializing a new instance:

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PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL

Creates an initial superuser account (admin) with full access.
  • Type: String (email address)
  • Required: No
  • Default: None
  • When to use: Automated deployments, skipping manual setup
Example: 
PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL=[email protected]

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PALA_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD

Password for the initial superuser account.
  • Type: String
  • Required: Only if PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL is set
  • Default: None
  • Minimum: 8 characters
Example: 
PALA_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD=secure-password-123
If both PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL and PALA_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD are set, the setup screen will be skipped and you’ll go straight to the sign-in page.

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PALA_USER_EMAIL

Creates an initial regular user account.
  • Type: String (email address)
  • Required: No
  • Default: None
  • When to use: Pre-populate with a content editor account
Example: 
PALA_USER_EMAIL=[email protected]

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PALA_USER_PASSWORD

Password for the initial regular user account.
  • Type: String
  • Required: Only if PALA_USER_EMAIL is set
  • Default: None
  • Minimum: 8 characters
Example: 
PALA_USER_PASSWORD=editor-password-123

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PALA_APP_URL

Sets the base URL for the application. Used for generating links in emails and backend processes.
  • Type: String (URL)
  • Required: No
  • Default: Auto-detected from request
  • When to use: Email notifications, API callbacks
Example: 
PALA_APP_URL=https://cms.example.com

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Common Configurations

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Development Setup

# No environment variables needed
# Just run: docker-compose up
The setup screen will guide you through creating your first account.

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Production with Manual Setup

PALA_APP_URL=https://cms.example.com
Access the setup screen to create your admin account manually.

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Production with Automated Setup

PALA_APP_URL=https://cms.example.com
PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL=[email protected]
PALA_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD=strong-random-password
PALA_USER_EMAIL=[email protected]
PALA_USER_PASSWORD=another-strong-password
No setup screen - go straight to sign-in.

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Docker Compose Example

services:
  palacms:
    image: ghcr.io/palacms/palacms:latest
    restart: always
    ports:
      - 8080:8080
    volumes:
      - palacms-data:/app/pb_data
    environment:
      - PALA_APP_URL=https://cms.example.com
      - [email protected]
      - PALA_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD=${SUPERUSER_PASSWORD}
      - [email protected]
      - PALA_USER_PASSWORD=${USER_PASSWORD}

volumes:
  palacms-data:
Use .env files or secrets management to avoid hardcoding passwords in docker-compose.yml

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Railway Template

Railway automatically handles environment variables through their UI:
  1. Deploy using the Railway button
  2. Set environment variables in Railway dashboard
  3. Railway restarts the service automatically
# Railway environment variables
PALA_APP_URL=${RAILWAY_STATIC_URL}
PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL=[email protected]
PALA_SUPERUSER_PASSWORD=<secret>

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Security Best Practices

Use environment variables, secrets management, or encrypted files. Never hardcode passwords in docker-compose.yml or other config files.
Generate random passwords with at least 16 characters:
# Generate a random password
openssl rand -base64 24
Change initial passwords after setup, especially for production environments.
For production deployments, use:
  • Railway: Built-in secrets
  • Docker Swarm: Docker secrets
  • Kubernetes: Kubernetes secrets
  • Vault: HashiCorp Vault
Environment variables contain sensitive information. Restrict access to deployment configurations.

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Troubleshooting

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Setup screen appears even with PALA_SUPERUSER_EMAIL set

Cause: Environment variables not loaded, or database already initialized Solution:
  1. Check environment variables are correctly set
  2. Verify Docker/Railway configuration
  3. If database exists, delete /app/pb_data volume and restart

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Can’t sign in after setting environment variables

Cause: Wrong password, or user wasn’t created Solution:
  1. Check logs for errors during startup
  2. Verify password meets minimum requirements (8 characters)
  3. Check that both EMAIL and PASSWORD variables are set

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Variables not taking effect

Cause: Variables only work on first startup Solution: Environment variables for user creation only work when the database is first initialized. To reset:
  1. Stop the container
  2. Delete the volume: docker volume rm palacms-data
  3. Restart with new environment variables
Deleting the volume deletes all your data. Only do this for fresh installs or if you have backups.

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Next Steps

Deployment Guide

Learn how to deploy Pala to production

Troubleshooting

Solve common deployment issues