ghost

Ghost for TrueNAS

Docker Compose configuration for deploying Ghost 6.9.3 with MySQL 8.4.7 on TrueNAS.

Note

This configuration is based on the official Ghost Docker setup with TrueNAS-specific modifications for persistent storage and local mail testing.

Services

This deployment includes two containerized services:

Service	Image	Container Name	Purpose
Ghost	ghost:6.9.3	ghost	Blogging platform and content management system
MySQL	mysql:8.4.7	ghost-mysql	Database backend for Ghost data persistence

Networking

• Network Name: ghost-network
• Driver: bridge
• Scope: Both services communicate internally via this isolated network

Ports

Service	Port	Protocol	Access
Ghost	2368	HTTP	Public/Reverse proxy port
MySQL	(internal)	TCP	Not exposed; internal only

Volumes

Both services require persistent storage on the TrueNAS host:

Service	Container Path	Host Path	Purpose
Ghost	/var/lib/ghost/content	/mnt/tank/apps/ghost/content	Blog posts, pages, assets, and uploads
MySQL	/var/lib/mysql	/mnt/tank/apps/ghost/mysql	Database files and data

Prerequisites: Ensure these directories exist on your TrueNAS storage with proper permissions before deployment.

Configuration

Ghost Environment Variables

Variable	Value	Description
NODE_ENV	production	Run Ghost in production mode
url	https://blog.example.com	Public URL for the Ghost instance
database__client	mysql	Database client type
database__connection__host	mysql	MySQL container hostname on ghost-network
database__connection__database	ghost	Database name to create/use
database__connection__user	ghost	MySQL user for Ghost
database__connection__password	changeme-ghost-password	MySQL password for Ghost user (⚠️ change this)
mail__transport	SMTP	Email delivery method
mail__options__host	10.0.0.3	MailCatcher host IP for email testing
mail__options__port	1025	MailCatcher SMTP port
mail__options__secure	False	No TLS for internal MailCatcher connection
activitypub__enabled	False	Disable ActivityPub federation

Tip

If you only need a basic blog without mail-dependent features like member notifications and subscriptions, you can simplify the mail configuration and deploy MailCatcher.

MySQL Environment Variables

Variable	Value	Description
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD	changeme-root-password	MySQL root password (⚠️ change this)
MYSQL_DATABASE	ghost	Database to create automatically
MYSQL_USER	ghost	User to create for Ghost
MYSQL_PASSWORD	changeme-ghost-password	Password for Ghost user (⚠️ change this)

Deployment Steps

1. Create directories on TrueNAS:

   mkdir -p /mnt/tank/apps/ghost/content
   mkdir -p /mnt/tank/apps/ghost/mysql

2. Update credentials in the docker-compose.yml:

   • Change MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD
   • Change MYSQL_PASSWORD
   • Change database__connection__password

3. Update email configuration:

   • Modify mail__options__host to your SMTP server
   • Update mail__options__port as needed
   • Set mail__options__secure to True if using TLS

4. Update the Ghost URL:

   • Change url to your actual domain (e.g., https://yourdomain.com)

5. Update the mail options:

Set up proper email configuration (replace MailCatcher with real SMTP in production).

Troubleshooting

Ghost fails to start

• Check MySQL is healthy: docker logs ghost-mysql
• Verify volumes exist and have proper permissions
• Check database credentials match between services

MySQL fails to start

• Ensure /mnt/tank/apps/ghost/mysql exists and is writable
• Review MySQL logs: docker logs ghost-mysql

Can't connect to Ghost

• Verify port 2368 is exposed and accessible
• Check reverse proxy/firewall settings if using one
• Verify the url variable matches your access URL