# app/discourse > Deploy Discourse with Pigsty-managed PostgreSQL and Redis embedded in the application container --- LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt) --- The `app/discourse` template provides a single-node Discourse forum. Pigsty manages PostgreSQL, while Redis runs inside the application container. Pigsty Nginx serves Discourse through a Unix socket. This template was added after v4.5.0. Use the matching `app/discourse/` directory and `files/discourse.sql` from the same checkout; the YAML alone is not sufficient. See the **[Discourse application README](https://github.com/pgsty/pigsty/tree/main/app/discourse#readme)** for more details. -------- ## Overview - Config Name: `app/discourse` - Node Count: Single node - OS Distro: `el8`, `el9`, `el10`, `d12`, `d13`, `u22`, `u24`, `u26` - OS Arch: `x86_64` (upstream Launcher describes ARM64 support as experimental) - Related: [`app/odoo`](/docs/conf/odoo/), [`app/mattermost`](/docs/conf/mattermost/) For a fresh host: ```bash ./configure -c app/discourse [-i ] vi pigsty.yml # change passwords, domain, and SMTP settings ./deploy.yml ./docker.yml ./app.yml -l discourse ``` -------- ## Content Source: [`pigsty/conf/app/discourse.yml`](https://github.com/pgsty/pigsty/blob/main/conf/app/discourse.yml) ```yaml --- #==============================================================# # File : discourse.yml # Desc : Pigsty Discourse with external PostgreSQL / embedded Redis # Ctime : 2026-10-14 # Mtime : 2026-10-14 # License : Apache-2.0 @ https://pigsty.io/docs/about/license/ # Copyright : 2018-2026 Ruohang Feng / Vonng (rh@vonng.com) #==============================================================# # Fresh host: ./configure -c app/discourse; edit pigsty.yml (passwords + SMTP) # ./deploy.yml; ./docker.yml; ./app.yml -l discourse # Existing Pigsty: merge the app/user/database/portal sections; do NOT replace # the running inventory or initialize an existing PostgreSQL cluster again. # ask.pigsty -> Pigsty Nginx :80/:443 -> Unix socket -> Discourse + Redis. all: children: discourse: hosts: { 10.10.10.10: {} } vars: app: discourse apps: discourse: dest: /data/app/discourse file: - { path: /data/app/discourse ,state: directory ,mode: '0755' } - { path: /data/app/discourse/shared ,state: directory ,mode: '0755' } - { path: /data/app/discourse/shared/log/var-log ,state: directory ,mode: '0755' } conf: DISCOURSE_DATA: /data/app/discourse DISCOURSE_HOSTNAME: ask.pigsty DISCOURSE_VERSION: tests-passed DISCOURSE_DOCKER_REF: 945d491ee62ac0d6e5d9076c173073c3f795d978 PG_HOST: 10.10.10.10 PG_PORT: 5432 PG_DBNAME: discourse PG_USERNAME: discourse PG_PASSWORD: DBUser.Discourse UNICORN_WORKERS: 2 UNICORN_SIDEKIQS: 1 DISCOURSE_SIDEKIQ_WORKERS: 5 DISCOURSE_DB_POOL: 8 REDIS_MAX_MEMORY: 512mb DISCOURSE_FORCE_HTTPS: false # set true with a trusted HTTPS portal DISCOURSE_DEVELOPER_EMAILS: admin@example.com # CHANGE ME DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: smtp.example.com # CHANGE ME DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 587 DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: '' DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: '' DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: true DISCOURSE_SMTP_FORCE_TLS: false DISCOURSE_NOTIFICATION_EMAIL: noreply@example.com # CHANGE ME pg-discourse: hosts: { 10.10.10.10: { pg_seq: 1, pg_role: primary } } vars: pg_cluster: pg-discourse pg_extensions: [ pgvector ] pg_users: - name: discourse password: DBUser.Discourse # CHANGE ME, same as PG_PASSWORD above pgbouncer: false roles: [{ name: dbrole_admin, state: revoke }] comment: Discourse database owner pg_databases: - name: discourse owner: discourse encoding: UTF8 revokeconn: true pgbouncer: false baseline: discourse.sql extensions: [ hstore, pg_trgm, unaccent, vector ] comment: Discourse forum pg_hba_rules: - { user: discourse ,db: discourse ,addr: 172.16.0.0/12 ,auth: pwd ,title: 'Discourse from local Docker bridges' } pg_crontab: [ '00 01 * * * /pg/bin/pg-backup full' ] infra: { hosts: { 10.10.10.10: { infra_seq: 1 } } } etcd: { hosts: { 10.10.10.10: { etcd_seq: 1 } }, vars: { etcd_cluster: etcd } } vars: version: v4.5.0 admin_ip: 10.10.10.10 region: default node_tune: oltp pg_conf: oltp.yml pg_version: 18 docker_enabled: true repo_enabled: false node_repo_modules: node,infra,pgsql node_etc_hosts: ['${admin_ip} i.pigsty ask.pigsty'] infra_portal: home: { domain: i.pigsty } discourse: domain: ask.pigsty endpoint: unix:/data/app/discourse/shared/nginx.http.sock websocket: true config: | client_max_body_size 10m; # CHANGE these demo credentials before any public deployment. grafana_admin_password: pigsty grafana_view_password: DBUser.Viewer pg_admin_password: DBUser.DBA pg_monitor_password: DBUser.Monitor pg_replication_password: DBUser.Replicator patroni_password: Patroni.API haproxy_admin_password: pigsty etcd_root_password: Etcd.Root ... ``` -------- ## Explanation The template builds the Discourse image locally with the official classic Launcher and runs it with Docker Compose, using PostgreSQL managed by Pigsty. - `apps.discourse.dest` is `/data/app/discourse`; managed files and persistent data under `shared/` live in this directory. - `DISCOURSE_DOCKER_REF` pins the Launcher commit, while `DISCOURSE_VERSION` follows the upstream `tests-passed` channel by default. - The `pg-discourse` cluster uses PostgreSQL 18 and installs `pgvector`. The `discourse` database enables `hstore`, `pg_trgm`, `unaccent`, and `vector`, and applies the `discourse.sql` baseline. - The `discourse` user has `dbrole_admin` revoked. Neither the user nor the database uses PgBouncer. - The application HBA rule allows the `discourse` user to reach the `discourse` database from Docker networks in `172.16.0.0/12`. - The `ask.pigsty` Nginx portal forwards to `unix:/data/app/discourse/shared/nginx.http.sock`, enables WebSocket, and sets `client_max_body_size 10m`. - Embedded Redis has a `REDIS_MAX_MEMORY: 512mb` limit. - A full PostgreSQL backup runs daily at 01:00. Access the forum at `http://ask.pigsty`. The template adds this name to the local hosts file through `node_etc_hosts`; other clients need DNS or hosts entries pointing to the Nginx host. ## Notes - Change `PG_PASSWORD` and the password in `pg_users` together. Configure the administrator email and SMTP settings; the sample SMTP hostname will cause the image build to fail. - For public access, use a real domain and trusted certificate, and set `DISCOURSE_FORCE_HTTPS: true`. - Discourse uses advisory locks and requires a direct PostgreSQL connection. Do not use PgBouncer transaction pooling. For HA, choose a direct service that routes only to the primary. - In an existing Pigsty environment, merge the application, user, database, and portal definitions. Do not rerun `configure` or reinitialize an existing cluster. - Redis persistence needs `vm.overcommit_memory=1`. The Tuned profile selected by `node_tune: oltp` uses `0`; configure a persistent override before enabling Redis persistence.