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Run Kanboard on Docker

What is Kanboard?​

Kanboard is an open-source kanban project management tool, known for staying deliberately simple and minimalist rather than chasing every feature a heavier tool like Jira ships. It is a PHP application served through a web server, and unlike most self-hosted PHP apps on this list, it needs almost no infrastructure to run: out of the box it stores everything in a single SQLite database file, with MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL available as opt-in alternatives once a team outgrows a single file.

Why run Kanboard in Docker?​

Docker packages the pieces a self-hosted app like this needs (NGINX, PHP-FPM, and a database if you add one) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing PHP onto your laptop, where versions collide between projects and "works on my machine" starts, you run disposable containers that mirror production and vanish cleanly when you delete them. One Kanboard instance can run on an older PHP version while another project runs the latest PHP, on the same computer, with nothing installed globally.

The catch: wiring those containers together yourself (base images, PHP extensions, networking, permissions) is a week of fiddly Docker work. That is exactly what Laradock removes.

Why Laradock is the best fit for Kanboard​

Kanboard does ship its own official Docker image (kanboard/kanboard on Docker Hub), so, unlike most PHP projects, it does not strictly need Laradock. It is still the best fit, and here is why:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. The day you add a Laravel API, a WordPress site, or a plain PHP script beside your Kanboard instance, it runs in the same environment with the same commands. A single-purpose image cannot do that.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, versus the narrow, pinned version the official image ships.
  • Nothing is hidden and you own everything. No generated files, no magic, no wrapper binary between you and Docker. Every Dockerfile and compose file is right there for you to read and edit.
  • Nothing new to learn. What you use is plain docker compose, knowledge that transfers straight to production and to every other project. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for Kanboard it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL wired in for whenever you need them, and a workspace container with git and the PHP CLI to run Kanboard's maintenance commands.

Run Kanboard on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

cd my-kanboard-instance
git clone https://github.com/laradock/laradock.git
cd laradock && cp .env.example .env

(No Kanboard codebase yet? Clone Laradock first, then pull one down from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services Kanboard needs​

Kanboard's biggest difference from the rest of this list: it needs no database service at all to start. By default it writes to a SQLite file inside its own data/ folder, so a web server is genuinely enough:

docker compose up -d nginx workspace

Outgrowing a single SQLite file, or setting up Kanboard for a team that needs real concurrency? Add MySQL or PostgreSQL the same way you would for any other app:

docker compose up -d nginx mysql workspace

The full catalog is here.

Prefer to be asked? The optional CLI walks you through the choices: ./laradock setup, then ./laradock up. It prints every real command it runs.

3. Point Kanboard at the containers​

Kanboard reads its settings from a config.php file at the project root (copy config.default.php to get started), and every setting in that file is also readable as an environment variable of the same name. Leave DB_DRIVER unset and Kanboard just uses SQLite, no further config needed. To switch to MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL instead, set the connection constants and point them at the service name:

define('DB_DRIVER', 'mysql');
define('DB_USERNAME', 'default');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'secret');
define('DB_HOSTNAME', 'mysql');
define('DB_NAME', 'default');

The default database, user and password live in mysql/defaults.env; override any of them by adding the line to Laradock's .env (it always wins).

4. Install and run your instance​

Enter the workspace container, place the Kanboard codebase, and let the first request run the setup:

docker compose exec workspace bash
# place or clone the Kanboard codebase into the current directory first

Then open http://localhost and log in with the default admin account (admin / admin), which Kanboard prompts you to change on first login.

Change the PHP version anytime​

This is where a native install hurts and Laradock shines. Set the version in Laradock's .env and rebuild:

PHP_VERSION=8.3
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

Kanboard requires PHP 8.1 or newer since version 1.2.46; Laradock covers anything from PHP 5.6 to 8.5, so the same tool runs a Kanboard instance pinned to an older release you have not upgraded yet and a brand-new one side by side, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP to run Kanboard with Laradock?​

No. Everything lives inside the containers. PHP and git are reachable from the workspace container; you never install PHP on your host.

Which services should I start for a typical Kanboard instance?​

nginx workspace is enough on its own, since Kanboard defaults to SQLite. Add mysql or postgres only once you need a shared, concurrent database.

Should I use SQLite or MySQL/PostgreSQL for Kanboard?​

SQLite is the zero-config default and fine for a single user or a small team on a local machine. Kanboard's own docs recommend MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL for larger or multi-user deployments, and specifically caution against SQLite on network filesystems; keep the data/ folder on a local bind mount (Laradock's default) or move to MySQL/PostgreSQL once several people hit the instance at once.

Can I run multiple Kanboard instances on different PHP versions?​

Yes. Give each its own Laradock with a unique COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME and DATA_PATH_HOST, set a different PHP_VERSION in each, and they run independently on the same machine.

Does this work the same on macOS, Windows and Linux?​

Yes. Laradock runs anywhere Docker runs. On macOS/Windows, file-sync speed depends on Docker Desktop (VirtioFS helps a lot); it is a Docker Desktop trait, not specific to Laradock.

Comparing environments? See the full Laradock vs Others breakdown. Ready to start? Getting Started takes about five minutes.