Quick Start

Quick Start Guide

Get MyGarage running in under 5 minutes with Docker Compose.

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• 100MB disk space (for the application)
• Additional space for your vehicle data and documents

Installation

1. Create docker-compose.yml

Create a new directory and add this docker-compose.yml:

services:
  mygarage:
    image: ghcr.io/homelabforge/mygarage:latest
    container_name: mygarage
    ports:
      - "8686:8686"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    environment:
      # Your household's IANA time zone. Drives every calendar date MyGarage
      # computes (due dates, overdue badges, the dates forms fill in). Also
      # settable later in Settings -> System -> Timezone; without either, the
      # container's zone (usually UTC) applies.
      - TZ=America/Chicago
    restart: unless-stopped

Note: The container runs as UID 1000. If ./data is owned by root, fix it first: sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ./data.

2. Start MyGarage

docker-compose up -d

3. Access the Application

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:8686

That's it! MyGarage is now running with zero configuration required.

What Happens on First Start

MyGarage automatically:

• ✅ Generates secret keys
• ✅ Creates an SQLite database
• ✅ Runs database migrations
• ✅ Initializes default settings
• ✅ Starts with no authentication (development mode)

Security Warning

⚠️ Default Mode: My Garage runs with no authentication by default for easy setup. You'll see this warning in the logs:

⚠️  SECURITY WARNING: Authentication is disabled (auth_mode='none')
⚠️  All endpoints are accessible without authentication!
⚠️  This should NEVER be used in production environments!

Before exposing to the internet, go to Settings → System → Authentication Mode and switch to local or oidc.

First-Run Checklist

After accessing MyGarage for the first time:

1. Configure Authentication (if needed)

   • Go to Settings → System
   • In the Authentication Mode card, switch from None to Local or OIDC
   • Register the first user, which becomes the admin

2. Add Your First Vehicle

   • Click "Add Vehicle"
   • Enter the VIN and decode it (auto-fills details), or type the details yourself
   • Upload a photo (optional)

3. Add a Service Visit (optional)

   • Navigate to your vehicle
   • Click Maintenance → Log Service Visit
   • Record recent maintenance with line items

4. Add a Fuel Entry (optional)

   • Navigate to your vehicle
   • Click Fuel → Add Fill-up
   • Record your last fill-up

Next Steps

• Detailed Installation: See our Installation Guide for PostgreSQL, reverse proxy, and advanced setup
• First Time Tutorial: Follow our First Time Setup guide for a complete walkthrough
• Configuration: Learn about Authentication and Database options

Updating MyGarage

Pull the latest image and restart:

docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

Your data persists in the ./data volume.

Troubleshooting

Container won't start?

• Check logs: docker-compose logs mygarage
• Verify port 8686 is not in use: lsof -i :8686

Can't access the web interface?

• Ensure the container is running: docker ps
• Check firewall rules
• Try accessing from the host machine first

For more help, see the Troubleshooting Guide.