Configuration

Labitat is designed to be zero-config, but we offer powerful environment variables to tune it for your specific homelab environment.

Key Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
SECRET_KEY	(Auto)	Used for encryption of service credentials. Must be 32+ characters.
DATABASE_URL	file:./data/labitat.db	Connection URL for the SQLite database.
AUTH_ENABLED	true	Set to false to allow public dashboard editing.
NODE_ENV	development	Set to production when deploying for optimized performance.
PORT	3000	The port Labitat listens on.

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Security & Encryption

One of Labitat's core principles is secure credential storage.

The Secret Key

Labitat uses AES-256-GCM to encrypt your API keys and passwords. The encryption key is derived from your SECRET_KEY using HKDF-SHA256.

Public editing

Setting AUTH_ENABLED=false lets anyone who can reach Labitat add, edit, reorder, and delete dashboard content, including service configuration. Only use it on a trusted network.

Keep it safe

If you lose your SECRET_KEY, you lose access to all stored service credentials.

• Docker: A SECRET_KEY is automatically generated on the first run and stored in /app/data/.secret_key.
• Native: You should generate a strong random key manually:

  openssl rand -base64 32

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Database Management

Labitat uses SQLite via Drizzle ORM for its simplicity and robustness.

Custom Database Path

To move your database to a different location:

DATABASE_URL=file:/mnt/storage/homelab/labitat.db

Management Commands

For advanced users managing their own instance manually:

Command	Purpose
pnpm db:push	Push schema changes directly to the database
pnpm db:migrate	Run production migrations
pnpm db:studio	Open a GUI to browse your database content

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First Run Setup

On your first visit, Labitat will guide you through the Setup Wizard. This process handles:

1. Creating the initial database schema.
2. Setting up the primary Admin Account.
3. Generating an encryption key (if one isn't provided).

Account Security

All users created in Labitat are stored locally in your SQLite database. Labitat does not call home or use external authentication providers.