Quick Start

Get Snipe-IT running in 5 minutes with Docker

Get your Snipe-IT instance up and running quickly using Docker. This guide will have you managing assets in minutes.

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• At least 2GB of available RAM
• Port 80 available (or modify the port mapping)

Installation with Docker Compose

1. Create Docker Compose Configuration

   Create a new directory for Snipe-IT and add a docker-compose.yml file:

   mkdir snipe-it && cd snipe-it
   

   Create docker-compose.yml:

   docker-compose.yml

   version: '3'
   
   services:
     mysql:
       image: mariadb:11.4.7
       container_name: snipe-mysql
       restart: always
       volumes:
         - snipe-mysql-data:/var/lib/mysql
       environment:
         MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: changeme
         MYSQL_DATABASE: snipeit
         MYSQL_USER: snipeit
         MYSQL_PASSWORD: changeme
   
     snipeit:
       image: snipe/snipe-it:latest
       container_name: snipe-it
       restart: always
       depends_on:
         - mysql
       ports:
         - "80:80"
       volumes:
         - snipe-data:/var/lib/snipeit
       env_file:
         - .env
   
   volumes:
     snipe-mysql-data:
     snipe-data:
   
2. Configure Environment Variables

   Create a .env file in the same directory:

   .env

   # Application settings
   APP_ENV=production
   APP_DEBUG=false
   APP_KEY=
   APP_URL=http://localhost
   APP_TIMEZONE=UTC
   APP_LOCALE=en-US
   
   # Database connection
   DB_CONNECTION=mysql
   DB_HOST=mysql
   DB_PORT=3306
   DB_DATABASE=snipeit
   DB_USERNAME=snipeit
   DB_PASSWORD=changeme
   
   # Mail settings (update with your SMTP details)
   MAIL_MAILER=smtp
   MAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
   MAIL_PORT=587
   MAIL_USERNAME=[e-mail]
   MAIL_PASSWORD=your-password
   MAIL_FROM_ADDR=[e-mail]
   MAIL_FROM_NAME='Snipe-IT'
   

   The APP_KEY will be generated automatically on first run. Never share this key or commit it to version control.

3. Start Snipe-IT

   Launch the containers:

   docker-compose up -d
   

   Check that containers are running:

   docker-compose ps
   

   You should see both snipe-it and snipe-mysql containers with status “Up”.

4. Complete Web Setup

   Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost.

   The Snipe-IT setup wizard will guide you through:

   1. Database Setup - Click “Next” (already configured via environment)
   2. Create Admin Account - Set username, email, and password
   3. Site Settings - Configure site name and URL
   4. Email Testing - Optionally test your email configuration

   The initial setup may take 2-3 minutes while the database schema is created and sample data is seeded.

5. Add Your First Asset

   After setup, you’ll be redirected to the dashboard. To add your first asset:

   1. Go to Assets → Create New
   2. Fill in the asset details:
      • Asset Tag: Unique identifier (e.g., “LAP-001”)
      • Model: Click “Create New” to add a model
        • Name: “Dell Latitude 5420”
        • Category: “Laptops” (create if needed)
        • Manufacturer: “Dell” (create if needed)
      • Status: Deployable
      • Location: Your office location
      • Purchase Date: Today’s date
      • Purchase Cost: Asset value
   3. Click Save

   Congratulations! You’ve added your first asset to Snipe-IT.

Managing Docker Containers

View Logs

# View Snipe-IT logs
docker-compose logs -f snipeit

# View database logs
docker-compose logs -f mysql

Stop Snipe-IT

docker-compose stop

Start Again

docker-compose start

Update to Latest Version

docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d

Backup Your Data

# Backup database
docker exec snipe-mysql mysqldump -u snipeit -pchangeme snipeit > backup.sql

# Backup uploads
docker cp snipe-it:/var/lib/snipeit ./snipeit-backup

Next Steps

Full Installation Guide

Explore other installation methods and production setup

Configuration

Configure email, backups, and advanced settings

Asset Management

Learn about check-in/check-out workflows

API Access

Set up API access for integrations

Troubleshooting

Port 80 is already in use

Change the port mapping in docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8080:80"  # Use port 8080 instead

Then access Snipe-IT at http://localhost:8080

Database connection failed

Ensure the MySQL container is running:

docker-compose ps mysql

Check the database credentials in .env match those in docker-compose.yml.

Cannot access from other devices

Update APP_URL in .env to your server’s IP address:

APP_URL=http://192.168.1.100

Restart the container:

docker-compose restart snipeit

Email not sending

Verify SMTP settings in .env. For Gmail, you may need to:

• Enable 2-factor authentication
• Generate an app-specific password
• Allow less secure apps (not recommended)

Test email from Settings → Test Email.

Community Support

Need help? Join the Snipe-IT community:

• Discord: Join the Discord server
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• Documentation: Explore the rest of this documentation site