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name: self-host-packager description: "Use when asked to make a project self-hostable, package an app for Docker, write a docker-compose setup, document self-hosting, or let users run my app on their own server. Produces a one-command self-host for a project: docker-compose.yml, a .env.example with a table explaining every variable, SELF_HOSTING.md covering HTTPS, backups and upgrades, and a back-up-this-folder section that tells users exactly what holds all their data." version: 1.0.0

Self-Host Packager

Self-hosters will try a project if it starts with one command and they understand where their data lives. Most self-hosting guides fail at the second day: no HTTPS, no backup story, and an upgrade that breaks the database. This skill packages a project so it starts with docker compose up -d, keeps all state in one folder, and documents HTTPS, backups and upgrades.

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:

• The project: language, how it builds and starts, the port it listens on
• State: database (and which), uploaded files, caches, anything written to disk
• Configuration: environment variables the app reads, and which are secrets
• External services: email, object storage, OAuth providers, and whether each is optional
• Target user: a home-lab enthusiast, a small team, or a company's IT

Output Structure

1. docker-compose.yml

A complete file with:

• the app service, built from the repo's Dockerfile or a published image with a pinned tag (never latest)
• the database service, if any, with a pinned major version and a health check
• depends_on with condition: service_healthy
• every piece of state mounted under one host folder, ./data/ (for example ./data/db, ./data/uploads)
• restart: unless-stopped
• the app bound to 127.0.0.1 by default, with a comment on exposing it behind a reverse proxy

If the project has no Dockerfile, include a multi-stage Dockerfile that runs as a non-root user.

2. .env.example and the variables table

The file with safe placeholder values, then a table: | Variable | Required? | Default | What it does | Example | Secret? |

Every variable the app reads is listed. Secrets have no default and the table says how to generate one (for example openssl rand -hex 32).

3. SELF_HOSTING.md

Sections, in order:

1. Requirements: CPU, RAM and disk for a small install; Docker and Compose versions
2. Start in one command: copy .env.example to .env, fill the required values, docker compose up -d, and what to open in the browser
3. HTTPS: a reverse-proxy example (Caddy, which obtains certificates automatically), with the full config
4. Back up this folder and you have everything: states that ./data/ plus .env is the complete state; gives a backup command that stops writes or uses the database's dump tool, and a restore drill
5. Upgrades: read the release notes, back up, change the image tag, docker compose pull && docker compose up -d, and how to roll back
6. Troubleshooting: the five most likely failures with the log command and fix

4. Smoke test

Commands that prove a fresh install works: start, wait for health, hit the health endpoint, create one record, restart, and confirm the record survived.

Quality Checks

• docker compose up -d with a filled .env is the only start command needed
• Every container image tag is pinned; none uses latest
• All state lives under one ./data/ folder, and the docs say so
• Every environment variable the app reads is in the table, with secrets marked
• The HTTPS section contains a complete, working reverse-proxy config
• The backup section includes a restore drill, not only a backup command
• The upgrade section includes a rollback step
• The smoke test confirms data survives a restart

Anti-Patterns

• State scattered across anonymous volumes. Users cannot back up what they cannot find.
• latest tags. An upgrade happens by accident on the next pull.
• Exposing the database port. Only the app (behind the proxy) should be reachable.
• Backups that are never restored. An untested backup is a hope, not a backup.

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Make my app self-hostable with Docker Compose."
• "Write a SELF_HOSTING.md with HTTPS, backups and upgrades."
• "Package this Node and Postgres project for home-lab users."
• "Give me a one-command self-host setup and an env var table."