Setting Up Supabase via Command Line

For developers and teams who prioritize automation, version control, or deployment on remote servers, the command-line approach provides flexibility and repeatability. Using Docker and Docker Compose directly allows you to manage Supabase stacks efficiently and integrate the process into scripts or CI/CD pipelines.

Step 1. Install Docker and Docker Compose

●       Linux:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

 

●       Windows/macOS: Docker Desktop includes both tools, so no additional installation is needed.

Verify Docker is running before proceeding.

Step 2. Clone the Supabase Repository

git clone https://github.com/supabase/supabase.git

cd supabase/docker

This repository contains the docker-compose.yml configuration defining all core services: PostgreSQL, APIs, authentication, Realtime, storage, and Supabase Studio.

Step 3. Configure Environment Variables

Copy the example environment file and customize it:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env to set your credentials and keys:

●       POSTGRES_PASSWORD: PostgreSQL database password

●       JWT_SECRET: authentication token secret

●       ANON_KEY and SERVICE_ROLE_KEY: API access keys

Properly securing these values is critical, especially in production environments.

Step 4. Launch Supabase

Start the services in detached mode:

docker compose up -d

Docker Compose pulls all necessary images and runs the containers, including database, authentication, Realtime, API, and Studio.

Step 5. Verify and Access the Platform

Check that all containers are running:

docker ps

Then open Supabase Studio in your browser:
 http://localhost:3000

You now have full access to your self-hosted backend.