Quick Start Guide

From zero to your first GraphQL query in under 5 minutes. v1.0.12

curl -sSL https://install.nself.org | bash
nself init my-app && cd my-app
nself start

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A Linux, macOS, or Windows (with WSL) system
• An internet connection for downloading dependencies

That's it. ɳSelf will automatically install Docker, Docker Compose, and any other required dependencies.

Step 1: Install ɳSelf

Run this single command to install the ɳSelf CLI:

curl -sSL https://install.nself.org | bash

The installer will:

• Download the latest ɳSelf CLI
• Install it to ~/.nself/bin
• Add ɳSelf to your PATH
• Verify the installation

Step 2: Create Your Project

Create a new directory for your project and initialize ɳSelf:

mkdir my-backend && cd my-backend
nself init

You'll be asked a few questions (or accept defaults):

• Project name
• Domain (default: local.nself.org)
• Which services to enable

What gets created:

my-backend/
├── .env           # Your configuration
├── .env.secrets   # Sensitive credentials (auto-generated)
└── ɳSelf/         # Project directory

Step 3: Build and Start

nself build    # Generate docker-compose.yml, nginx configs, etc.
nself start    # Launch all services

First start takes 2-3 minutes (downloading Docker images). Subsequent starts are under 10 seconds.

Check status:

nself status   # Service health
nself urls     # Access URLs

Step 4: Design Your Database (Recommended)

ɳSelf uses a database-first approach. Design your schema, and everything else follows.

Option A: Design Visually

1. Go to dbdiagram.io
2. Design your schema
3. Export as DBML
4. Save as schema.dbml in your project

Option B: Use the sample schema

nself db sample    # Creates sample tables in your database

Create migrations

nself db migrate   # Generate migration from current schema state
nself db update    # Apply pending migrations

Step 5: Explore Your Backend

Trust SSL Certificates

For HTTPS to work without browser warnings:

nself trust

Access Points

Try These Commands

# Check all URLs
nself urls

# View logs
nself logs

# Database shell
nself db shell

# Generate TypeScript types from your live schema
nself generate --lang typescript

Step 6: To Production (When Ready)

# Create production environment
nself env create prod production

# Edit server configuration
# .environments/prod/server.json

# Deploy
nself deploy prod

See Deployment Guide for complete instructions.

Enable More Services

Edit .env and add:

# Enable Redis
REDIS_ENABLED=true

# Enable MinIO (S3 storage)
MINIO_ENABLED=true

# Enable search
MEILISEARCH_ENABLED=true

# Enable monitoring (10 services)
MONITORING_ENABLED=true

# Enable admin dashboard
NSELF_ADMIN_ENABLED=true

Then rebuild:

nself build && nself restart

Install Plugins

Extend ɳSelf with 87 plugins:

# List available plugins
nself plugin list

# Install free plugins (no membership needed)
nself plugin install analytics
nself plugin install stripe

# Install Pro plugins (requires active membership)
nself plugin install notify
nself plugin install cron

Free plugins work without a membership key. Pro plugins require an active membership ($0.99/mo per bundle or $3.99/mo for ɳSelf+). Visit nself.org/pricing to get started.

Common Commands

Everyday Use

nself start              # Start services
nself stop               # Stop services
nself restart            # Restart services
nself status             # Check health
nself logs               # View all logs
nself logs postgres      # View specific service

Database

nself db migrate up      # Run migrations
nself db migrate create NAME  # Create migration
nself db seed            # Seed data
nself db backup          # Create backup
nself db restore         # Restore backup
nself db shell           # PostgreSQL shell
nself generate --lang typescript  # Generate types

Project Management

nself build              # Regenerate configs
nself urls               # Show all URLs
nself doctor             # Diagnose issues
nself reset              # Reset to clean state

Plugin Management

nself plugin list                 # Show available plugins
nself plugin install stripe       # Install a plugin
nself plugin status               # Check plugin health
nself plugin uninstall stripe     # Remove a plugin

Troubleshooting

Services won't start

• Check Docker is running: docker ps
• View logs: nself logs
• Ensure ports aren't in use: netstat -tulpn | grep LISTEN

Database connection issues

• Verify PostgreSQL is running: docker ps | grep postgres
• Check credentials in .env.local
• Try resetting: nself reset (deletes all data)

Can't access web interfaces

• Check firewall settings
• Ensure services are running: nself status
• Try accessing via localhost instead of 127.0.0.1

Getting Help

• Documentation: Full documentation
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
• Examples: Check the examples directory

Ready to dive deeper? Check out our Architecture Overview to understand how everything works together.