How to Deploy Focalboard from Oikos OpenHub: Self-Hosted Project Management

Focalboard is a powerful, open-source project and task management solution designed to be a robust, self-hosted alternative to tools like Trello or Asana. It supports multiple views, including Kanban boards, Table view, and Calendar view, making it ideal for tracking personal tasks, managing complex team sprints, and organizing knowledge.

By deploying Focalboard through the Oikos OpenHub Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), you achieve instant access to a dedicated instance. Oikos handles the complexity of container orchestration, networking, and server maintenance, guaranteeing you full control over your project data in a secure, private environment.

1. Accessing the Oikos OpenHub Catalog#

Access the Oikos Console#

  • Visit: Navigate directly to the Oikos launchpad at https://launch.nife.io.
  • Log In: Use your registered Oikos credentials to access the primary application dashboard.

Navigate to OpenHub#

  • Locate: Find the OpenHub option in the left-hand navigation sidebar (standardizing the "Marketplace" terminology).
  • Selection: Click OpenHub to browse the catalog of ready-to-deploy open-source applications.

Search for Focalboard#

  • Search Bar: Utilize the search functionality within the OpenHub interface and enter Focalboard.
  • Identify: Locate the Focalboard application card, which is pre-configured for deployment on the Oikos infrastructure.

2. Configuring and Initiating Deployment#

Focalboard deployments are highly streamlined on Oikos, typically requiring minimal user input before launch.

Start Deployment and Review Configuration#

  • Action: Hover over the Focalboard application tile and click the Deploy button. This action proceeds to the configuration screen.

Review Deployment Settings#

  • App Name: Assign a unique name to your project management instance (e.g., team-kanban-board).
  • Cloud Region: Select a Cloud Region that minimizes latency for your team members who will be accessing the board daily.
  • Resource Allocation: Review the default CPU and RAM. For small teams or personal use, the standard allocation is usually sufficient. Scale up if you anticipate storing large volumes of attachments or supporting many concurrent users.

Optional Environment Variables: If deploying the non-Mattermost version of Focalboard, you may configure a persistent database (e.g., PostgreSQL) via environment variables for enhanced data resilience and portability, though Oikos often handles this with a default embedded database for simplicity.

  • Finalization: Review and confirm all settings, then click Submit or the final Deploy button to commence the container launch process.

Monitor Deployment Status#

  • Process: Oikos provisions resources, pulls the Focalboard container image, and secures the public network endpoint (HTTPS).
  • Completion: Wait for the status indicator to change to Running.

3. Accessing and Initializing Focalboard#

Wait for Completion and Launch#

  • Action: Once the status is Running, click the Open App button.
  • Result: This redirects you to the unique, secure URL of your deployed Focalboard instance.

Initial Setup and User Creation#

  • First Access: On the first launch, Focalboard will typically prompt you to create an initial administrator account. Set a strong password. This account is used to create and manage the first team and boards.
  • Start Organizing: Once logged in, you can immediately begin creating new boards, choosing from various templates, and customizing your views (Kanban, Table, etc.) to suit your project management methodology.

Core Benefits of Deploying Focalboard on Oikos#

Utilizing the Oikos PaaS for Focalboard provides a secure and efficient platform for collaboration:

1. Self-Hosted Data Security#

By deploying a self-hosted instance, you guarantee data privacy and ownership. All your project plans, task details, and team discussions reside securely within your Oikos container, preventing third-party access to sensitive project data.

2. High Availability for Team Collaboration#

Oikos ensures that your Focalboard instance runs on a highly available containerized platform. This eliminates manual server maintenance and maximizes uptime, which is critical for continuous team communication and project tracking.

3. Integrated Project Views#

Focalboard’s ability to switch seamlessly between Kanban, Table, and Calendar views on the same data set is highly valuable. Oikos provides the stable runtime environment necessary for these complex UI operations to perform quickly and reliably.

4. Zero Infrastructure Burden#

The PaaS abstracts all server-related tasks. Developers and project managers can launch a powerful collaboration tool instantly, spending zero time on configuration files, dependency management, or setting up a secure web server (HTTPS).

Learn More#

To explore more about Focalboard's features, integrations, and ongoing development:

Focalboard GitHub Repository: https://github.com/mattermost/focalboard