Self-Hosting Snipe-IT with Docker Compose

What Is Snipe-IT?

Snipe-IT is an open-source IT asset management system built on Laravel. It tracks hardware assets, software licenses, consumables, and accessories across your organization. If you’ve ever lost track of which laptop went to which employee, or which software license is about to expire, Snipe-IT solves that problem. It replaces paid services like AssetTiger, EZOfficeInventory, and ServiceNow’s CMDB module.

Official site: snipeitapp.com

Prerequisites

• A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended)
• Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
• 2 GB of free disk space
• 1 GB of RAM (minimum), 2 GB recommended
• A domain name (optional, for remote access)

Docker Compose Configuration

Create a directory for your Snipe-IT deployment:

mkdir snipeit && cd snipeit

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  snipeit:
    image: snipe/snipe-it:v8.4.0
    container_name: snipeit
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8000:80"
    depends_on:
      - mysql
    env_file:
      - .env
    volumes:
      - snipeit-data:/var/lib/snipeit
    networks:
      - snipeit-net

  mysql:
    image: mysql:8.4
    container_name: snipeit-mysql
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD:-changeme_root}
      MYSQL_DATABASE: ${MYSQL_DATABASE:-snipeit}
      MYSQL_USER: ${MYSQL_USER:-snipeit}
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${MYSQL_PASSWORD:-changeme_snipeit}
    volumes:
      - snipeit-mysql:/var/lib/mysql
    networks:
      - snipeit-net
    command: --sql-mode=""

volumes:
  snipeit-data:
  snipeit-mysql:

networks:
  snipeit-net:

Create a .env file:

# Application Settings
APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_KEY=  # Generate with: docker compose run --rm snipeit php artisan key:generate --show
APP_URL=http://localhost:8000
APP_TIMEZONE=UTC
APP_LOCALE=en-US

# Database
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=mysql
DB_DATABASE=snipeit
DB_USERNAME=snipeit
DB_PASSWORD=changeme_snipeit  # CHANGE THIS — must match MYSQL_PASSWORD above
DB_PORT=3306
DB_PREFIX=null
DB_DUMP_PATH=/usr/bin
DB_CHARSET=utf8mb4
DB_COLLATION=utf8mb4_unicode_ci

# MySQL root password (used by the mysql container)
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=changeme_root  # CHANGE THIS
MYSQL_DATABASE=snipeit
MYSQL_USER=snipeit
MYSQL_PASSWORD=changeme_snipeit  # Must match DB_PASSWORD

# Mail (optional — for sending notifications)
MAIL_DRIVER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.example.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=null
MAIL_PASSWORD=null
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDR=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME=Snipe-IT
MAIL_REPLYTO_ADDR=[email protected]
MAIL_REPLYTO_NAME=Snipe-IT
MAIL_AUTO_EMBED_METHOD=attachment

# Reverse Proxy (uncomment if behind a proxy)
# APP_TRUSTED_PROXIES=172.0.0.0/8

Generate the application key before starting:

docker compose run --rm snipeit php artisan key:generate --show

Copy the output (starts with base64:) and paste it as the APP_KEY value in your .env file.

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Initial Setup

Access Snipe-IT at http://your-server-ip:8000. The setup wizard walks you through:

1. Pre-flight check — verifies database connectivity and required PHP extensions
2. Create admin account — set your admin username, email, and password
3. Company settings — enter your organization name and basic preferences

After setup, log in with the admin credentials you just created.

Key Features

Feature	Details
Asset tracking	Hardware, licenses, consumables, accessories, components
Check-in/check-out	Assign assets to users, locations, or other assets
Audit logging	Full history of every asset action
Barcode/QR support	Generate and scan labels for physical assets
Depreciation	Track asset value over time
Custom fields	Define custom attributes per asset model
API	Full REST API for integration
LDAP/AD	Sync users from Active Directory or LDAP
Reporting	Checkout history, depreciation, audit, license compliance
Notifications	Email alerts for expiring licenses, warranties, audits

Configuration

LDAP Integration

Add these to your .env file to sync users from Active Directory:

LDAP_ENABLED=true
LDAP_HOST=ldap://your-dc.example.com
LDAP_PORT=389
LDAP_BASE_DN="dc=example,dc=com"
LDAP_BIND_DN="cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com"
LDAP_BIND_PASSWORD=your_ldap_password
LDAP_USERNAME_FIELD=samaccountname
LDAP_LAST_NAME_FIELD=sn
LDAP_FIRST_NAME_FIELD=givenname
LDAP_EMAIL_FIELD=mail

Adjusting the Time Zone

Set APP_TIMEZONE in your .env to your local timezone (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/London). This affects asset checkout timestamps and report dates.

Reverse Proxy

If running behind a reverse proxy, set APP_TRUSTED_PROXIES in your .env to the proxy’s network range:

APP_TRUSTED_PROXIES=172.0.0.0/8

For Nginx Proxy Manager, Traefik, or Caddy configuration, see Reverse Proxy Setup.

Backup

Back up these volumes regularly:

• snipeit-data — uploaded files, generated reports, asset images
• snipeit-mysql — the MySQL database containing all asset records

Database dump:

docker compose exec mysql mysqldump -u snipeit -p snipeit > snipeit-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

For a full backup strategy, see Backup Strategy.

Troubleshooting

”No APP_KEY set” Error

Symptom: Application shows a 500 error or “No application encryption key has been specified.”

Fix: Generate the key and add it to .env:

docker compose run --rm snipeit php artisan key:generate --show

MySQL Strict Mode Errors

Symptom: Database migration failures or “SQLSTATE” errors during setup.

Fix: The --sql-mode="" flag in the MySQL command disables strict mode. Verify it’s set in your docker-compose.yml.

Permission Errors on Upload

Symptom: Cannot upload asset images, user avatars, or import CSV files.

Fix: The container runs as www-data. Ensure the data volume has correct ownership:

docker compose exec snipeit chown -R www-data:www-data /var/lib/snipeit

Assets Not Appearing After Import

Symptom: CSV import completes but assets don’t show up.

Fix: Snipe-IT requires matching asset models, categories, and status labels to exist before import. Create these in Settings → Asset Models, Categories, and Status Labels first, then re-import.

Resource Requirements

• RAM: ~200 MB idle, ~500 MB under load with 10,000+ assets
• CPU: Low — Laravel handles typical CRUD workloads efficiently
• Disk: ~500 MB for the application, plus storage for uploaded files

Verdict

Snipe-IT is the best open-source IT asset management tool available. It covers the full lifecycle — procurement, assignment, depreciation, and disposal — with an intuitive web interface and a solid API. If you manage more than a handful of devices or software licenses, Snipe-IT pays for itself in tracking clarity alone. For home use or very small setups, it’s overkill — a spreadsheet works fine. For anything beyond 50 assets or 5 users, deploy Snipe-IT.

Related

• Grocy vs Snipe-IT: Which Inventory System?
• Snipe-IT vs Homebox: Which Inventory Tool?
• Best Self-Hosted Inventory & Asset Management Tools
• Docker Compose Basics
• Reverse Proxy Setup
• Backup Strategy
• Linux Basics for Self-Hosting
• Security Basics for Self-Hosting
• Self-Hosting Homebox with Docker Compose