docs: fix broken single-file demo invocation in README + qa-prerequisites + ENVIRONMENTS

The README's Quick Start, the qa-prerequisites contributor doc, and the
landing page (separate repo, separate commit) all shipped a copy-paste
command that produces:

  service "certctl-server" has neither an image nor a build context
  specified: invalid compose project

The bug landed silently with commit a3d8b9c (the U-3 master). Pre-U-3,
docker-compose.demo.yml was self-contained and could be invoked with a
single -f flag. U-3 deliberately reduced it to a 27-line overlay — its
only payload today is `CERTCTL_DEMO_SEED=true` on the certctl-server
service — because the demo seed now applies at boot via
postgres.RunDemoSeed, not via /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/. The overlay
no longer carries an image: or build: of its own, so it MUST be passed
alongside the base file.

The README/qa-doc/landing-page never picked up the rename of the contract.
Every operator who copy-pasted the Quick Start since U-3 has hit the
"invalid compose project" error and bounced. The operator caught it
running the demo locally today.

This commit fixes the three certctl-repo sites:

  README.md (Quick Start)
    docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.demo.yml up -d --build
    →
    docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml -f deploy/docker-compose.demo.yml up -d --build

    Plus the "drop the -f flag for clean install" prose now spells out
    the correct fallback (`-f deploy/docker-compose.yml` alone).

  docs/contributor/qa-prerequisites.md (Step 1)
    Same single-file → two-file fix, plus an inline note explaining
    why the override-only file requires the base (so the next person
    who reads it understands the contract instead of re-discovering it).

  deploy/ENVIRONMENTS.md (Demo Overlay → What it adds)
    Replaced the stale "One line: mounts seed_demo.sql into PostgreSQL's
    init directory" claim — that hasn't been true since U-3 — with the
    accurate "One env var: CERTCTL_DEMO_SEED=true; server applies
    seed_demo.sql at boot via postgres.RunDemoSeed" description, plus
    the historical context for why the overlay can't stand alone.

The certctl.io landing page hits the same bug (line 759); fix shipping
in a separate commit in that repo.

Acceptance gate (manual):
  - copy/paste the new README Quick Start command end-to-end against
    a fresh clone — succeeds, dashboard at https://localhost:8443
    shows the seeded demo data within ~30s.
  - clean-install fallback (`docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml
    up -d --build`) starts a working stack with no demo data.
This commit is contained in:
shankar0123
2026-05-05 20:55:26 +00:00
parent f40e975439
commit 1720e11109
3 changed files with 8 additions and 6 deletions
+3 -3
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@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ Security: API key auth enforced by default with SHA-256 hashing and constant-tim
```bash
git clone https://github.com/certctl-io/certctl.git
cd certctl
docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.demo.yml up -d --build
docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml -f deploy/docker-compose.demo.yml up -d --build
```
Wait ~30 seconds, then open **https://localhost:8443** in your browser. The shipped demo override seeds 32 certificates across 10 issuers, 8 agents, and 180 days of realistic history. The `certctl-tls-init` init container self-signs an ECDSA-P256 cert on first boot — accept the browser warning for the demo, or feed the generated `ca.crt` to your client.
Wait ~30 seconds, then open **https://localhost:8443** in your browser. The shipped demo overlay seeds 32 certificates across 10 issuers, 8 agents, and 180 days of realistic history. The `certctl-tls-init` init container self-signs an ECDSA-P256 cert on first boot — accept the browser warning for the demo, or feed the generated `ca.crt` to your client.
For a clean install without demo data, drop the `-f deploy/docker-compose.demo.yml` flag. The four compose files (`docker-compose.yml` base, `docker-compose.demo.yml` overlay, `docker-compose.dev.yml` for PgAdmin + debug logging, `docker-compose.test.yml` for integration tests) are documented at [`deploy/ENVIRONMENTS.md`](deploy/ENVIRONMENTS.md).
For a clean install without demo data, drop the `-f deploy/docker-compose.demo.yml` flag and run `docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml up -d --build`. The four compose files (`docker-compose.yml` base, `docker-compose.demo.yml` overlay, `docker-compose.dev.yml` for PgAdmin + debug logging, `docker-compose.test.yml` for integration tests) are documented at [`deploy/ENVIRONMENTS.md`](deploy/ENVIRONMENTS.md).
```bash
curl --cacert $(docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml exec -T certctl-server cat /etc/certctl/tls/ca.crt) https://localhost:8443/health
+3 -1
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@@ -198,7 +198,9 @@ docker compose -f deploy/docker-compose.yml down -v
### What it adds
One line: mounts `seed_demo.sql` into PostgreSQL's init directory. This 667-line SQL file inserts 180 days of simulated operational history: teams, owners, certificates across multiple issuers, agents on different platforms, jobs with realistic timestamps, discovery scan results, audit events, policies, and profiles.
One env var: `CERTCTL_DEMO_SEED=true` on the `certctl-server` service. The server applies `migrations/seed_demo.sql` at boot via `postgres.RunDemoSeed` AFTER the baseline migrations + `seed.sql` are in place. The demo seed file inserts 180 days of simulated operational history: teams, owners, certificates across multiple issuers, agents on different platforms, jobs with realistic timestamps, discovery scan results, audit events, policies, and profiles.
Pre-U-3 the overlay used to mount `seed_demo.sql` into PostgreSQL's `/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/` and rely on initdb-time application. That worked only because the production stack also mounted the migrations there, so the schema existed when initdb ran. Once U-3 dropped the production initdb mounts (single source of truth: server runs `RunMigrations` + `RunSeed` at boot), the demo seed could no longer be applied at initdb time — the tables it references wouldn't exist yet. Post-U-3 the overlay is a 27-line override file with no `image:` / `build:` of its own; it MUST be passed alongside the base, or compose errors with `service "certctl-server" has neither an image nor a build context specified`.
### Starting it
+2 -2
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@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ Automated tests mock dependencies and run in isolation. Manual QA validates the
**Step 1: Start the full stack.**
```bash
cd deploy && docker compose -f docker-compose.demo.yml up --build -d
cd deploy && docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.demo.yml up --build -d
```
This builds three containers (postgres, certctl-server, certctl-agent) and runs them on a bridge network. The `--build` flag ensures you're testing the current code, not a stale image. The `demo` overlay seeds the database with realistic fixtures.
This builds three containers (postgres, certctl-server, certctl-agent) and runs them on a bridge network. The `--build` flag ensures you're testing the current code, not a stale image. The `demo` overlay is an override file (no `image:` or `build:` of its own) that layers `CERTCTL_DEMO_SEED=true` onto the base — both files must be passed in that order or compose errors with `service "certctl-server" has neither an image nor a build context specified`. The seed populates the database with realistic fixtures.
**Step 2: Wait for healthy state.**