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Wekan

Open-source kanban board application for project management and task organization with card-based workflow management.

Kanban Board Application

Video [IBRACORP Video Tutorial - Coming Soon]

Useful Links

Related Videos

  • Project Management
  • Team Collaboration
  • Workflow Organization
Disclaimer

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Please read our disclaimer https://docs.ibracorp.io/disclaimer

Credits​

RoleContributor
Writer / ProducerSycotix
Video Recording and VoiceSycotix
ContributorNorth
Testing / ProofreadingHawks, DiscDuck

Feature List​

Complete Project Management Solution

  • Kanban Boards - Visual task management with card-based workflow
  • Multiple Boards - Organize different projects separately
  • Card Management - Create, edit, move, and archive cards
  • List Organization - Customizable columns for workflow stages
  • Team Collaboration - Multi-user support with permissions
  • Card Comments - Discussion and collaboration on tasks
  • Due Dates - Set deadlines and track progress
  • Attachments - Add files and documents to cards
  • Labels and Tags - Categorize and filter cards
  • Card Checklists - Break down tasks into subtasks
  • Activity Timeline - Track all changes and activities
  • Export Features - Backup boards and data
  • Mobile Responsive - Access from any device
  • Self-Hosted - Complete control over your data

Prerequisites​

Database Requirements​

MongoDB Setup

⚠️ Important: Use MongoDB 4.4.x for compatibility

# MongoDB 4.4 (recommended version)
mongodb:
  image: mongo:4.4.7
  container_name: wekan-mongodb
  restart: unless-stopped
  command: mongod --oplogSize 128
  environment:
    - MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME=wekanuser
    - MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD=your-secure-password
  volumes:
    - ./mongodb/data:/data/db
    - ./mongodb/dump:/dump
  networks:
    - wekan

Unraid Preparation​

Create Unraid Share

  1. Navigate: Shares in Unraid webUI
  2. Add Share: Create new share named "wekan"
  3. Configure: Set appropriate permissions and cache settings

Installation​

Unraid Installation​

Community Applications Method

  1. Install MongoDB:

    • Search "MongoDB" in Community Apps
    • Install from "Taddeusz' Repository / Network:Other"
    • Version: Select MongoDB 4.4.7 specifically
    • Port: 27017 (verify availability)

  2. Install Wekan:

    • Search "Wekan" in Community Apps
    • Install from "Kru-X's Repository / Productivity"

  3. Wekan Configuration:

    Container Name: wekan
    ROOT_URL: http://192.168.1.100:5555
    PORT: 5555
    MONGO_URL: mongodb://192.168.1.100:27017/wekan
    unRAID Share Path: /mnt/user/wekan

Docker Compose​

Complete Stack

version: '3.8'

services:
  wekan:
    image: quay.io/wekan/wekan:latest
    container_name: wekan
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      # Application Settings
      - ROOT_URL=https://wekan.yourdomain.com
      - PORT=8080
      - TZ=America/New_York
      
      # Database Connection
      - MONGO_URL=mongodb://wekanuser:your-secure-password@mongodb:27017/wekan?authSource=admin
      
      # Email Configuration (optional)
      - MAIL_URL=smtp://username:password@smtp.gmail.com:587
      - MAIL_FROM=wekan@yourdomain.com
      
      # Security Settings
      - WITH_API=true
      - RICHER_CARD_COMMENT_EDITOR=true
      - CARD_OPENED_WEBHOOK_ENABLED=false
      - BIGEVENTS_PATTERN=NONE
      - BROWSER_POLICY_ENABLED=true
      
    ports:
      - "5555:8080"
    depends_on:
      - mongodb
    volumes:
      - ./wekan/files:/data
    networks:
      - wekan

  mongodb:
    image: mongo:4.4.7
    container_name: wekan-mongodb
    restart: unless-stopped
    command: mongod --oplogSize 128
    environment:
      - MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME=wekanuser
      - MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD=your-secure-password
      - MONGO_INITDB_DATABASE=wekan
    volumes:
      - ./mongodb/data:/data/db
      - ./mongodb/dump:/dump
    networks:
      - wekan

networks:
  wekan:
    driver: bridge

volumes:
  mongodb_data:
  wekan_data:

Environment Configuration​

Create .env File

# Database Configuration
MONGO_USERNAME=wekanuser
MONGO_PASSWORD=your-secure-password
WEKAN_ROOT_URL=https://wekan.yourdomain.com

# Email Settings
MAIL_USERNAME=your-email@gmail.com
MAIL_PASSWORD=your-app-password
MAIL_FROM=wekan@yourdomain.com

# Security
WEKAN_SECRET=your-secret-key-here

Initial Setup​

First Launch​

Create Admin Account

  1. Access Wekan: Navigate to http://server-ip:5555
  2. Register Account: Click "Register" to create first account
  3. Admin Account: First registered user becomes administrator
  4. Verify Setup: Confirm Wekan loads properly

Admin Configuration​

Security Settings

  1. Access Admin Panel: Click user avatar → Admin Panel
  2. Disable Registration: Turn off self-registration
  3. Configure Settings: 
    Registration Policy: Admin Only
    Email Verification: Enabled (if SMTP configured)
    Default Board Permission: Private

Database Verification​

Check MongoDB Connection

# Connect to MongoDB container
docker exec -it wekan-mongodb mongo

# Switch to Wekan database
use wekan

# Check collections
show collections

# Exit MongoDB shell
exit

Board Management​

Create Boards​

New Board Setup

  1. Create Board: Click "Create Board" button
  2. Board Configuration: 
    Title: Project Name
    Description: Project description
    Color: Choose board color
    Permission: Private/Public
  3. Initial Lists: Create workflow columns (To Do, In Progress, Done)

Board Templates​

Common Board Layouts

Software Development:
- Backlog
- To Do
- In Development
- Testing
- Code Review
- Done

Marketing Campaign:
- Ideas
- Planning
- In Progress
- Review
- Approved
- Published

Personal Tasks:
- Today
- This Week
- This Month
- Someday
- Completed

List Management​

Workflow Organization

List Actions:
- Add List: Create new workflow stage
- Rename List: Change list title
- Move List: Reorder workflow stages
- Archive List: Hide completed stages
- List Settings: Configure list properties

Card Management​

Create and Edit Cards​

Card Operations

Basic Card Info:
- Title: Task description
- Description: Detailed information
- Due Date: Deadline for completion
- Members: Assign team members
- Labels: Categorize tasks

Advanced Features:
- Checklists: Break down into subtasks
- Attachments: Add files and documents
- Comments: Team collaboration
- Activity: Track all changes

Card Workflows​

Task Progression

  1. Create Card: Add new task to appropriate list
  2. Add Details: Fill in description, due date, assignees
  3. Progress Tracking: Move card through workflow stages
  4. Collaboration: Use comments for team communication
  5. Completion: Move to done list and archive if needed

Labels and Categories​

Organization System

Priority Labels:
- High Priority (Red)
- Medium Priority (Yellow)
- Low Priority (Green)

Type Labels:
- Bug (Red)
- Feature (Blue)
- Enhancement (Purple)
- Documentation (Gray)

Status Labels:
- Blocked (Black)
- Urgent (Orange)
- Review Needed (Pink)

User Management​

Add Team Members​

User Administration

  1. Admin Panel: Access user management
  2. Invite Users: Send invitation emails
  3. User Roles: 
    Admin: Full system access
    Normal User: Board access only
    Comment Only: Read and comment only

Board Permissions​

Access Control

Board Visibility:
- Private: Invite only
- Public: Anyone with link can view
- Team: Specific team access

User Permissions:
- Admin: Full board control
- Normal: Create and edit cards
- Comment Only: View and comment
- No Comments: View only

Advanced Features​

Email Notifications​

SMTP Configuration

environment:
  - MAIL_URL=smtps://username:password@smtp.gmail.com:465
  - MAIL_FROM=notifications@yourdomain.com
  - DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL=wekan@yourdomain.com

Webhook Integration​

External Integrations

environment:
  - WEBHOOKS_ATTRIBUTES=cardId,listId,boardId,comment
  - CARD_OPENED_WEBHOOK_ENABLED=true
  - WEBHOOK_URL=https://your-webhook-endpoint.com

API Access​

Enable API

environment:
  - WITH_API=true
  - API_TOKEN_EXPIRATION=never

API Usage Example

# Get boards
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     https://wekan.yourdomain.com/api/boards

# Create card
curl -X POST \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"title":"New Task","description":"Task description"}' \
     https://wekan.yourdomain.com/api/boards/BOARD_ID/lists/LIST_ID/cards

Backup and Maintenance​

Backup Strategy​

Database Backup

# Create backup script
#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
BACKUP_DIR="/backup/wekan"

# Create backup directory
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Backup MongoDB
docker exec wekan-mongodb mongodump --out /dump/wekan_$DATE

# Copy backup to host
docker cp wekan-mongodb:/dump/wekan_$DATE $BACKUP_DIR/

# Compress backup
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/wekan_backup_$DATE.tar.gz -C $BACKUP_DIR wekan_$DATE

# Cleanup old backups (keep 30 days)
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "wekan_backup_*.tar.gz" -mtime +30 -delete

Restore Procedure​

Database Restore

# Extract backup
tar -xzf wekan_backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.tar.gz

# Copy to container
docker cp wekan_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS wekan-mongodb:/dump/

# Restore database
docker exec wekan-mongodb mongorestore --drop /dump/wekan_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS

Updates​

Update Wekan

# Pull latest images
docker-compose pull

# Recreate containers
docker-compose up -d

# Check logs
docker-compose logs -f wekan

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

MongoDB Connection Problems

# Check MongoDB logs
docker logs wekan-mongodb

# Verify connectivity
docker exec wekan-mongodb mongo --eval "db.adminCommand('ismaster')"

# Test from Wekan container
docker exec wekan nc -zv mongodb 27017

Wekan Not Loading

  1. Check Logs: docker logs wekan
  2. Verify ROOT_URL: Ensure correct URL configuration
  3. Database Access: Confirm MongoDB connectivity
  4. Port Conflicts: Check if port 5555 is available

Performance Issues

Optimization:
- Increase MongoDB oplogSize
- Add more memory to containers
- Use SSD storage for database
- Regular database maintenance

Database Maintenance​

MongoDB Optimization

# Compact database
docker exec wekan-mongodb mongo wekan --eval "db.runCommand({compact: 'boards'})"

# Repair database
docker exec wekan-mongodb mongo wekan --eval "db.repairDatabase()"

# Check database stats
docker exec wekan-mongodb mongo wekan --eval "db.stats()"

Best Practices​

Organization Strategy​

Effective Board Management

Board Structure:
- One board per project/team
- Clear naming conventions
- Consistent list workflows
- Regular archive cleanup

Card Guidelines:
- Descriptive titles
- Detailed descriptions
- Appropriate labels
- Regular updates

Team Collaboration​

Workflow Optimization

Communication:
- Use card comments for discussions
- @mention team members
- Regular board reviews
- Clear task assignments

Process:
- Define workflow stages
- Set due dates consistently
- Use checklists for complex tasks
- Archive completed work

Special Thanks​

  • Wekan Development Team for creating this excellent kanban solution
  • Lauri Ojansivu for leading Wekan development
  • Community Contributors for ongoing improvements
  • To our fantastic Discord community and our Admins DiscDuck and Hawks for their input and testing

Please support the developers and creators involved in this work to help show them some love. ❤️

Final Words​

We hope you enjoyed this guide. It was conceptualized, written, and implemented by our Admin Sycotix.

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