mash-playbook/docs/services/paperless-ngx.md

# Paperless-ngx

[Paperless-ngx](https://paperless-ngx.com) s a community-supported open-source document management system that transforms your physical documents into a searchable online archive so you can keep, well, less paper. MASH can install paperless-ngx with the [`mother-of-all-self-hosting/ansible-role-paperless`](https://github.com/mother-of-all-self-hosting/ansible-role-paperless) ansible role.

**Warning** Paperless-ngx currently [does not support](https://github.com/paperless-ngx/paperless-ngx/issues/6352) running the container rootless, therfore the role has not the usual security features of other services provided by this playbook. This put your system more at higher risk as vulerabilities can have a higher impact.

## Dependencies

This service requires the following other services:

- a [Postgres](postgres.md) database
- a [KeyDB](keydb.md) data-store, installation details [below](#keydb)
- a [Traefik](traefik.md) reverse-proxy server


## Configuration

To enable this service, add the following configuration to your `vars.yml` file and re-run the [installation](../installing.md) process:

```yaml
########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# paperless                                                            #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################

paperless_enabled: true

paperless_hostname: paperless.example.org

# KeyDB configuration, as described below

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# /paperless                                                           #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################
```

### KeyDB

As described on the [KeyDB](keydb.md) documentation page, if you're hosting additional services which require KeyDB on the same server, you'd better go for installing a separate KeyDB instance for each service. See [Creating a KeyDB instance dedicated to paperless-ngx](#creating-a-keydb-instance-dedicated-to-paperless-ngx).

If you're only running paperless-ngx on this server and don't need to use KeyDB for anything else, you can [use a single KeyDB instance](#using-the-shared-keydb-instance-for-authentik).

#### Using the shared KeyDB instance for authentik

To install a single (non-dedicated) KeyDB instance (`mash-keydb`) and hook paperless to it, add the following **additional** configuration:

```yaml
########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# keydb                                                                #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################

keydb_enabled: true

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# /keydb                                                               #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################


########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# paperless                                                            #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################

# Base configuration as shown above

# Point paperless to the shared KeyDB instance
paperless_redis_hostname: "{{ keydb_identifier }}"

# Make sure the authentik service (mash-authentik.service) starts after the shared KeyDB service (mash-keydb.service)
paperless_systemd_required_services_list_custom:
  - "{{ keydb_identifier }}.service"

# Make sure the authentik container is connected to the container network of the shared KeyDB service (mash-keydb)
paperless_container_additional_networks_custom:
  - "{{ keydb_identifier }}"

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# /paperless                                                           #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################
```

This will create a `mash-keydb` KeyDB instance on this host.

This is only recommended if you won't be installing other services which require KeyDB. Alternatively, go for [Creating a KeyDB instance dedicated to paperless-ngx](#creating-a-keydb-instance-dedicated-to-paperless-ngx).


#### Creating a KeyDB instance dedicated to paperless

The following instructions are based on the [Running multiple instances of the same service on the same host](../running-multiple-instances.md) documentation.

Adjust your `inventory/hosts` file as described in [Re-do your inventory to add supplementary hosts](../running-multiple-instances.md#re-do-your-inventory-to-add-supplementary-hosts), adding a new supplementary host (e.g. if `paperless.example.org` is your main one, create `paperless.example.org-deps`).

Then, create a new `vars.yml` file for the

`inventory/host_vars/paperless.example.org-deps/vars.yml`:

```yaml
---

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# Playbook                                                             #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################

# Put a strong secret below, generated with `pwgen -s 64 1` or in another way
# Various other secrets will be derived from this secret automatically.
mash_playbook_generic_secret_key: ''

# Override service names and directory path prefixes
mash_playbook_service_identifier_prefix: 'mash-paperless-'
mash_playbook_service_base_directory_name_prefix: 'paperless-'

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# /Playbook                                                            #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################


########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# keydb                                                                #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################

keydb_enabled: true

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# /keydb                                                               #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################
```

This will create a `mash-paperless-keydb` instance on this host with its data in `/mash/paperless-keydb`.

Then, adjust your main inventory host's variables file (`inventory/host_vars/paperless.example.org/vars.yml`) like this:

```yaml
########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# paperless                                                            #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################

# Base configuration as shown above

# Point authentik to its dedicated KeyDB instance
paperless_redis_hostname: mash-authentik-keydb

# Make sure the authentik service (mash-paperless.service) starts after its dedicated KeyDB service (mash-paperless-keydb.service)
paperless_systemd_required_services_list_custom:
  - "mash-paperless-keydb.service"

# Make sure the authentik container is connected to the container network of its dedicated KeyDB service (mash-paperless-keydb)
authentik_container_additional_networks_custom:
  - "mash-paperless-keydb"

########################################################################
#                                                                      #
# /paperless                                                           #
#                                                                      #
########################################################################
```


## Installation

If you've decided to install a dedicated KeyDB instance for paperless, make sure to first do [installation](../installing.md) for the supplementary inventory host (e.g. `paperless.example.org-deps`), before running installation for the main one (e.g. `paperless.example.org`).


## Usage

Access your instance in your browser at `https://paperless.example.org`

Refer to the [official documentation](https://docs.paperless-ngx.com/) to learn how to use paperless.