Install

Requirements

• A local or remote working database (non empty)

or

• An existing app (Django, Rails or Express with Sequelize and Mongoose)
• NPM or Docker installed
• Browser Support: we highly recommend Google Chrome or Firefox

Once you start creating a project, you will be able to choose a datasource, the source of the data your admin panel will use.

Forest can be implemented in two very different ways :

• Using an existing app: integrate Forest into your Ruby on Rails, Django, Node.js app with Express (and Sequelize ORM or Mongoose ORM).
• As a dedicated app: create a dedicated app directly linked to your PostgreSQL, MySQL / MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server or MongoDB database.

At Forest, if you have the choice, we recommend integrating in an existing app as it is easier to maintain.

Install Forest using an existing app

At the moment, we are supporting:

• Ruby on Rails app
• Django project
• Node.js app with Express and Sequelize ORM
• Node.js app with Express and Mongoose ORM

Install Forest using an existing Ruby on Rails app

Requirements: Your Rails app must be version 4 or above.

You are asked to provide the URL of your application that runs locally. When you follow the steps and integrate the gems, you should automatically be redirected to your admin panel!

Install Forest using an existing Django app

Requirements:

• Python version should be between 3.6 and 3.10.
• Django version must be 3.2 or higher.

You are asked to provide the URL of your project that runs locally. When you follow the steps, add our app to your installed apps, and set up your agent, you should automatically be redirected to your admin panel!

Install Forest using an existing Node.js app with Express

Requirements:

• Using Sequelize or Mongoose ORM
• Sequelize version must be 5.21 or higher
• Mongoose version must be 5 or higher
• Express version must be 4.17.3 or higher

You are asked to provide the URL of your application that runs locally. When you follow the steps, you should automatically be redirected to your admin panel!

Troubleshooting

In case of an error, you can consult the troubleshooting page or ask in the Community forum.

Install using a database as your datasource

At the moment, we are supporting:

• PostgreSQL
• MySQL / MariaDB
• Microsoft SQL Server
• MongoDB

When choosing one of these databases, you will be prompted to enter your database credentials. Your database credentials never leave the browser, they are only used to generate the environment variables in the setup instructions for the next step.

It is possible to use a local or remote database, but note that this database will be used with your Development environment.

It is possible to skip the authentication in the browser and use directly the CLI to authenticate.

Then, you will be able to create and connect your admin backend, with the following options.

NPM / Yarn

Option	Description
-c, --connection-url	The database credentials with a connection URL.
-S, --ssl	Use SSL for database connection (true | false).
-s, --schema	Your database schema.
-H, --application-host	Hostname of your admin backend application.
-p, --application-port	Port of your admin backend application.
-h, --help	Output usage information.

Docker

Option	Description
APPLICATION_HOST	Hostname of your admin backend application.
APPLICATION_PORT	Port of your admin backend application.
DATABASE_SSL	Use SSL for database connection (true | false).
DATABASE_SCHEMA	Your database schema.
DATABASE_URL	The database credentials with a connection URL.
FOREST_EMAIL	Your Forest account email.
FOREST_TOKEN	Your Forest account token.
FOREST_PASSWORD	Your Forest account password. Although not recommended, you can use this instead of FOREST_TOKEN. Wrap it in double quotes if it contains special characters.

Help us get better!

Finally, when your local server is started, you should be automatically redirected to a satisfaction form. Rate us so we can improve, then go to your newly created admin panel 🎉

If you installed using a local database, your generated admin backend will havehttp://localhost:3310 as an endpoint (Notice the HTTP protocol).
This explains why, if you try to visit **https://**app.forestadmin.com, you will be redirected to **http://**app.forestadmin.com as this is the only way it can communicate with your local admin backend.