services:
  nodebb:
    build: .
    restart: unless-stopped
    container_name: nodebb
      default:
    ports:
      - '4567:4567' # comment this out if you don't want to expose NodeBB to the host, or change the first number to any port you want
    volumes:
      - ./nodebb/nodebb-build:/usr/src/app/build
      - ./nodebb/nodebb-uploads:/usr/src/app/public/uploads
      - ./nodebb/nodebb-config:/opt/config
      - setup.json:/usr/src/app/setup.json

  postgres:
    image: postgres:17.5-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: nodebb
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: nodebb
      POSTGRES_DB: nodebb
    volumes:
      - ./postgres/postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

This is my Dockerfile

FROM ghcr.io/nodebb/nodebb:latest

# Install NodeBB plugins
# Add the plugins you want to use here

RUN npm install \
    nodebb-plugin-cards \
    nodebb-plugin-link-preview \
    nodebb-plugin-tenor-gif

# Expose the default NodeBB port
EXPOSE 4567

# The base image should already have the appropriate CMD/ENTRYPOINT

Just run docker compose up -d and you should have the forum up and the entire data should be in the directory itself.

You can then just share the directory itself with anybody and they will have the exact setup running.

NOTE: You’ll have to manually create the file setup.json under ./nodebb/install/docker/ BEFORE starting it ,You can get the file from Github here