[Bug]: Unable to open database file

[alexgutjahr]

🔍 Bug Summary

Application fails to start because it cannot open the database file

📖 Description

I've tried running the application through docker compose, but it fails with the error below.

2025-04-12T10:20:35: PM2 log: App [paperless-ai:0] starting in -cluster mode-
2025-04-12T10:20:35: PM2 log: App [paperless-ai:0] online
Loading .env from: /app/data/.env
Loaded environment variables: {
  PAPERLESS_API_URL: undefined,
  PAPERLESS_API_TOKEN: '******',
  LIMIT_FUNCTIONS: {
    activateTagging: 'yes',
    activateCorrespondents: 'yes',
    activateDocumentType: 'yes',
    activateTitle: 'yes',
    activateCustomFields: 'yes'
  }
}
SqliteError: unable to open database file
    at new Database (/app/node_modules/better-sqlite3/lib/database.js:69:26)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/app/models/document.js:14:12)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1554:14)
    at Object..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1706:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1289:32)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1108:12)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:220:24)
    at Module.<anonymous> (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1311:12)
    at Hook._require.Module.require (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/pm2/node_modules/require-in-the-middle/index.js:101:39)
2025-04-12T10:20:36: PM2 log: App name:paperless-ai id:0 disconnected
2025-04-12T10:20:36: PM2 log: App [paperless-ai:0] exited with code [0] via signal [SIGINT]
2025-04-12T10:20:36: PM2 log: App [paperless-ai:0] will restart in 5743ms
2025-04-12T10:20:37: PM2 log: 0 application online, retry = 3
2025-04-12T10:20:39: PM2 log: 0 application online, retry = 2
2025-04-12T10:20:41: PM2 log: 0 application online, retry = 1

.. for reference, here is the compose file I am using:

---
services:
  paperless-ai:
    image: clusterzx/paperless-ai
    container_name: paperless-ai
    restart: unless-stopped
    networks:
      - homelab
    cap_drop:
      - ALL
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges=true
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - PAPERLESS_AI_PORT=3000
    volumes:
      - /home/docker/paperless-ai/data:/app/data
    labels:
      - "traefik.enable=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.paperless-ai.rule=Host(`paperless-ai.example.org`)"
      - "traefik.http.routers.paperless-ai.entrypoints=websecure"
      - "traefik.http.routers.paperless-ai.tls=true"
      - "traefik.http.routers.paperless-ai.tls.certresolver=cloudflare"
      - "traefik.http.services.paperless-ai.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"

networks:
  homelab:
    external: true

I thought that maybe it is an error with permissions on the volume, but when I connect to the container with 1000:1000 I can create files in the /app/data directory as I would expect. The volume on the docker host is also owned by 1000:1000.

🔄 Steps to Reproduce

Run the provided docker compose file.

✅ Expected Behavior

Application successfully starts.

❌ Actual Behavior

Application fails to start.

📜 Docker Logs

n/a

📜 Paperless-ngx Logs

not relevant

🖼️ Screenshots of your settings page

No response

🖥️ Desktop Environment

Other

💻 OS Version

Linux iron 6.11.0-14-generic #15-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Jan 10 23:48:25 UTC 2025 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

🌐 Browser

None

🔢 Browser Version

No response

🌐 Mobile Browser

No response

📝 Additional Information

• I have checked existing issues and this is not a duplicate
• I am sure that this problem is affecting everyone, not only me
• I have tried debugging this issue on my own
• I can provide a fix and submit a PR

📌 Extra Notes

I don't know how I could be sure that this problem is affecting everyone - most likely I made a mistake somewhere in the setup and if the issue would affect everyone I would probably have found an existing issue for it by now.