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The Dreadnode platform uses a layered configuration system, allowing you to set persistent overrides for long-term usage or one-off overrides for testing and temporary changes.

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Common Scenarios

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Proxy Configuration

If you are deploying the platform behind a reverse proxy or load balancer, or running the UI on a remote host, you must configure the Proxy Host. You must set both PROXY_HOST (for the UI to know its public address) and ALLOWED_HOSTS (to allow traffic from that domain via Content Security Policy). 
dreadnode platform configure \
  proxy-host platform.example.com \
  allowed-hosts platform.example.com
Ensure your DNS or reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx, Caddy, ALB) routes traffic for this hostname to the Dreadnode UI container.

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Configuration Details

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Precedence

When the platform starts, configuration is resolved in the following order (highest priority first):
  1. Start-time Flags: (dreadnode platform start --key value)
  2. Persistent Overrides: (dreadnode platform configure)
  3. Base Defaults: Service-level default values.
This means a value passed to start will always override a value set via configure.

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File Structure & storage

The platform stores its configuration and state in your home directory.
  • Base Directory: ~/.dreadnode/platform
  • Version Manifest: ~/.dreadnode/platform/versions.json (Tracks downloaded versions and the currently active one).
  • Active Version: ~/.dreadnode/platform/<tag>/
Within a version directory (~/.dreadnode/platform/<tag>/), you will find the .dreadnode-api.env and .dreadnode-ui.env files where persistent configuration is stored.
Data Storage Location: The files in ~/.dreadnode/platform are for configuration only. The actual database data (Postgres, ClickHouse) and logs are stored in Docker Volumes (e.g., dreadnode_postgres_data), not in this directory. Backing up this directory does not backup your data. See Manage Data for backup instructions.
Sensitive Information: Configuration values (including passwords and API keys) are stored in plain text in the .dreadnode-api.env and .dreadnode-ui.env files. Ensure the host machine is secured and access to this directory is restricted.

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Common Configuration Keys

KeyDescriptionExample
proxy-hostHostname for remote access (e.g. behind a reverse proxy).platform.corp.com
allowed-hostsMust match proxy-host to allow browser access.platform.corp.com
api-portPort exposed by the API service.8080
ui-portPort exposed by the UI service.80
postgres-hostHostname of external Postgres database.db.internal
clickhouse-hostHostname of external ClickHouse database.clickhouse.internal
Configuration keys are case-insensitive in the CLI but are converted to UPPER_SNAKE_CASE environment variables internally (e.g., proxy-host -> PROXY_HOST).