n8n Docker Setup Scripts

Simple bash scripts to run n8n in Docker with persistent data storage.

Prerequisites

• Docker installed and running
• Linux system with timedatectl (for timezone detection)

Setup

Create three files with the contents below and make them executable:

chmod +x setup.sh monitoring.sh teardown.sh

Usage

Setup and Start n8n

./setup.sh

This will:

• Detect your system timezone automatically
• Create a Docker volume n8n_data for persistent storage
• Start n8n in detached mode on port 5678

Access n8n at: http://localhost:5678

Monitor Logs

./monitoring.sh

This will show recent logs and then follow them in real-time (Ctrl+C to exit).

Teardown

./teardown.sh

This will:

• Stop the n8n container
• Optionally remove the Docker image (saves disk space)
• Optionally remove the data volume (⚠️ deletes all workflows and data)

Data Persistence

Your n8n workflows, credentials, and settings are stored in the n8n_data Docker volume. This data persists even when the container is stopped or removed, allowing you to safely restart n8n without losing your work.

Notes

• The container runs with --rm flag, so it's automatically removed when stopped
• Your data remains safe in the n8n_data volume
• To completely reset n8n, run teardown and remove both the image and volume

Files

• setup.sh - Creates volume and starts n8n container
• monitoring.sh - Views and follows container logs
• teardown.sh - Stops container and optionally removes image/volume

References

• https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/installation/docker/#starting-n8n