Notifuse v11.0 Release Notes

Release Date: October 8, 2025

🎉 What's New

Setup Wizard for Easy Configuration

We're excited to introduce the Setup Wizard – a streamlined onboarding experience that makes deploying Notifuse easier than ever before!

Key Features

Simplified Installation

• Interactive setup wizard guides you through initial configuration
• No more manual environment variable configuration for first-time installations
• Configure your instance directly through the web interface

Automatic PASETO Key Generation

• PASETO encryption keys are automatically generated during setup
• Keys are securely displayed at the end of the wizard for your records
• No need to manually generate cryptographic keys

Flexible Configuration Management

• Configure via setup wizard and settings are stored securely in the database
• Environment variables remain fully supported and always take precedence over database settings
• Choose the deployment method that works best for your infrastructure

Optional Environment Variables
The following environment variables are now optional and can be configured through the setup wizard:

• ROOT_EMAIL
• API_ENDPOINT
• PASETO_PRIVATE_KEY
• PASETO_PUBLIC_KEY
• SMTP_HOST
• SMTP_PORT
• SMTP_USERNAME
• SMTP_PASSWORD
• SMTP_FROM_EMAIL
• SMTP_FROM_NAME

Required Environment Variables
These environment variables remain required for all installations:

• DB_HOST - PostgreSQL database host
• DB_PORT - PostgreSQL database port
• DB_USER - PostgreSQL database username
• DB_PASSWORD - PostgreSQL database password
• SECRET_KEY - Secret key (or PASETO_PRIVATE_KEY as backward compatibility fallback) to encrypt sensitive data in the database

🔄 Migration Notes

For Existing Installations

Automatic Migration

• Existing deployments are automatically marked as "installed" during migration
• Your current environment variables remain unchanged
• Environment variables are NOT migrated to the database – they continue to work as before
• The migration only marks your installation as complete if all required settings are present in environment variables

No Action Required
If you're upgrading from v10.x:

• Your existing configuration continues to work without any changes
• Environment variables maintain full compatibility
• No database configuration conflicts – env vars always win

For New Installations

Setup Wizard Flow

1. Set required environment variables: DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, SECRET_KEY
2. Deploy Notifuse v11.0
3. Navigate to your instance URL
4. Complete the interactive setup wizard
5. Configure root email, API endpoint, SMTP settings, and other essentials
6. Automatically generated PASETO keys will be displayed – save these securely
7. Start using Notifuse!

📋 Technical Details

Configuration Hierarchy

The configuration priority order is:

1. Environment Variables (highest priority – always override database settings)
2. Database Settings (configured via setup wizard or API)
3. Default Values (fallback when neither env vars nor database settings exist)

Database Changes

• Settings are now stored in the settings table
• is_installed flag tracks setup wizard completion
• System-level migration only (no workspace-level changes)

🚀 Upgrade Instructions

From v10.x to v11.0

1. Backup your database (recommended before any upgrade)
2. Pull the latest v11.0 Docker image or update your binary
3. Restart the Notifuse service
4. Migration runs automatically on startup
5. Verify your installation by checking logs

Fresh Installation

1. Set required environment variables: DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, SECRET_KEY
2. Deploy Notifuse v11.0 using your preferred method (Docker, binary, etc.)
3. Access the web interface
4. Follow the setup wizard prompts
5. Save the generated PASETO keys in a secure location
6. Complete configuration and start using Notifuse

📚 Documentation

• Setup wizard configuration can be modified later through the admin settings
• For production deployments, we recommend using environment variables for sensitive data
• Database settings are ideal for configurations you want to manage through the UI

🔐 Security Considerations

• PASETO keys are generated using cryptographically secure random functions
• Sensitive configuration data stored in the database is protected by your existing database security
• Environment variables remain the most secure option for production secrets
• Always store generated keys in a secure password manager or secrets management system

💬 Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

• Open an issue on our GitHub repository
• Check our documentation at your-docs-url

Thank you for using Notifuse! We hope the new setup wizard makes your deployment experience smoother and more enjoyable.