#20297·chainlink

Clarify local environment setup steps in deployment/docker/README.md

Author: Rameshkumar31595Created Nov 12, 2025Updated Nov 16, 2025

Description

While setting up a local Chainlink node using the Docker Compose configuration in deployment/docker/, a few critical environment variables are not clearly documented.
New contributors may run into DATABASE_URL and ETH_URL missing errors even after following the provided instructions.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Clone the repository and navigate to deployment/docker/
  2. Copy .env.example.env
  3. Run docker-compose up
  4. Observe missing variable or connection errors in logs

Expected Behavior

The README should:

  • Clearly indicate which variables are mandatory
  • Provide example values for a local setup (e.g. Ganache/Hardhat)
  • Include a minimal working .env snippet

Actual Behavior

The instructions imply .env.example is self-sufficient, but it isn’t.

Suggested Fix

Add a “Quick Start (Local Development)” section in deployment/docker/README.md showing a verified minimal configuration and linking to official environment variable references.

Environment

  • OS: Ubuntu 24.04 / macOS Sonoma
  • Docker: 27.x
  • Branch: develop

Source: smartcontractkit/chainlink