* Rich formatting and colours for notes Asked for in discussion #1629: notes should carry formatting, links and colour, so a warning reads differently from a recommendation. Notes have rendered Markdown for a long time. The problem was that the only way to write it was a bare textarea, so unless you already knew the syntax there was nothing to tell you it existed. Both note fields get a formatting bar - bold, italic, strikethrough, code, link, lists, quote - which edits Markdown rather than replacing it with a rich-text model, so the stored value stays plain text that the PDF, the plugin API and every existing note keep reading unchanged. Links now open in their own tab. A bare anchor navigates the planner away, which loses the open day and the map, and without rel=noopener the opened page can navigate this one - notes are content other trip members wrote. Day notes get a colour from a short shared palette. It tints the card, the border and the icon circle, and it reaches the PDF as the spine and rule rather than a fill. The dialog is two columns now, with a live preview of the card beside the picker, because a row of swatches says nothing about what a tinted note looks like next to a place. On the phone the thirty-two icon grid was most of the screen, so it is folded behind the chosen icon, which doubles as the colour preview. The detail field there got the same formatting bar and the same 2000 character ceiling as the desktop one - they write the same column. * Fix the tests that pinned the old note caps, and rework the note actions The e2e suite builds its own day_notes table by hand rather than going through schema.ts, so it never got the new column and every note insert came back 500. Three more tests wrote down the 250 character body cap and the old create() arity. While in there: the edit and delete buttons on a note card were a 10px icon in a 14px box, side by side, and they took width away from the text on every note whether you were hovering or not. They are stacked in a capsule now, 30px targets with their own hover states, floating over the right edge of the card only while the pointer is on it. The text keeps the full width the rest of the time. * Centre the day badge when there is no weather to stack under it The badge is pinned to the top of the row because with weather it is a tall stack that has to start there. Without a location there is no weather block, so all that is left is a 26px circle floating above the day title. * Render the place subtitle in the places list, and drop the form hint The row in the places sidebar printed the description raw while the same line in the day plan renders it, so a place written with the formatting bar read as _underscores_ in one list and italics in the other. Still clamped to one line - it is a list entry, not the inspector. The "Markdown supported" line under the notes field goes: the bar above it already says so.
A self-hosted, real-time collaborative travel planner — with maps, budgets, packing lists, a journal, and AI built in.
What you get
See all features
🧭 Trip planning
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🧳 Travel management
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👥 Collaboration
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📱 Mobile & PWA
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🧩 Addons (admin-toggleable)
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🤖 AI / MCP
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⚙️ Admin & customisation
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AI usage
We use LLM-assisted coding tools across parts of this codebase. Nothing ships that a maintainer has not read and understood: every change goes through a pull request, is reviewed and tested, and has a human who can answer for it. "The AI wrote that" is not an answer any of us would accept from ourselves.
See How we use AI in TREK for the details.
Get started in 30 seconds
ENCRYPTION_KEY=$(openssl rand -hex 32) docker run -d -p 3000:3000 \
-e ENCRYPTION_KEY=$ENCRYPTION_KEY \
-v ./data:/app/data -v ./uploads:/app/uploads mauriceboe/trek
Open http://localhost:3000. On first boot TREK seeds an admin account — if you set ADMIN_EMAIL/ADMIN_PASSWORD those are used, otherwise the credentials are printed to the container log (docker logs trek).
Tech stack
Real-time sync via WebSocket (ws). Backend on NestJS 11. State with Zustand. Auth via JWT + OAuth 2.1 + OIDC + Passkeys (WebAuthn) + TOTP MFA. Weather via Open-Meteo (no key required). Maps with Leaflet and Mapbox GL.
Docker Compose (production)
Full compose example with secure defaults
services:
app:
image: mauriceboe/trek:latest
container_name: trek
read_only: true
security_opt:
- no-new-privileges:true
cap_drop:
- ALL
cap_add:
- CHOWN
- SETUID
- SETGID
tmpfs:
- /tmp:noexec,nosuid,size=64m
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- NODE_ENV=production
- PORT=3000
- ENCRYPTION_KEY=${ENCRYPTION_KEY:-} # generate with: openssl rand -hex 32
- TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
- LOG_LEVEL=${LOG_LEVEL:-info}
- ALLOWED_ORIGINS=${ALLOWED_ORIGINS:-}
- APP_URL=${APP_URL:-} # required for OIDC + email links
# - FORCE_HTTPS=true # behind a TLS-terminating proxy
# - TRUST_PROXY=1
# - OIDC_ISSUER=https://auth.example.com
# - OIDC_CLIENT_ID=trek
# - OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET=supersecret
# - OIDC_DISPLAY_NAME=SSO
# - OIDC_ADMIN_CLAIM=groups
# - OIDC_ADMIN_VALUE=app-trek-admins
volumes:
- ./data:/app/data
- ./uploads:/app/uploads
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD", "wget", "-qO-", "http://localhost:3000/api/health"]
interval: 30s
timeout: 10s
retries: 3
start_period: 15s
Then:
docker compose up -d
HTTPS notes: FORCE_HTTPS=true is optional — it adds a 301 redirect, HSTS, CSP upgrade-insecure-requests, and forces the secure cookie flag. Only use it behind a TLS-terminating reverse proxy. TRUST_PROXY=1 tells the server how many proxies sit in front so real client IPs and X-Forwarded-Proto work.
Helm (Kubernetes)
helm repo add trek https://chart.liketrek.com
helm repo update
helm install trek trek/trek
See charts/README.md for values.
Install as App (PWA)
TREK works as a Progressive Web App — no App Store needed.
- Open TREK in the browser (HTTPS required)
- iOS: Share ▸ Add to Home Screen
- Android: Menu ▸ Install app (or Add to Home Screen)
TREK then launches fullscreen with its own icon, just like a native app.
Updating
Docker Compose:
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
Docker run — reuse the original volume paths:
docker pull mauriceboe/trek
docker rm -f trek
docker run -d --name trek -p 3000:3000 -v ./data:/app/data -v ./uploads:/app/uploads --restart unless-stopped mauriceboe/trek
Not sure which paths you used?
docker inspect trek --format '{{json .Mounts}}'before removing the container.
Your data stays in the mounted data and uploads volumes — updates never touch it.
Important
Mount only the data and uploads directories —
-v ./data:/app/data -v ./uploads:/app/uploads. Never mount a volume at/app. Doing so hides the application code shipped in the image and the container fails to start withCannot find module 'tsconfig-paths/register'. If you previously mounted/app, switch to the two mounts above; your data indata/anduploads/is preserved.
Rotating the Encryption Key
If you need to rotate ENCRYPTION_KEY (e.g. upgrading from a version that derived encryption from JWT_SECRET):
docker exec -it trek node --import tsx scripts/migrate-encryption.ts
The script creates a timestamped DB backup before making changes and prompts for old + new keys (input is not echoed).
Reverse Proxy
For production, put TREK behind a TLS-terminating reverse proxy. TREK uses WebSockets for real-time sync, so the proxy must support WebSocket upgrades on /ws.
If you use the MCP addon, the proxy must also pass the Mcp-Session-Id header through in both directions on /mcp — Nginx and Caddy do this by default, but a proxy that strips it makes every tool call open a new session instead of reusing one. See the Reverse Proxy wiki page for details.
Nginx
server {
listen 80;
server_name trek.yourdomain.com;
return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}
server {
listen 443 ssl http2;
server_name trek.yourdomain.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/privkey.pem;
# 500 MB covers backup-restore uploads (capped at 500 MB server-side).
client_max_body_size 500m;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
location /ws {
proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_read_timeout 86400;
}
# Only needed if you use the MCP addon. Responses are Server-Sent Events,
# so buffering must be off or tool results arrive late.
location /mcp {
proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_buffering off;
proxy_read_timeout 3600s;
}
}
Caddy
trek.yourdomain.com {
reverse_proxy localhost:3000
}
Caddy handles TLS and WebSockets automatically.
Environment variables
Note
Variables are validated at startup (fail-fast). An unset or blank variable always falls back to its default, but a variable set to a malformed value (e.g.
PORT=abc,SESSION_DURATION=bogus,DEMO_MODE=maybe) aborts boot with a report listing every offending variable. Boolean switches accepttrue/false,1/0,on/offandyes/no(any casing).
Full reference
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
PORT |
Server port | 3000 |
NODE_ENV |
Environment (production / development) |
production |
ENCRYPTION_KEY |
At-rest encryption key for stored secrets (API keys, MFA, SMTP, OIDC). Recommended: generate with openssl rand -hex 32. If unset, falls back to data/.jwt_secret (existing installs) or auto-generates a key (fresh installs). |
Auto |
TZ |
Timezone for logs, reminders and cron jobs (e.g. Europe/Berlin) |
UTC |
LOG_LEVEL |
info = concise user actions, debug = verbose details |
info |
TREK_WIKI_DIR |
Where the in-app Help pages (/help) read their content from. TREK ships its wiki and serves it from disk, so Help always matches the version you are running — you should not need to set this. Point it at your own directory to serve custom docs. If the path does not exist, Help falls back to fetching the public GitHub wiki (needs outbound network, and tracks the latest release). |
bundled wiki/ |
DEFAULT_LANGUAGE |
Default language on the login page for users with no saved preference. Browser/OS language is auto-detected first; this is the fallback. Supported: de, en, es, fr, hu, nl, br, cs, pl, ru, zh, zh-TW, it, ar, id, tr, ja, ko, uk, gr |
en |
ALLOWED_ORIGINS |
Comma-separated origins for CORS and email links | same-origin |
FORCE_HTTPS |
Optional. When true: 301-redirects HTTP to HTTPS, sends HSTS, adds CSP upgrade-insecure-requests, forces the session cookie secure flag. Useful behind a TLS-terminating reverse proxy. Requires TRUST_PROXY. |
false |
HSTS_INCLUDE_SUBDOMAINS |
When true: adds the includeSubDomains directive to the HSTS header, extending HTTPS enforcement to all subdomains. Only effective when HSTS is active (FORCE_HTTPS=true or NODE_ENV=production). Leave false if you run other services on sibling subdomains over plain HTTP. |
false |
COOKIE_SECURE |
Controls the secure flag on the trek_session cookie. Auto-derived: on when NODE_ENV=production or FORCE_HTTPS=true. Escape hatch: set false to allow session cookies over plain HTTP. Not recommended in production. |
auto |
SESSION_DURATION |
How long a login session stays valid when "Remember me" is unchecked (the default): sets the trek_session JWT exp and issues a browser-session cookie (cleared when the browser closes). Accepts ms-style strings: 1h, 12h, 7d, 30d, 90d. Invalid values warn at startup and fall back to the default. |
24h |
SESSION_DURATION_REMEMBER |
Session length when "Remember me" is ticked at login: a longer-lived JWT plus a persistent trek_session cookie that survives browser restarts. Same format and startup-fallback behaviour as SESSION_DURATION. |
30d |
TRUST_PROXY |
Number of trusted reverse proxies. Tells the server to read client IP from X-Forwarded-For and protocol from X-Forwarded-Proto. Defaults to 1 in production; off in dev unless set. |
1 |
ALLOW_INTERNAL_NETWORK |
Allow outbound requests to private/RFC-1918 IPs (e.g. Immich on your LAN). Loopback and link-local addresses remain blocked. | false |
APP_URL |
Public base URL of this instance (e.g. https://trek.example.com). Required when OIDC is enabled; used as base for email notification links. |
— |
| OIDC / SSO | ||
OIDC_ISSUER |
OpenID Connect provider URL | — |
OIDC_CLIENT_ID |
OIDC client ID | — |
OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET |
OIDC client secret | — |
OIDC_DISPLAY_NAME |
Label shown on the SSO login button | SSO |
OIDC_ONLY |
Force SSO-only mode: disables password login + registration, regardless of Admin > Settings. The first SSO login becomes admin. | false |
OIDC_ADMIN_CLAIM |
OIDC claim used to identify admin users | — |
OIDC_ADMIN_VALUE |
Value of the OIDC claim that grants admin role | — |
OIDC_SCOPE |
Space-separated OIDC scopes. Fully replaces the default — always include openid email profile. |
openid email profile |
OIDC_DISCOVERY_URL |
Override the auto-constructed OIDC discovery endpoint (e.g. Authentik: .../application/o/trek/.well-known/openid-configuration) |
— |
| Initial setup | ||
ADMIN_EMAIL |
Email for the first admin on initial boot. Must be set together with ADMIN_PASSWORD. If either is omitted a random password is printed to the server log. No effect once a user exists. |
admin@trek.local |
ADMIN_PASSWORD |
Password for the first admin on initial boot. Pairs with ADMIN_EMAIL. |
random |
| Other | ||
DEMO_MODE |
Enable demo mode (hourly data resets) | false |
UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY |
Optional Unsplash Access Key for trip-cover and place-image search. Without one, TREK uses Unsplash's unauthenticated endpoint, which some datacenter/VPS IPs are blocked from. Get a free key at unsplash.com/developers. Overrides any per-admin key set in Admin > Settings (where it can also be configured instead). | — |
MCP_RATE_LIMIT |
Max MCP API requests per user per minute | 300 |
MCP_MAX_SESSION_PER_USER |
Max concurrent MCP sessions per user. At the cap, the least-recently-active session is closed to make room | 20 |
Data & Backups
- Database — SQLite, stored in
./data/travel.db - Uploads — stored in
./uploads/ - Logs —
./data/logs/trek.log(auto-rotated) - Backups — create and restore via Admin Panel
- Auto-Backups — configurable schedule and retention in Admin Panel
Data sources
The Atlas map's country and sub-national (province/county) boundaries come from geoBoundaries (Runfola et al., 2020), licensed CC BY 4.0. See NOTICE.md for full third-party attributions.
License
TREK is AGPL v3. Self-host freely for personal or internal company use. If you modify and offer TREK as a network service to third parties, your modifications must be open-sourced under the same licence.








