Canvas
Canvas is a learning management system (LMS). The Websoft9 Canvas package includes PostgreSQL and Redis and persists application data in volumes.
Getting Started
Initialize
After installing Canvas in the Websoft9 console, open My Apps > Canvas and get the URL and account information from the Access tab. Sign in to the Canvas admin console with the provided account. The administrator email, password, and account name are initialized on first startup using CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_EMAIL, CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_PASSWORD, and CANVAS_LMS_ACCOUNT_NAME.
Manage courses
After signing in, use the admin console to access account and course features and configure the account and courses for your organization. Canvas data and configuration are stored in persistent volumes and configuration files. For details about teaching workflows, see the Canvas production documentation.
Configure email
Canvas mail server settings are in outgoing_mail.yml. To enable email notifications, configure SMTP for your mail provider and make sure the domain and links in email messages are reachable by users.
Best Practices
Configure the initial administrator
After first startup, sign in with the initialized administrator account and review account settings. The administrator environment variables above take effect only on first startup; changing them does not automatically replace an initialized account.
Persist application data
Canvas uses PostgreSQL and Redis and stores database, cache, bundle, temporary, and uploaded asset data in persistent volumes. Back up the relevant data volumes and custom configuration files before upgrading.
Configuration
| Setting | Description | Default / location |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator email | Initial administrator account email | CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_EMAIL |
| Administrator password | Initial administrator password | CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_PASSWORD |
| Account name | Initial Canvas account name | CANVAS_LMS_ACCOUNT_NAME |
| SMTP | Outgoing email settings | ./src/outgoing_mail.yml |
| Persistent data | PostgreSQL, Redis, bundle, temporary files, and assets | App volumes |
Administrator initialization variables are read only on first startup. Recreate the app as required after changing environment variables or configuration.
Administration
Upgrade
Canvas upgrades may involve application and data migrations. Before upgrading, back up the app data volumes and configuration from the Websoft9 console, then follow the Canvas upgrade instructions.
Backup and restore
Use the Websoft9 console to back up and restore Canvas persistent data volumes, including PostgreSQL, Redis, uploaded assets, and application files. To restore configuration, restore the corresponding files such as database.yml, domain.yml, redis.yml, and outgoing_mail.yml.
Troubleshooting
The app does not start
Check the Canvas Compose logs and app health status. Initial setup or an upgrade may take time to complete.
The administrator password is forgotten or initial settings did not change
CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_EMAIL, CANVAS_LMS_ADMIN_PASSWORD, and CANVAS_LMS_ACCOUNT_NAME apply only on first startup. Changing them later does not automatically reset existing data or accounts.
Email notifications do not work
Check the SMTP settings in outgoing_mail.yml, network connectivity, and domain configuration. Make sure links in notifications open through the URL users access.