Documentation
HOW TO RUN YOUR OWN.
Placeholder · the real documentation is being written
This page is the outline of the ReportLog documentation, with the sections in the order a new operator meets them. The headings are real. The text under them is a placeholder and will be replaced as each part of the software settles.
Documentation
Outline, 13 September 2026What ReportLog is
Start hereReportLog is open source software for running an archive of incident reports that cannot be quietly altered, including by the people running it. This section will say what the software does, what it does not do, and who it is for.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Before you install
RequirementsWhat you need to have ready: a server, a domain, a mail sender, and the decisions you have to make before the first command rather than halfway through.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Install
Step by stepEvery command here will be ready to paste, with the expected output next to it and a plain statement of what would mean stop.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
First-run setup
Operator account and templateCreating the operator account, setting the separate confirmation password required for anything that cannot be undone, and choosing the template the instance starts from.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Test mode and going live
One-way doorA new instance runs in test mode, which publishes nothing externally. Going live clears the test data, resets the chain, and cannot be reversed. This section will spell out exactly what is kept and what is cleared.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
Roles and permissions
Who can do whatGroup moderator, group leader, archive moderator, archive admin, and the access manager whose only power is granting and revoking roles.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Organizations and groups
Self-serviceHow a group is created, how reports get attached to one, and how a group moderates and exports its own reports.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Moderation
The approval pathWhat a moderator sees, what a moderator decides, and what is written down every time they do.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
Visibility and release
The ceilingThe reporter sets the maximum visibility at intake. Everyone downstream can lower it and nobody can raise it. Release can never exceed the ceiling, and nothing is public until a moderator approves it.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Proofs and verification
Checking the recordWhat the proof bundle contains, how somebody outside the archive verifies it without trusting the operator, and what a failed check actually means.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.
Backups, updates, maintenance
Keeping it runningBackups that are worth having, how to take an update, and what to check afterwards.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Troubleshooting, by symptom
When something is wrongOrganized by what you are seeing, not by what part of the system caused it.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Known limitations, precisely
NoteWhat this documentation does not settle. This section stays on the page and gets longer, not shorter, because the honest list is the useful one.
1. The documentation is placeholder text. Nothing on this page can be followed yet.
2. The source is not published, so nothing here can be checked by reading it.
3. Several parts of the software described above are still being changed, and the pages will be written once they settle.
Documentation in progress.