Compose Panel docs

ADR 0019 — Start as a stack-wide operation

Status: accepted.

Context

After a Stop, the only way to bring a stack's containers back was Up, which can also recreate them from the Compose file and local images. Docker Compose offers start for exactly this: start existing (stopped) containers without creating or recreating anything.

Decision

  • Add start to the fixed operation allow-list (up, pull, stop, restart, down, pull-up, start). Stack-wide only in V1: no per-service selection (see ADR 0021).
  • Provider call start(target) runs compose start through the existing mutation() helper: explicit --project-directory and -f, plus -p when the project is known. No user-supplied option.
  • start never creates: an undeployed stack is refused like the other destructive actions (creates stays up/pull-up/pull). It requires a resolved project, like stop/restart/down.
  • Same machinery as every operation: per-stack lock, detached run, success only on exit 0, SSE observation, CSRF/session/Origin, activity log (operation event with action=start).

Not decided here

  • Per-service start (with per-service restart/up, ADR 0021).
  • create (compose create) without starting: no demonstrated need.

Consequences

  • The Actions card offers Start on deployed stacks (running/stopped), not on not-created and never on unknown.
  • Up remains the only action that creates containers or applies file changes; its help text says so.