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npx dbdock test
Runs connectivity and configuration checks without creating a backup. Always run this after dbdock init, after changing credentials, or before relying on DBdock in production.

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What it checks

Database

Connects to Postgres, runs a test query, verifies pg_dump availability.

Storage

Authenticates with the storage provider and attempts a list + upload of a tiny test object.

Encryption

Validates DBDOCK_ENCRYPTION_SECRET exists and is a valid 64-char hex key (if encryption is enabled).

Alerts

Sends a test notification to configured Slack/email channels (if enabled).

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Sample output

Running DBdock self-test...

✓ Database connection
  postgres@localhost:5432/myapp — 127ms

✓ pg_dump available
  pg_dump 16.2 (Homebrew)

✓ Storage: AWS S3
  Bucket: my-backups (us-east-1)
  List: OK
  Upload: OK
  Delete test object: OK

✓ Encryption
  Secret: 64-char hex key ✓
  Iterations: 100,000

✓ Alerts
  Slack: webhook reachable ✓
  Email: SMTP auth OK ✓

All checks passed — DBdock is ready to go.

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When a check fails

Failed checks tell you exactly what to fix: 
✗ Database connection
  Error: password authentication failed for user "postgres"

  Check:
    • DBDOCK_DB_PASSWORD is set in .env
    • DBDOCK_DB_URL is correct (if using URL mode)
    • Your Postgres server is running and reachable
Exit code is 1 on any failure — safe to use in CI as a preflight.

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Use in CI

Add a preflight step to your pipeline: 
- name: DBdock preflight
  run: npx dbdock test
  env:
    DBDOCK_DB_URL: ${{ secrets.DATABASE_URL }}
    DBDOCK_STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_KEY }}
    DBDOCK_STORAGE_SECRET_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET }}
    DBDOCK_ENCRYPTION_SECRET: ${{ secrets.DBDOCK_KEY }}
If anything is misconfigured, the deploy fails fast instead of silently producing broken backups.

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See also

Troubleshooting

What to do when a check fails.