Stack Template Format

A stack template (called a stack definition in the CLI and API) is a TOML file that describes the spaces, dependencies, and configuration that make up a stack. This page covers the complete TOML format with all available options.

Minimal Example

    
name = "web-app"
description = "Simple web application"

[[spaces]]
name = "web"
template = "ubuntu-latest"

This creates a single-space stack template. The space uses the ubuntu-latest template and is named web.

Complete Example

    
    
  
name = "lamp-stack"
description = "Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP stack"
icon_url = "/icons/lamp.svg"
scope = "user"
groups = ["developers"]
zones = ["us-east"]

[[spaces]]
name = "db"
description = "MySQL database server"
template = "mysql-8"
shell = "/bin/bash"
startup_script = "init-db"

[[spaces.custom_fields]]
name = "MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD"
value = "secret"

[[spaces.custom_fields]]
name = "MYSQL_DATABASE"
value = "appdb"

[[spaces]]
name = "web"
description = "Apache web server"
template = "apache-2.4"
depends_on = ["db"]

[[spaces.port_forwards]]
to_space = "db"
local_port = 6379
remote_port = 6379

[[spaces]]
name = "cache"
description = "Redis Cache"
template = "redis-7"

Top-Level Options

Option	Type	Required	Default	Description
`name`	string	Yes	—	Unique name for the stack template
`description`	string	No	`""`	Description shown in the UI and CLI
`icon_url`	string	No	`""`	Icon URL shown in the UI (stack templates list and stack selector)
`scope`	string	No	`"user"`	Visibility scope: `user` or `global`
`groups`	list	No	`[]`	Groups allowed to create stacks from this template (global scope only, names resolved to IDs)
`zones`	list	No	`[]`	Zone restrictions — template is only available in listed zones (empty = all zones)

Scope

user — Only visible to the creator. Use for personal development stacks.
global — Visible to all users (subject to group restrictions). Use for shared stacks that teams can create instances of.

Space Configuration

Each [[spaces]] block defines a space in the template. The name is used as the identifier — spaces are named {prefix}-{name} when the stack is created, and name is used in dependency and port forward references.

Option	Type	Required	Default	Description
`name`	string	Yes	—	Space name — used for naming (`prefix-name`), dependencies, and port forward targets
`template`	string	Yes	—	Name of the template to use (resolved to template ID)
`description`	string	No	`""`	Space description
`shell`	string	No	template default	Override the default shell
`startup_script`	string	No	—	Name of a script to run on startup (resolved to script ID)
`depends_on`	list	No	`[]`	List of space names this space depends on

Dependencies

Dependencies control startup order. When starting a stack, spaces are started after all their dependencies are running. When stopping, spaces are stopped before the spaces they depend on.

    
    
  
[[spaces]]
name = "web"
template = "apache-2.4"
depends_on = ["db", "cache"]

[[spaces]]
name = "db"
template = "mysql-8"

[[spaces]]
name = "cache"
template = "redis-7"

In this example, web will not start until both db and cache are running.

Custom Fields

Custom fields set environment variables or configuration values on a space. Each [[spaces.custom_fields]] block within a space defines a name-value pair.

    
    
  
[[spaces]]
name = "db"
template = "mysql-8"

[[spaces.custom_fields]]
name = "MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD"
value = "secret"

[[spaces.custom_fields]]
name = "MYSQL_DATABASE"
value = "appdb"

[[spaces.custom_fields]]
name = "MYSQL_USER"
value = "appuser"

Custom fields are applied when the space is created and can be modified afterwards through the space settings.

Port Forwards

Port forwards configure network connectivity between spaces. Each [[spaces.port_forwards]] block within a space defines a forwarding rule.

    
    
  
[[spaces]]
name = "web"
template = "apache-2.4"
depends_on = ["db"]

[[spaces.port_forwards]]
to_space = "db"
local_port = 3306
remote_port = 3306

Option	Type	Required	Description
`to_space`	string	Yes	Name of the target space
`local_port`	integer	Yes	Port on the source space
`remote_port`	integer	Yes	Port on the target space

Port forwards are created as persistent forwards — they survive space restarts. The to_space value references another space by its name in the same stack template.

CLI Workflow

    
    
  
# Create a stack template
knot stack create-def lamp.toml

# List all templates
knot stack list-defs

# View detailed template info
knot stack list-defs --details

# Disable a template (prevents creating stacks from it)
knot stack disable-def lamp-stack

# Re-enable a template
knot stack enable-def lamp-stack

# Update a template
knot stack apply lamp.toml

# Delete a template
knot stack delete-def lamp-stack

Scripting

Stack templates can also be created and managed from scripts using the knot.stack library:

    
    
  
import knot.stack as stack

# Create a template programmatically
stack.create_def(
    "my-stack",
    description="My development stack",
    scope="user",
    spaces=[
        {
            "name": "web",
            "template": "ubuntu-latest",
            "depends_on": ["db"],
        },
        {
            "name": "db",
            "template": "mysql-8",
            "custom_fields": [
                {"name": "MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD", "value": "secret"},
            ],
        },
    ],
)

See the knot.stack library reference for the full API.

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