From 835dd43b1c384a911eabfe92f28c9bd07f5ee5c2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Kevin Douglas <kevindouglas@Kevins-Mac-mini.localdomain>
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:57:47 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] Created a ReadMe for Instructions on management.

---
 readme | 57 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 57 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 readme

diff --git a/readme b/readme
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06a0f6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readme
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Portainer Stacks
+
+My collection of Docker Compose stacks for Portainer.  
+This repo is the single source of truth for all my self-hosted services.
+
+## Folder Structure
+portainer-stacks/
+├── gitea/
+├── portainer/
+├── pihole/
+├── homeassistant/
+├── homepage/
+├── ... (other services)
+└── README.md
+
+Each folder contains a `docker-compose.yml` (or `.yaml`) file for that service.
+
+## How to Work with This Repo
+
+### 1. Clone the Repository (First Time)
+
+On your **Mac** or any server:
+
+git clone http://192.168.1.46:3131/kdouglas011/portainer-stacks.git ~/portainer-stacks
+cd ~/portainer-stacks
+
+# 1. Go to the repo folder
+cd ~/portainer-stacks
+
+# 2. Always pull the latest changes first
+git pull origin main
+
+# 3. Make your changes to any docker-compose.yml file
+
+# 4. Stage, commit, and push
+git add .
+git commit -m "Updated pihole stack - changed ports and password"
+git push origin main
+
+# 5. Deploy / Update Stacks in Portainer
+
+Open Portainer → Stacks → Add stack (or edit an existing one)
+Choose Repository as the build method
+Fill in:
+Repository URL: http://192.168.1.46:3131/kdouglas011/portainer-stacks.git
+Repository reference: refs/heads/main
+Compose path: pihole/docker-compose.yml (example — use the exact path)
+
+(Optional) Enable Automatic updates
+Click Deploy the stack (or Update the stack)
+
+# Tips & Best Practices
+
+Always run git pull before editing anything
+Use clear commit messages
+Test changes locally with docker compose up -d before pushing
+Never commit real passwords or secrets — use Portainer’s environment variables instead
\ No newline at end of file