diff --git a/directus/README.md b/directus/README.md
index 0a90e7a..7d2a93f 100644
--- a/directus/README.md
+++ b/directus/README.md
@@ -6,11 +6,37 @@
 
 Proxy port: 8055
 
-On first run: The initial admin email address and password will be shown in the terminal. 
-If you forgot and did a detached: ```docker compose logs -f```
+## Other  Containers
+You will also need mariadb and redis, something like:
+
+```
+  mariadb:
+    image: ${MARIADB_IMAGE:-mariadb:latest}
+    restart: unless-stopped
+    environment:
+      - MARIADB_DATABASE=${MARIADB_DATABASE}
+      - MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=${MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD}
+      - MARIADB_USER=${MARIADB_USER}
+      - MARIADB_PASSWORD=${MARIADB_PASSWORD}
+    volumes:
+      - ${VOL_PATH}/mariadb:/var/lib/mysql
+    
+  cache:
+    image: redis:6
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "[ $$(redis-cli ping) = 'PONG' ]"]
+      interval: 10s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 5
+      start_interval: 5s
+      start_period: 30s
+```
 
 ## Gotacha
 
+On first run: The initial admin email address and password will be shown in the terminal. 
+If you forgot and did a detached: ```docker compose logs -f```
+
 Reset password:
 ```bash
 sudo nala install argon2
diff --git a/directus/docker-compose.yml b/directus/docker-compose.yml
index 2724d17..077bc8c 100644
--- a/directus/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/directus/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 services:
   directus:
-    image: directus/directus
+    image: directus/directus:latest
     restart: unless-stopped
     ports:
       - "8000:8055"
     environment:
-      SECRET: ChangeMeTo32
+      SECRET: ${DIRECTUS_SECRET:-0123456789}
       DB_CLIENT: mysql
-      DB_HOST: db
+      DB_HOST: mariadb
       DB_PORT: 3306
-      DB_DATABASE: directus
-      DB_USER: directus
-      DB_PASSWORD: directuspassword
+      DB_DATABASE: ${MARIADB_DATABASE:-dbname}
+      DB_USER: ${MARIADB_USER:-db_username}
+      DB_PASSWORD: ${MARIADB_PASSWORD:-db_password}
+      ADMIN_EMAIL: ${DIRECTUS_ADMIN_EMAIL:-noreply@example.com}
+      ADMIN_PASSWORD: ${DIRECTUS_ADMIN_PASSWORD:-change_me_to_admin_pass}
+      CACHE_ENABLED: "true"
+      CACHE_AUTO_PURGE: "true"
+      CACHE_STORE: "redis"
+      REDIS: "redis://cache:6379"
+      PUBLIC_URL: ${DIRECTUS_PUBLIC_URL:-http://localhost:8055}
     depends_on:
-      - db
-
-  db:
-    image: mariadb:latest
-    restart: unless-stopped
-    environment:
-      MARIADB_DATABASE: directus
-      MARIADB_USER: directus
-      MARIADB_PASSWORD: directuspassword
-      MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpassword
+      - mariadb
+      - redis
     volumes:
-      - ./data/directus_db_data:/var/lib/mysql
-
+      - ${VOL_PATH:-./data}/directus/uploads:/directus/uploads
+      - ${VOL_PATH:-./data}/directus/extensions:/directus/extensions
+      - ${VOL_PATH:-./data}/directus/templates:/directus/templates
diff --git a/directus/sample-extends.yml b/directus/sample-extends.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/directus/sample.env b/directus/sample.env
index e69de29..1cc3c71 100644
--- a/directus/sample.env
+++ b/directus/sample.env
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Global
+COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME=directus
+TZ=America/Vancouver
+VOL_CONFIG_PATH=/docker/directus/config
+VOL_PATH=/docker/directus/data
+
+# Directus
+DIRECTUS_SECRET=01234567890123456789012345678912
+DIRECTUS_ADMIN_EMAIL=noreply@example.com
+DIRECTUS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=enter_secure_password_here