Hello everyone,
After more than 6 months working on my ERPNext project, I would like some architectural clarification before continuing further UI customization.
Initially, I deployed ERPNext using Docker Desktop on Windows. During that phase, I encountered severe asset-related instability:
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Persistent 404 errors on hashed CSS/JS bundles
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Backend generating new bundle hashes while Nginx served outdated ones
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Volume persistence conflicts in Docker
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Permission corruption when interacting with assets from Windows
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Git repository inconsistencies blocking bench build
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Redis/DB hostname mismatches after restoring backups
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Container restart loops due to service resolution failures
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Disk saturation from repeated rebuilds
In multiple cases, the only solution was removing Docker volumes entirely and rebuilding from scratch.
Due to the instability, I migrated away from Docker and deployed directly on Ubuntu in a VPS. The system is currently stable with backups in place.
However, I am now hesitant to perform deeper UI modifications.
My main goal is not just styling tweaks — I would like to:
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Adjust layout structure
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Remove certain UI elements
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Inject custom JS behavior
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Slightly restructure parts of the Desk
Before proceeding further, I would appreciate clarification on:
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Is structural UI modification considered supported practice?
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Are there architectural limitations in the Desk (Vue/frontend bundle) that make deep customization risky?
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What is the recommended workflow for projects that require non-trivial frontend adjustments?
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Should such changes always be isolated in a separate development instance?
After the Docker asset conflicts, I want to ensure I am working within the intended architectural boundaries of Frappe, rather than fighting against the framework.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.