diff --git a/.env.gitpod b/.env.gitpod
index db0f2d68..124d3eec 100644
--- a/.env.gitpod
+++ b/.env.gitpod
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ PORT=9000
 
 PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
 
+# drop into ipdb when breakpoint() is called
+PYTHONBREAKPOINT="ipdb.set_trace"
+
 SECRET_KEY='some-key'
 DATABASE_URL=mysql://root@127.0.0.1:3306/greencheck
-DATABASE_URL_READ_ONLY=mysql://root:deploy@127.0.0.1:3306/greencheck
+DATABASE_URL_READ_ONLY=mysql://root@127.0.0.1:3306/greencheck
 EXPLORER_TOKEN="some-token"
 MAILGUN_API_KEY="50 characters long-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
 
diff --git a/.gitpod.dockerfile b/.gitpod.dockerfile
index aff26fd0..6de7174d 100644
--- a/.gitpod.dockerfile
+++ b/.gitpod.dockerfile
@@ -9,13 +9,16 @@ RUN sudo apt-get update \
     && sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # install RabbitMQ
-RUN sudo apt-get update  && sudo apt-get install rabbitmq-server -y --fix-missing && sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+RUN sudo apt-get update \
+    && sudo apt-get install rabbitmq-server -y --fix-missing \
+    && sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # https://www.gitpod.io/docs/introduction/languages/python
+# Install the correct version of python
 RUN pyenv install 3.11 \
     && pyenv global 3.11
 
-# install a copy of node js
+# install a recent version of Node.js for front end work
 RUN wget https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x -O /tmp/setup_18.x.sh
 RUN sudo bash /tmp/setup_18.x.sh
-RUN sudo apt-get install nodejs -y
\ No newline at end of file
+RUN sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
diff --git a/.gitpod.yml b/.gitpod.yml
index af80f08f..9b6154f5 100644
--- a/.gitpod.yml
+++ b/.gitpod.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ tasks:
       dotenv run -- ./manage.py collectstatic --no-input
     command: ls
 
+  - name: mariadb
+    command: >
+      docker run 
+      --rm
+      --hostname green-mariadb
+      --publish 3306:3306
+      --env MARIADB_DATABASE=greencheck
+      --env MARIADB_ALLOW_EMPTY_ROOT_PASSWORD=True
+      mariadb:10.11
+
   - name: rabbitmq
     command: >
       docker run