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Getting Started

Choose the path that matches what you have.

Install a local instance​

This sequence runs in a Flow Steward application checkout on the machine that will host Docker. For Railway, Fly.io, or Render with a prebuilt image, follow the provider guide instead; those deployments do not need a local Docker daemon. A DigitalOcean Droplet follows this Docker-host sequence over SSH.

Before running ./install.sh, install and start Docker with Linux containers and Docker Compose v2. This prerequisite applies to both Compact and Scalable, on a desktop or a server; downloading Flow Steward does not install Docker.

Check from the same non-root account that will install Flow Steward:

docker --version
docker compose version
docker info

If Docker/Compose is missing, follow the appropriate official installation guide. If docker info fails, start Docker or fix access to its socket using Docker's Linux post-install instructions. Do not solve access errors by running Flow Steward as root.

From the Flow Steward application repository:

./install.sh
./flow-steward status
./flow-steward doctor

./install.sh installs or resumes; it has no subcommands. It also reconciles installer-built images after an intentional source update; see Installation And Updates. A host Python runtime and model-provider credentials are not required for core readiness.

Open the bootstrap URL printed by the installer. For the default local endpoint:

open https://localhost:8099

Complete first-administrator setup in the web interface. Do not invent or reuse an old /auth/bootstrap payload; the current installer supplies the applicable bootstrap URL and, for non-loopback setup, the owner-only token handoff.

Confirm your access​

Before a first workflow, confirm:

  1. the instance is healthy;
  2. your account has the role required by the guide;
  3. you know which workspace and project will own the work;
  4. a model provider is configured only if the selected workflow needs one;
  5. tests will not call real providers or create unintended external effects.

The core installer applies the canonical schema baseline and seed. Old tooling db init-db and demo-data commands are not public commands. To use ready-made automation, open the Workflow Catalog and create a local workflow draft; installing demo data is not required.