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Deploying AllCodex via Docker Compose is the recommended method for production self-hosting. It runs the three services in isolated containers while mapping their data folders and network interfaces to the host.

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1. Prerequisites & Dependencies

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your host:
  • Docker and the Compose plugin.
  • PostgreSQL Database: AllKnower (the AI backend) uses PostgreSQL to store user sessions, histories, and usage budgets.
    • You can either connect to a PostgreSQL instance already running on your host machine.
    • Or use the self-contained compose file below, which spins up a PostgreSQL container alongside the AllCodex services.

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2. Docker Compose Configuration

Create a folder for your deployment and configure the docker-compose.yml file. 
mkdir -p allcodex-grimoire
cd allcodex-grimoire

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Self-Contained Deployment (Includes PostgreSQL)

This configuration includes a PostgreSQL container. Since the services use network_mode: host to share the host’s network, the database binds directly to port 5432 on localhost.
docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'

services:
  postgres:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    container_name: allcodex-postgres
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=postgres
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres
      - POSTGRES_DB=allknower
    volumes:
      - /srv/allcodex/postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  core:
    image: ghcr.io/thunderronin/allcodex-core:dev
    container_name: allcodex-core
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    environment:
      - TRILIUM_DATA_DIR=/srv/allcodex/core-data
      - USER_UID=999
      - USER_GID=988
    env_file:
      - /etc/allcodex/core.env
    volumes:
      - /srv/allcodex:/srv/allcodex
    depends_on:
      - postgres

  knower:
    image: ghcr.io/thunderronin/allknower:dev
    container_name: allknower
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    env_file:
      - /etc/allcodex/allknower.env
    volumes:
      - /srv/allcodex:/srv/allcodex
    depends_on:
      - postgres

  portal:
    image: ghcr.io/thunderronin/allcodex-portal:dev
    container_name: allcodex-portal
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    env_file:
      - /etc/allcodex/portal.env
    depends_on:
      - knower

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3. Creating Environment Files

AllCodex reads configurations from environment files located in /etc/allcodex/ on your host server. Create the directory and touch the config files: 
sudo mkdir -p /etc/allcodex /srv/allcodex
sudo touch /etc/allcodex/core.env /etc/allcodex/allknower.env /etc/allcodex/portal.env

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Core Configuration (core.env)

Configure Core to listen on port 8080:
/etc/allcodex/core.env
PORT=8080
ALLCODEX_PASSWORD=your_secure_db_admin_password

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AllKnower Configuration (allknower.env)

Provide database credentials, OpenRouter key, and encryption secrets:
/etc/allcodex/allknower.env
PORT=3001
# Connects to the local postgres container on port 5432
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/allknower?schema=public
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_api_key

# Secrets for user authentication and token encryption
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=generate_a_random_32_character_string_here
PORTAL_INTERNAL_SECRET=generate_a_long_random_string_here
INTEGRATION_CREDENTIALS_KEY=generate_a_64_character_hexadecimal_string_here
The INTEGRATION_CREDENTIALS_KEY is a 32-byte key (represented as a 64-character hex string) used to encrypt your AllCodex ETAPI tokens at rest in the PostgreSQL database. Keep this safe.

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Portal Configuration (portal.env)

Configure the Portal to point to the backend services:
/etc/allcodex/portal.env
PORT=3000
ALLCODEX_URL=http://localhost:8080
ALLKNOWER_URL=http://localhost:3001
PORTAL_INTERNAL_SECRET=must_match_the_allknower_internal_secret_above

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4. Starting the Containers

Run the compose file to pull images and start the services: 
docker compose up -d
Verify that all four services are active and running: 
docker compose ps

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5. Checking Logs

If you encounter issues, check the container logs: 
# Core Database Logs
docker logs allcodex-core --tail 50

# AI Backend Logs
docker logs allknower --tail 50

# Web Portal Logs
docker logs allcodex-portal --tail 50