Install with Docker Compose

You need Docker Engine, Docker Compose with --wait support, persistent disk space, and a reverse proxy that provides HTTPS. The current application repository requires access while public release preparation continues.

1. Get the application

   git clone https://github.com/UnearthHQ/unearth-chat-app.git
   cd unearth-chat-app
   cp .env.example .env.production
   chmod 600 .env.production
   

2. Configure your installation

   Edit .env.production using the configuration reference. Set unique database and Redis passwords, an authentication signing secret, public HTTPS origins, AI credentials and a model, and SMTP or Resend email.

   Generate each secret separately:

   openssl rand -hex 32
   

3. Build and start the services

   docker compose --env-file .env.production -f compose.production.yaml up -d --build --wait
   

   Compose starts PostgreSQL and Redis, runs migrations, and then starts the API, worker, and web app. The migration container exits after success. The image is built locally; no published container image is required.

4. Configure HTTPS routing

   Route your app hostname to http://127.0.0.1:3000 and your API hostname to http://127.0.0.1:4000. These are the default host ports.

   Set WEB_ORIGIN and API_BASE_URL to the corresponding public HTTPS origins. For sibling hostnames, set AUTH_COOKIE_DOMAIN to their shared parent domain. See configuration for same-origin routing.

   If the proxy runs in a container, give it access to the application network or host ports. Its own 127.0.0.1 does not refer to the Docker host.

5. Verify the installation

   docker compose --env-file .env.production -f compose.production.yaml ps
   curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:4000/ready
   curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/ready
   

   Open the public HTTPS app URL, create an account, verify email delivery, and complete onboarding. Readiness checks do not prove that external AI providers or ingestion are working; verify the research flows you enable.

Troubleshooting startup

docker compose --env-file .env.production -f compose.production.yaml logs --tail=100 api worker web

Check the migration service separately if the API or worker is waiting to start:

docker compose --env-file .env.production -f compose.production.yaml logs migrate

Keep PostgreSQL, Redis, and artifact volumes across updates. Do not delete volumes to resolve an application startup error.

For development without the production stack, follow the application local development guide.