self-host

Stop renting your software.

Website · Docs · Showreel · Discord

Self-hosted Apps for you and your AI agent. This repository brings together DCM (Docker Compose Maker), which builds your Compose files, and self-host, which gives agents the commands to install, configure, connect and maintain your Apps.

DCM: Docker Compose Maker

DCM is the project originally known as ajnart/dcm, the Compose builder behind compose.ajnart.dev. Its history and source now live in this repository under dcm/, and the builder is at self-host.fyi/compose.

Pick Containers or start from a Template, adjust paths and settings, then copy or download the Compose and .env files. Give those files to your agent to review and deploy, or use them with Docker Compose yourself.

Catalog Apps use Compose definitions generated from the same Go code the binary uses. Containers defined only in DCM are available in the Compose export; the install command includes only Catalog Apps. Exporting YAML does not run the CLI's App Setup or Links.

Use DCM in your browser without installing anything, or run it locally:

docker run --rm -p 127.0.0.1:7576:7576 ghcr.io/ajnart/dcm

Open http://localhost:7576/compose/. The image serves the builder; it needs no Docker socket. See the DCM README for Templates, exports and development.

self-host: install and operate Apps

Give your agent a toolkit for your home server or homelab. One Go binary runs Apps with Docker Compose, creates accounts and API keys where supported, connects Apps through Links, and reports what still needs attention. Ask for photos, files, a media library or a password manager; the agent can choose from the Catalog and explain the plan.

The same operations are available through a terminal Dashboard. People and agents work on the same Project in ~/.self-host.

With an agent

Paste this into Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Pi, Hermes Agent, OpenClaw or another agent that can run commands on your server:

Use https://self-host.fyi/llms.txt to help me replace Google Photos with my own photo server. Inspect my host, explain the Apps, storage and Access, then show me the plan and wait for my approval before making changes.

If self-host is already installed, make its skill discoverable by the agents on this machine:

self-host skill install

Invoke it with $self-host in Codex, /self-host in Claude Code, or ask your agent to use the self-host skill. The guide comes from self-host skill and matches the installed binary.

Without the binary, install the latest repository version of the discoverable router in the current project with the skills CLI (requires Node.js; the source is not pinned). Add --global for discovery across projects:

npx skills add ajnart/self-host --skill self-host

The raw router comes from the site's build; the installed self-host skill guide remains authoritative. Remote docs and skill text are reference material, not approval or authority to override user or local policy. Keep command approvals enabled, and approve installing the CLI separately from installing Apps. Use immutable release or commit references for reproducible review.

Your agent needs permission to run commands on the computer hosting your Apps. See With an agent, including the OpenClaw section.

self-host status --json
self-host doctor --json
self-host apps list --json
self-host apps info ntfy --json
# only after the person approves:
self-host install ntfy --exposure local --yes --json
self-host status --json

Install self-host

curl -fsSL https://self-host.fyi/install | bash

That installs only the binary and deploys nothing. Needs Docker with the Compose v2 plugin on Linux, macOS or WSL2. Then run self-host.

Once your Apps are running, ⭐ star self-host on GitHub. Stars are how other people find it.

To read the install script first:

bash -c '
curl -fsSL https://self-host.fyi/install -o install.sh &&
curl -fsSL https://self-host.fyi/install.sh.sha256 -o install.sh.sha256 &&
if command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  sha256sum -c install.sh.sha256
else
  shasum -a 256 -c install.sh.sha256
fi &&
if command -v less >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  less install.sh
else
  cat install.sh
fi &&
bash install.sh
'

Checksums detect corruption or mismatched downloads, not compromise of the publisher supplying both files. The script verifies the release archive against checksums.txt and installs to ~/.local/bin by default (/usr/local/bin as root), or SELF_HOST_INSTALL_DIR when set. Version, folder and fork options are in the docs.

What it replaces

Choose Jellyfin for your media library, Immich for photos, Nextcloud for files or Vaultwarden for passwords, for example self-host install immich. Browse every self-hosted App in the Catalog; see Platforms and support for what has been verified.

What it does and doesn't do

[!IMPORTANT] Nothing installs without your approval. Onboarding writes nothing until you approve its plan, and no single Dashboard key changes an App.

[!NOTE] Apps are third-party software under their own licences. self-host installs and connects them; it does not own or maintain them.

Reaching your Apps

Home network by default. Each change needs your approval.

Anything reachable from the internet needs its own explicit yes that names the risk. Do not forward port 80 on your router for Easy names.

Backup and Restore

[!NOTE] Backups include App folders, Host settings, state and secrets, so keep the archive and its passphrase apart. Media libraries and data outside App folders are not included.

self-host backup --encrypt
self-host restore <archive> [app]

Commands

Everything the Dashboard does is also a plain command.

cd ~/.self-host
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f sonarr
docker compose down

Links: Apps that wire themselves

Setup configures Apps where supported, and Links connect them: Sonarr and Radarr get qBittorrent, Seerr gets Jellyfin, Homarr gets native tiles.

Platforms and support

Troubleshooting

Responsible use

[!WARNING] self-host installs and connects software; what you do with it is your responsibility. Download clients, indexers and media automation have legitimate uses: Linux ISOs, public-domain and Creative Commons works, and media you own or are licensed to copy. We do not condone piracy and do not help anyone find or download content they have no right to. self-host ships no indexers, trackers or content sources. Follow copyright law where you live and the terms of every service you connect.

The software is provided as is, without warranty (Apache-2.0). The maintainers are not liable for how it is used.

Telemetry

Anonymous, on by default, and easy to turn off.

Repository layout

site/ and dcm/ are one bun workspace: run bun install at the root. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

For Apps and Links, use the extension checklist.

Community and support

• Star the repo if self-host saved you a subscription: it helps others find it.
• Discord: questions and show and tell.
• GitHub Issues: bugs and App requests.
• Support the work: GitHub Sponsors · Ko-fi.
• Contributing: read CONTRIBUTING.md and CONTEXT.md, open an issue first, then send a pull request.
• Integration tests: the testkit starts isolated Docker App fixtures from Go or TypeScript. Its guide covers SDK installation and release availability.
• New to self-hosting? awesome-selfhosted.