Full Setup

Don't want to manage infrastructure?

Try managed hosting — $5/mo, no setup required.

Run the complete Crow platform — gateway, MinIO storage, blog, and dashboard — with a single Docker Compose command.

What is this?

The full setup profile starts all Crow services together: the MCP gateway, MinIO for file storage, and the dashboard. This is the recommended way to run Crow if you want every feature available.

Why would I want this?

• Everything at once — One command to start the full platform
• File storage included — MinIO runs alongside the gateway, no separate setup needed
• Blog ready — Start publishing immediately after setup
• Dashboard access — Visual management from your browser

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Git (to clone the repository)
• A machine with at least 1 GB of RAM

Step 1: Clone and Configure

git clone https://github.com/kh0pper/crow.git
cd crow
cp .env.example .env

Step 2: Edit Environment Variables

Open .env and set the required values:

# MinIO (file storage)
MINIO_ENDPOINT=minio          # Use "minio" for Docker, "localhost" for local
MINIO_PORT=9000
MINIO_ROOT_USER=crowadmin
MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD=change-this-to-a-secure-password
MINIO_USE_SSL=false

# Storage quota (in MB)
STORAGE_QUOTA_MB=1024

When running inside Docker Compose, set MINIO_ENDPOINT=minio (the Docker service name). For local (non-Docker) setups, use MINIO_ENDPOINT=localhost instead. Blog settings are managed via the crow_blog_settings MCP tool or dashboard — no env vars needed.

Step 3: Start Everything

docker compose --profile full up --build

This starts:

• Gateway on port 3001 — MCP server, blog, and API
• MinIO on port 9000 (API) and 9001 (console) — file storage
• Dashboard at /dashboard on the gateway

On first run, Docker downloads images and builds the gateway. Subsequent starts are faster.

Step 4: Initialize the Database

In a separate terminal:

docker compose exec gateway npm run init-db

This creates the SQLite database with all required tables.

Step 5: Access Your Services

Service	URL
Gateway health check	http://localhost:3001/health
Dashboard	http://localhost:3001/dashboard
Blog	http://localhost:3001/blog
MinIO Console	http://localhost:9001

The MinIO console lets you browse stored files directly. Log in with your MINIO_ROOT_USER and MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD.

Step 6: Generate MCP Config

To use the storage server with Claude or other AI platforms:

npm run mcp-config

This regenerates .mcp.json with the storage server included (only if MinIO env vars are set).

Running in the Background

To keep services running after you close the terminal:

docker compose --profile full up --build -d

View logs:

docker compose logs -f gateway
docker compose logs -f minio

Stop everything:

docker compose --profile full down

Persisted Data

Data is stored in Docker volumes:

• crow-data — SQLite database, identity files
• minio-data — All uploaded files

These persist across container restarts. To fully reset:

docker compose --profile full down -v

This deletes all data. Use with caution.

Adding Tailscale

For secure remote access, install Tailscale on the host machine (not inside Docker). See the Tailscale Setup guide.

Dashboard Password

The first time you visit /dashboard, you'll be prompted to set a password. You can also set it from the /setup page or by asking your AI: "Set my dashboard password."

Connect Your AI

Visit http://localhost:3001/setup to see integration status and endpoint URLs.

Claude · ChatGPT · All platforms

Try it out — after connecting your AI platform, say:

"Remember that today is my first day using Crow" "What do you remember?"

Next Steps

• Storage guide — Learn how to upload and manage files
• Blog guide — Start writing and publishing posts
• Dashboard guide — Explore the visual control panel