Install a server

These steps give you a working server on port 3000. You can try it on localhost straight away. To use it from phones and watches, carry on to Set up HTTPS afterward.

From the published image

This is the way to run a real server.

1. Make a folder on the Docker host, and put these two files from the repository in it: compose.yaml, and .env.example saved as .env.

2. Make a secret. It signs sign-in sessions, and has to be at least 32 characters.

   openssl rand -base64 32

3. Edit .env. Set AUTH_SECRET to that secret, and choose the image and a database password:

   .env

   LAWFIVE_IMAGE=ghcr.io/lawfive/lawfive:latest
   AUTH_SECRET=the-secret-you-just-made
   POSTGRES_PASSWORD=a-password-of-your-own

4. Start it:

   docker compose pull
   docker compose up -d

5. Read the setup code from the logs:

   docker compose logs server

6. Open http://localhost:3000, or the machine’s address, and follow the setup wizard.

Choose the database password before the first start

Postgres only takes POSTGRES_PASSWORD when it first creates its database. Changing it in .env later stops the server connecting. The database only listens inside the Compose network, so the default isn’t reachable from outside, but it’s still better to set your own.

Image tags

Tag	What it is
latest	The newest release
A version, such as 2026.11.12	One release, to stay on it
edge	The newest build from main, ahead of the next release (what the hosted service runs)
sha-<commit>	The build of one commit

Each release’s notes, with anything to do before upgrading, are on GitHub’s releases page.

From source

To build the image yourself, clone the repository and work from its root:

cp .env.example .env           # then set AUTH_SECRET
docker compose up -d --build
docker compose logs server

Leave LAWFIVE_IMAGE unset. An image you build this way shows its version as dev unless you pass --build-arg LAWFIVE_VERSION=… --build-arg LAWFIVE_COMMIT=….

Just trying it out

To look around with sample data, with no database or Docker, see the demo server.

Check it works

Once it’s behind HTTPS:

1. curl https://lawfive.example.com/health answers ok.
2. The address opens in a browser with no certificate warning, and Settings → Server → HTTPS says it’s set up correctly.
3. You can sign in with the admin account from the wizard.
4. A phone app signs in with Use another server and your address. See Phones.
5. A watch links from Link a watch. See Watches.

Next

• Finish the setup wizard
• Set up HTTPS, which watches and phones need