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Administrator guide

Deploy a Server, claim its first owner, connect a model, and bring your people in.

OpenCircle is open-source, organization-level infrastructure for people and their Familiars. Running it is more than starting containers: the Server needs an owner, a working model connection, a known way back after something breaks, and people who can actually sign in.

Definition of done

A deployment counts as finished only when all four of the following hold:

  • the intended Server is healthy and reachable;
  • the first owner can sign out and sign back in;
  • at least one configured model completes a real, useful reply; and
  • the operator knows how to resume, back up, upgrade, and remove this exact instance.

Healthy containers and an unclaimed setup screen are not a finished deployment. If you only have that, keep going.

Pick a path

Administrator quickstartPrepare an administrator machine and finish a new Server in the browser.Choose a deploymentCompare Railway, Docker Compose, and the narrower LAN and single-machine paths.Deploy OpenCircleRun OpenCircle Server on a Mac and meet a Familiar of your own.Create the first ownerTurn a healthy deployment into an owned, recoverable Server.

After deployment

Once a Server is claimed, day-two work covers connecting more clients, wiring up providers, inviting a team, and keeping the instance healthy over time.