HomeDock OS Installation Guide

Step-by-step instructions for installing HomeDock OS on both Cloud Instances and Self-Hosted environments.

Cloud Instances

For users opting for the Cloud Instance deployment, installation is handled entirely by our infrastructure. Simply choose your subscription plan, and our systems will set up everything you need automatically within minutes. Here’s a quick overview of the process:

1. Subscription: Select a plan on the HomeDock OS website.
2. Instance Provisioning: Once subscribed, your instance will be automatically provisioned.
3. Access Panel: You’ll receive access to the Administration Panel where you can log in and manage your instance.

Note

On Cloud Instances no further installation steps are needed on your end; the infrastructure setup, SSL certificates, firewall, and security configurations are all handled for you.

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Self-Hosted Installation

You can run HomeDock OS on your own hardware or virtual machine by installing it on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Choose the method that matches your environment.

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Windows 10 Pro / 11 x64

The easiest way to run HomeDock OS on your Windows desktop system is by installing the official HomeDock OS Desktop application.

Step-by-step Installation

1. Download the Windows installer: Visit the official download page and choose the appropriate version:

   Click to download

2. Install the application: Run the .exe installer and follow the setup wizard. (Windows 10 Pro or 11, 64-bit).
3. Launch and configure: After installation, launch HomeDock OS Desktop and follow the guided setup. If Python is missing, the app will automatically assist you with installation or link you to instructions.
4. Access the UI: Once running and after a few reboots, you will see a welcome message letting you know the default user and password, that’s all. Make sure you don’t forget to change your login credentials.

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macOS Intel & Apple Silicon

The easiest way to run HomeDock OS on your macOS desktop system is by installing the official HomeDock OS Desktop universal application for both, Intel and Apple Silicon.

Step-by-step Installation

1. Download the macOS installer: Visit the official download page and choose the appropriate version:

   Click to download

2. Install the application: Open the .dmg file and drag HomeDock OS Desktop to your Applications folder. (Intel & Apple Silicon).
3. Launch and configure: If Python 3 is missing, HomeDock OS Desktop installs a sandboxed, patched version of Python 3.12, ensuring zero conflict with existing system installations. The process is fully headless and platform-tailored.
4. Access the UI: Once running, you will see a welcome message letting you know the default user and password, that’s all. Make sure you don’t forget to change your login credentials.

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Debian 12+ & Ubuntu 22.02+

This method is recommended for dedicated servers or cloud virtual machines. HomeDock OS provides a quick installer for these distros:

curl -fsSL https://get.homedock.cloud | sudo bash

This script will:

• Install required dependencies (git, python3, venv, pip, docker, docker-compose)
• Set up a Python virtual environment
• Configure and enable a persistent systemd service
• Launch HomeDock OS from the CLI itself so you can restart and autoboot it later

Once installed, access the web UI at your hostname or server IP.

Default login credentials:

user / passwd

Tip

Don’t forget to change your password after the first login, and configure your hostname.

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Other Linux Distributions

If you’re using Fedora, Arch, Alpine, or any other non-tested distribution, you may still try the standard installer:

curl -fsSL https://get.homedock.cloud | sudo bash

While it’s not officially tested on all environments, the installation script includes fallback logic for common package managers and may work with minor warnings. You’ll be prompted before continuing.

If it doesn’t work, you can always manually set up HomeDock OS, here’s how:

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/BansheeTech/HomeDockOS.git
cd HomeDockOS

2. Install required packages

Make sure your system includes:

• python3, python3-venv, python3-pip
• docker, docker-compose
• git

Example for Fedora:

sudo dnf install git python3 python3-virtualenv python3-pip docker docker-compose

3. Create the Python environment

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Start the application

Once the environment is ready, run:

python3 homedock.py

5. Access the interface

Use your browser to go to your configured domain or the server IP.

Login: user / passwd

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SSL Certificates (Optional)

To enable HTTPS, place your certificates here:

/DATA/SSLCerts/fullchain.pem
/DATA/SSLCerts/privkey.pem

They will be detected and applied automatically on launch.

Tip

Set up a renewal hook (e.g. from Let’s Encrypt) to copy certificates into /DATA/SSLCerts after each renewal. Or create a self-signed certificate, some applications may inherit it.

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In need of help or support?

Need help? Contact support@homedock.cloud and include logs if applicable.

Windows: %APPDATA%\cloud.homedock.app\homedock\hdos_desktop.log
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/cloud.homedock.app/homedock/hdos_desktop.log
Linux: ~/HomeDockOS/logs/*

You can also join our Discord server and open a support ticket. Our HomeDock OS Bot will notify the team and keep you updated in real time.

Join here: https://discord.gg/Zj3JCYsRWw