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This page takes you from one spare computer to a running Basement Kit on one straight path. Follow the steps in order. Each step says what you should see and roughly how long it takes.
StackKits is in an early-access pilot. The pilot is a test with real homelabs, not a finished product promise. Check the current status of your operating system in OS compatibility before you start, and tell us what happened afterwards.

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Step 1: Pre-check (about 1 minute)

Go through this list before you run anything. If one item is a “no”, stop here and read Before you start first.
  • A server you operate. You own the computer, or you are allowed to run administrator commands on it. You can use sudo there, or you are root. You do not need a kombify account, a credit card or a rented server.
  • A spare computer. Use a computer that can stay on day and night, for example a mini PC. Do not use a machine with important data or services on it: setup changes host settings such as the firewall and SSH.
  • Enough hardware. The Basement Kit needs at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB of memory and 20 GB of free disk space; 4 CPU cores are recommended. The published test runs used amd64 (x86-64) computers.
  • A listed operating system. The computer runs Linux with a system from OS compatibility. Read the status column there. A row marked unverified has no completed test run on the current release yet.
  • Your home network. The computer has internet access for the downloads. Your phone or laptop is on the same network as the computer.
  • An email address. The installer asks for it to create your owner login.
  • A private place for access details. Setup writes them to the file .stackkit/access.json. Decide now where you keep them, for example a password manager.

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Step 2: Run the installer (usually several minutes)

Open a terminal on the computer and run:
What you should see:
  1. The installer asks How do you want to install? Press Enter to keep 1) Quick Install.
  2. It asks for your email address and suggests a login username. Press Enter to keep the suggestion.
  3. It shows a list of use cases. Files, Photos and Vault start checked. Use the arrow keys and the space bar to change the selection, then press Enter.
  4. It downloads StackKits and the software it needs, creates the folder ~/my-homelab, checks the configuration and starts the services.
The download and start phase is the longest part. The installer itself warns that it can take several minutes with little output. On a typical mini PC with a normal home internet connection, plan for a few minutes. Let it run and do not close the terminal. When it is done, you see Your homelab is running! followed by a dashboard address, the core services and the next steps.
If the installer stops with an error, do not run the one-liner a second time before you have read the error. Go to the section “Stuck? Get help” below.

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Step 3: Verify the install (about 1 minute)

Run these commands in the same terminal:
What you should see:
  • stackkit version prints the installed version.
  • stackkit logs latest --json reports the result of the setup.
Then open the first service. Copy the Dashboard address from the end of the installer output into a browser on the computer, or on a phone or laptop in the same network. Copy it rather than typing it from memory. If the address does not open on another device, that device probably cannot resolve the local names of your homelab yet. See Troubleshooting.

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Step 4: Create your owner login (a few minutes)

Follow the next steps that the installer printed:
  1. Create your owner passkey in PocketID at the setup address it shows.
  2. Sign in at the authentication address.
  3. Open the dashboard and finish protecting it.
The Node Hub guide explains these steps in detail.

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Where your access details are

Setup writes your service addresses and setup details to .stackkit/access.json in the folder ~/my-homelab on the computer. To read them:
Keep them private:
  • Never paste the contents of .stackkit/access.json or any password into a chat, an issue or an email. That includes messages to kombify support.
  • Treat the installer output in your terminal the same way. It can show login details.
  • Keep the folder ~/my-homelab private. No hosted kombify account holds a copy of it.

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Stuck? Get help

  • Read the error with stackkit logs latest --json, then check Troubleshooting.
  • Still stuck? Get help lists the support channels and what to include so we can answer quickly.
  • Done, or gave up halfway? Tell us how it went. Every pilot report helps, also a short one.

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Continue

Node Hub

Finish first-run protection of your homelab.

Back up and restore

Set up a backup and try one restore.

Quickstart

The same install with more detail on what it does.