core/docs/GETTING-STARTED.md

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose

Running with Docker Compose

docker compose up --build

Open http://localhost:3000. Default credentials: admin / admin.

Data persists in the sb_data named volume. To reset everything:

docker compose down -v

First Boot

On first start, Switchboard Core will:

1. Run database migrations (SQLite by default in compose).
2. Create the admin user from SWITCHBOARD_ADMIN_USERNAME / SWITCHBOARD_ADMIN_PASSWORD env vars.
3. Auto-install the curated default package set (notes, chat-core, dashboard, workflow demos, etc.).

No manual setup steps are required.

Installing Additional Packages

The Docker image ships with extra packages beyond the default set. To install them:

• Via Admin UI: Go to /admin > Packages. Browse, enable, or install packages.
• Via environment variable: Set BUNDLED_PACKAGES before starting:

# Install all bundled packages
BUNDLED_PACKAGES="*" docker compose up --build

# Install specific extras
BUNDLED_PACKAGES="notes,tasks,schedules" docker compose up --build

You can also upload .pkg archives through the Admin > Packages page.

Key URLs

URL	Purpose
/	Redirects to your default surface
/admin	Admin panel (users, packages, settings, teams)
/settings	User settings (profile, preferences, default surface)
/welcome	Welcome page (shown when no surfaces are installed)
/api/docs	Interactive OpenAPI documentation

Key Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
PORT	8080	Backend API port
DB_DRIVER	auto	postgres or sqlite
DATABASE_URL		PostgreSQL DSN or SQLite file path
JWT_SECRET	dev-secret-change-me	Change in production
ENCRYPTION_KEY		AES-256 key for credential encryption
AUTH_MODE	builtin	builtin, mtls, or oidc
STORAGE_BACKEND	auto	pvc or s3
STORAGE_PATH	/data/storage	PVC mount point
SWITCHBOARD_ADMIN_USERNAME		Bootstrap admin username
SWITCHBOARD_ADMIN_PASSWORD		Bootstrap admin password
BUNDLED_PACKAGES	(empty)	"" = curated defaults, "*" = all, or comma-separated IDs
SKIP_BUNDLED_PACKAGES	false	Disable auto-install entirely
LOG_LEVEL	info	debug, info, warn, error
LOG_FORMAT	text	text or json

From Source

git clone <repo-url> && cd switchboard-core
cp server/.env.example server/.env   # edit DB credentials
cd server && go run .
# Backend on http://localhost:8080

Next Steps

• Extension Guide -- Author your own packages
• API Reference -- REST API overview
• Deployment -- Production deployment
• Architecture -- System design