Installation

LStack installs with one command. The download needs no GitHub account and no sign-in. You do not need the source code, administrator access, a global Node.js installation, or a database server.

Before you install

You need:

A supported computer: Apple Silicon macOS, x86-64 Linux, or ARM64 Linux
curl, awk, and tar, which are included with most macOS and Linux installations
An internet connection

You do not need a GitHub account, a GitHub sign-in, or GitHub CLI to download LStack. Docker is not required to install LStack or use the dashboard. Install Docker Desktop on macOS or Docker Engine on Linux when you are ready to use workers and container-based project runtimes.

1. Install LStack

Run this command in your terminal:

curl -fsSL https://lstack.ai/install.sh | bash

This is the only supported way to install LStack. There is no second command and no flag to remember. Before it changes anything on your computer, the installer refuses to run as root, refuses a platform it does not support, downloads the release over an anonymous secure connection, verifies the download’s SHA-256 checksum, and inspects every file inside the archive. If anything is wrong at any of those steps, it stops and installs nothing. The installation itself is a single transaction. If it is interrupted — including with Ctrl-C — it undoes what it created and tells you that nothing was installed. The installer selects the correct release for your computer, verifies the download, and installs LStack for your user account. It creates the required folders and configuration automatically without asking you to copy secrets or edit configuration files. The installer sends no credentials of any kind while downloading. Your LStack account is separate and is created in the browser during setup. The installer does not start LStack automatically. Start it after installation:

lstack start

2. Complete first-time setup

Open the running installation in a browser. A new installation guides you through Welcome → Project location → Readiness → Sign in before you claim the installation and reach the dashboard. The Project location screen defaults to ~/LStack-Projects. You can keep it or select another folder on the computer running LStack. Readiness checks Docker, the worker image, and Linux worker confinement. Missing worker prerequisites do not block sign-in or dashboard access, but they must be resolved before workers can run. Sign in with the email address and password for your invited LStack beta account. Email verification and password recovery also happen in the browser. LStack never asks for account credentials in the terminal. lstack setup is a read-only readiness report. It shows whether LStack is running, its effective address, the project location, worker prerequisites, and the next action. It does not start LStack, open a browser, change settings, build the worker image, configure Linux confinement, or print a complete SSH tunnel command. Choose the flow that matches where LStack is running.

Computer with a browser
Ubuntu Server or headless

Open LStack in your browser at:

http://localhost:4700

If LStack uses another port, find its effective address with either command:

lstack status
lstack setup

The Welcome screen appears automatically on a new installation. Complete Project location and Readiness, then sign in with your email address and password. You do not need to run lstack setup before visiting the page.

Run lstack open to open the effective local address in your default browser.

Because the server does not have a local browser, run this command in your SSH session:

lstack setup

Note the effective port reported by the command. On your browser computer, create an SSH tunnel that uses that same port at both ends. For port 4700, run:

ssh -N -L 4700:127.0.0.1:4700 <ssh-user>@<ssh-host>

Open another terminal on your browser computer

Run the SSH tunnel command on the laptop or desktop where you will use the browser—not inside the existing SSH session on the server. Replace the SSH user and host placeholders. Keep this terminal open while you use LStack. The command may show no output while connected.

Open the local address

Open http://127.0.0.1:4700, replacing 4700 with the effective port when needed. Although the address is local, the SSH tunnel carries it securely to LStack on the server.

Complete Welcome, Project location, and Readiness. Sign in with your email address and password, then claim the installation. Every folder displayed or selected in this browser session is on the Ubuntu Server, not the browser computer.

If port 4700 is already in use on your browser computer

Restart LStack on the Ubuntu Server with another port:

lstack restart --port 4701

Then create a tunnel with 4701 at both ends on the browser computer:

ssh -N -L 4701:127.0.0.1:4701 <ssh-user>@<ssh-host>

Open http://127.0.0.1:4701 in your browser. The client-side and server-side tunnel ports must match; authentication is rejected when they differ.

Closing the browser, tunnel, or SSH session before setup finishes does not require reinstalling LStack. Reconnect, run lstack setup on the server to confirm the effective port, recreate the matching tunnel, and continue.

Headless setup never turns on LAN access. LStack remains available only through the server itself or your SSH tunnel before and after sign-in. After setup, you can enable LAN access from Settings → LAN access if you want to connect without a tunnel.

3. Open LStack later

On a computer with a browser, use the bundled CLI to check LStack and open the dashboard:

lstack status
lstack open

If LStack is stopped, run lstack start. On a headless server, use lstack setup to find the effective port and recreate the matching SSH tunnel, or enable LAN access from Settings after signing in.

What the installer preserves

Reinstalling or updating LStack preserves your existing configuration and data. Downloads are checksum-verified before they are installed, and an unsuccessful installation does not replace a working version.

Installation locations

Purpose	macOS	Linux
Default project location	`~/LStack-Projects/`	`~/LStack-Projects/`
Program files	`~/.lstack/`	`~/.lstack/`
Private application data	`~/Library/Application Support/LStack/`	`${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/lstack/`
Execution data	`~/Library/Application Support/LStack-exec-data/`	`${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/lstack-exec-data/`
Configuration	`~/Library/Application Support/LStack/`	`${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-~/.config}/lstack/`

Check platform support

Review supported operating systems, processor types, and Docker configurations.

Getting started

Dashboard

Account and access

AI execution

Developer tools

Operate LStack

Before you install

1. Install LStack

2. Complete first-time setup

3. Open LStack later

What the installer preserves

Installation locations

Check platform support

​Before you install

​1. Install LStack

​2. Complete first-time setup

​3. Open LStack later

​What the installer preserves

​Installation locations

Check platform support

Before you install

1. Install LStack

2. Complete first-time setup

3. Open LStack later

What the installer preserves

Installation locations