> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lstack.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Review installation prerequisites, supported platforms, and where LStack stores its files.

LStack installs per user and does not require administrator access or a global Node.js installation. The release artifact includes the Node.js runtime used by the dashboard and CLI.

<Warning>
  LStack is pre-release and no artifact is publicly distributed yet. Evaluators must use a privately supplied artifact and checksum.
</Warning>

## Prerequisites

Before installing LStack, you need:

* A supported computer: Apple Silicon macOS or x86-64 Linux
* `curl`, `tar`, and a SHA-256 utility
* Docker Desktop on macOS or Docker Engine on Linux for workers and container-based project runtimes
* Docker Compose v2 only when using a `stack` project runtime
* A model endpoint that worker containers can reach

You do not need root access, a global Node.js installation, or a database server.

## What the installer does

The installer verifies the artifact checksum before extraction, installs versioned files under `~/.lstack/`, switches the active version atomically, and preserves existing configuration and data during reinstall or update.

<Info>
  Docker is not required to install or start the dashboard. Without Docker, execution-related surfaces remain unavailable until Docker is running.
</Info>

## Start the installed product

After installation, use the bundled CLI:

```bash theme={null}
lstack start
lstack status
lstack open
```

The dashboard binds to `127.0.0.1` and uses port `4700` by default. If that port is unavailable, LStack records and reports the fallback port.

## Installation locations

| Purpose                  | macOS                                             | Linux                                                |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| 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/`              |

<Card title="Check platform support" icon="monitor-check" href="/getting-started/platforms">
  Confirm that the target computer and Docker installation match a qualified configuration.
</Card>