#Quick Start

Follow these steps to bring a Palpo homeserver online quickly. Each section links to the detailed guides so you can dive deeper whenever you need more context.

#Prerequisites

• A 64-bit Linux, macOS, or Windows host with at least 2 vCPUs and 4 GB RAM.
• PostgreSQL 14 or newer. See the PostgreSQL guide for installation options.
• A publicly reachable domain name and, optionally, a reverse proxy such as Caddy, Traefik, or Nginx.
• Docker (recommended) or a shell environment capable of running the Palpo binary.

#1. Prepare PostgreSQL

1. Install PostgreSQL following the instructions for your platform in the installation overview.

2. Create a dedicated Palpo database user and database:

   sudo -u postgres psql <<'SQL'
   CREATE USER palpo WITH PASSWORD 'change_me';
   CREATE DATABASE palpo OWNER palpo;
   SQL

   Replace change_me with a strong password. If you use the official Docker Compose templates, the database service and credentials are defined in the Compose file instead.

#2. Pick a Deployment Option

#Docker Compose (recommended)

1. Download the sample palpo.toml.

2. Choose one of the Compose templates (base, Caddy, Traefik, etc.) and rename compose.*.yml to compose.yml.

3. Update POSTGRES_PASSWORD, domain placeholders, and create any required Docker networks for your proxy.

4. Start the stack:

   docker compose up -d

For complete instructions see Installing with Docker.

#Run the Binary Directly

1. Download a release archive for your platform from GitHub Releases and extract it.

2. Copy the example configuration and edit it:

   cp palpo-example.toml palpo.toml

3. Follow the platform-specific documentation (Linux, macOS, Windows) to install dependencies and, if needed, configure systemd/launchd/services.

#3. Initialize the Configuration

Edit palpo.toml and make sure you set at least:

• server_name: your primary domain, for example example.com.
• [db].url: a valid PostgreSQL connection string such as postgresql://palpo:change_me@localhost:5432/palpo.
• The listen blocks: confirm ports 8008/8448, x_forwarded, and bind_addresses match your network layout.

Advanced options (registration policy, media storage, reverse proxy, TURN, etc.) live in the configuration section.

#4. Start Palpo

• Docker: run docker compose up -d or docker compose restart palpo after editing configs.

• Binary: from the Palpo directory execute:

  ./palpo --config palpo.toml

Once you see Server started in the logs, Palpo is serving on ports 8008/8448.

#5. Verify & Next Steps

1. Hit https://your.domain/_matrix/client/versions; you should receive JSON that includes palpo, or simply visit https://your.domain and confirm the “Hello Palpo!” splash screen.
2. Use a Matrix client that understands registration tokens (Element Web is a good default) to connect to your homeserver and create the first administrator account.
3. Join the #admins room or run palpo --console to execute management commands, mint new registration tokens, or moderate rooms. See the administration guide for details.

After the basics are in place, continue with:

• Delegation & reverse proxy setup.
• TURN configuration to unlock voice/video.
• The development docs if you plan to contribute.

You now have a working Palpo homeserver and can start inviting users.