---
title: Getting Started
description: Install and configure Changemaker Lite from scratch.
icon: material/rocket-launch
tags:
  - guide
  - getting-started
  - operator
search:
  boost: 2
---

# Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing Changemaker Lite, running your first deployment, and logging into the admin dashboard.


![Admin Dashboard](../../assets/images/screenshots/getting-started/dashboard.png){ loading=lazy }

## Prerequisites

- **Docker** 24+ and **Docker Compose** v2
- **OpenSSL** (for secret generation)
- A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ recommended) or macOS for development
- At least 2 GB RAM and 10 GB disk space
- A domain name (optional, but recommended for production)

## Quick Install (Pre-built Images)

The fastest way to deploy — no source code, no compilation:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://gitea.bnkops.com/admin/changemaker.lite/raw/branch/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
```

This downloads a lightweight release package (~2 MB), runs the configuration wizard, and pulls pre-built Docker images. First startup takes ~2 minutes. See [Installation](installation.md#pre-built-image-installation) for details.

## Quick Start (From Source)

For development or customization, clone the full repository:

```bash
git clone https://gitea.bnkops.com/admin/changemaker.lite
cd changemaker.lite
```

```bash
bash config.sh
```

```bash
docker compose up -d
```

Open **http://localhost:3000** and sign in with the admin email and password you configured. The API container automatically runs database migrations and seeding on first startup — no manual steps needed.

!!! warning "Change your password"
    If you used the wizard's generated password, change it immediately from the admin dashboard.

For the full setup walkthrough, see [Installation](installation.md).

## Configuration Wizard

The `config.sh` wizard produces a fully populated `.env` file in **14 steps**:

| Step | What It Does |
|------|-------------|
| **1. Prerequisites** | Verifies Docker, Docker Compose, and OpenSSL |
| **2. Environment file** | Creates `.env` from `.env.example` (backs up existing) |
| **3. Domain** | Sets root domain + 14 derived variables, updates mkdocs.yml |
| **4. Admin credentials** | Email + password (enforces 12+ chars, mixed case, digit) |
| **5. Secrets** | Auto-generates 21 unique secrets (JWT, encryption, database, service passwords) |
| **6. Email** | MailHog (dev) or production SMTP, optionally shared with Listmonk |
| **7. Feature flags** | 9 toggles: Media, Listmonk, Payments, Chat, Events, Meet, SMS, Docs Comments, Bunker Ops |
| **8. Tunnel** | Pangolin credentials for secure public access |
| **9. CORS** | Auto-calculated allowed origins from domain |
| **10. Nginx** | Renders `.conf.template` files with domain substitution |
| **11. Homepage** | Generates `services.yaml` with 27 service entries |
| **12. Permissions** | Creates 12 directories with container-friendly permissions |
| **13. Upgrade watcher** | Installs systemd units for GUI-triggered upgrades (optional, requires sudo) |
| **14. Summary** | Displays configuration summary + next steps |

See [Installation](installation.md) for detailed documentation of each step.

## Services

Changemaker Lite includes **30+ Docker services** organized into 8 categories:

| Category | Services | Startup |
|----------|----------|---------|
| **Core** | API, Admin, PostgreSQL, Redis, Nginx | `docker compose up -d v2-postgres redis api admin nginx` |
| **Media** | Fastify media API | `docker compose up -d media-api` |
| **Communication** | Rocket.Chat, Gancio, Jitsi Meet | Individual `docker compose up -d` commands |
| **Newsletter & Email** | Listmonk, MailHog | `docker compose up -d listmonk-app` |
| **Developer Tools** | Code Server, MkDocs, Gitea, NocoDB, n8n | Individual `docker compose up -d` commands |
| **Utilities** | Mini QR, Excalidraw, Vaultwarden, Homepage | `docker compose up -d mini-qr excalidraw vaultwarden homepage` |
| **Monitoring** | Prometheus, Grafana, Alertmanager, exporters | `docker compose --profile monitoring up -d` |
| **Infrastructure** | Newt tunnel, Docker socket proxy | Auto-starts with tunnel configuration |

See [Services Overview](services.md) for the complete catalog with ports, feature flags, and detailed descriptions.

## Next Steps

- [Installation](installation.md) — detailed setup walkthrough and manual configuration
- [Services Overview](services.md) — complete service catalog (30+ containers)
- [Environment Variables](environment-variables.md) — complete `.env` reference
- [First Steps](first-steps.md) — create your first campaign and add locations
- [Updates & Upgrades](upgrades.md) — keep your installation current
- [Control Panel (CCP)](control-panel.md) — multi-instance management
- [Features at a Glance](features.md) — visual overview of every module
- [Admin Guide](../admin/index.md) — full administration reference
- [Deployment](../deployment/index.md) — production setup with SSL and tunneling