Install DorkOS via one-liner, npm, Homebrew, Docker, Obsidian plugin, or self-hosted

Installation

DorkOS runs in several modes. Pick the install method that fits your workflow.

Prerequisites

All installation methods require a Claude API key from the Anthropic Console. Non-Docker methods also require Node.js 18 or later.

Choose Your Install Method

Install DorkOS

curl -fsSL https://dorkos.ai/install | bash

Checks for Node.js 18+, installs DorkOS via npm, and optionally runs the setup wizard.

Set your API key

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"

Add to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.) to persist across sessions.

Start DorkOS

dorkos

The server starts on port 4242 and opens your browser automatically.

CI/Automation: Skip interactive prompts with --no-prompt: bash curl -fsSL https://dorkos.ai/install | bash -s -- --no-prompt Pin a specific version: curl -fsSL https://dorkos.ai/install | bash -s 1.2.3

Install the package

npm install -g dorkos

Set your API key

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"

Add to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.) to persist across sessions.

Verify the installation

dorkos --version

Start DorkOS

dorkos

The server starts on port 4242 and opens your browser automatically.

Pass flags to customize startup: dorkos --port 8080 --dir ~/projects/my-app. Run dorkos --help for all options.

Install via Homebrew on macOS or Linux. Node.js is handled as a dependency.

Install DorkOS

brew install dorkos-ai/tap/dorkos

Set your API key

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"

Start DorkOS

dorkos

Update via brew upgrade dorkos.

Run DorkOS in a container. No Node.js installation required on the host — only Docker.

Pull and run

docker run -d --name dorkos \
  -p 4242:4242 \
  -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-here \
  -v dorkos-data:/root/.dork \
  ghcr.io/dork-labs/dorkos:latest

Open the interface

Navigate to http://localhost:4242 in your browser.

For persistent data, custom ports, Docker Compose, and production hardening, see the Docker deployment guide. Pin a specific version for reproducible deployments: ghcr.io/dork-labs/dorkos:0.12.0.

Run DorkOS directly inside Obsidian as a sidebar panel. Query agents without leaving your notes.

Open Obsidian settings

Go to Settings → Community Plugins and make sure community plugins are enabled.

Search for DorkOS

Click Browse and search for DorkOS in the community plugin directory.

Install and enable

Click Install, then toggle the plugin on. DorkOS appears as a sidebar view.

Configure your API key

Open the DorkOS plugin settings and enter your Anthropic API key.

The Obsidian plugin requires Node.js 18+ installed on your system. It runs the same Claude Agent SDK as the CLI but in-process via the DirectTransport adapter — no network hop.

Clone the repository and run the full development stack. Useful for contributing or customizing DorkOS.

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/dork-labs/dorkos.git
cd dorkos

Install dependencies

pnpm install

Configure environment

Create a .env file in the repository root:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-here

Start the development server

pnpm dev

Starts the Express API server and Vite dev server concurrently. The interface is available at http://localhost:6241 with hot module replacement.

For production builds, run pnpm build then pnpm start to serve the compiled app on port 4242.

Updating

Re-run the one-liner or update with your package manager:

curl -fsSL https://dorkos.ai/install | bash

DorkOS checks for updates on startup. Check your current version at any time:

dorkos --version

brew upgrade dorkos

Pull the latest image and recreate the container:

docker pull ghcr.io/dork-labs/dorkos:latest
docker stop dorkos && docker rm dorkos
docker run -d --name dorkos \
  -p 4242:4242 \
  -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-here \
  -v dorkos-data:/root/.dork \
  ghcr.io/dork-labs/dorkos:latest

Data in the dorkos-data volume persists across updates.

Obsidian handles plugin updates automatically. To check manually, go to Settings → Community Plugins, find DorkOS, and click Update if available.

git pull origin main
pnpm install
pnpm build

Restart the running server after rebuilding. Database migrations run automatically on startup. Check the changelog for breaking changes before upgrading — major releases may require configuration updates.

Rollback and Version Pinning

If an update causes issues, pin a specific version to roll back:

npm install -g dorkos@0.11.0

Replace 0.11.0 with the version you want. Available versions are listed on npm and GitHub Releases.

Next Steps

Head to the Quickstart to open your first session, or Configuration to customize your setup.

Installation

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