---
title: "Installation"
description: "Choose a DrowAI deployment or local development path and prepare its prerequisites."
section: "Setup"
updated: 2026-07-10
version: "0.1.0"
tags: ["installation","setup","docker"]
source: "https://drowai.com/user-guide/0.1.0/installation"
---

# Installation

Product version: DrowAI 0.1.0

Source: https://drowai.com/user-guide/0.1.0/installation

Choose a DrowAI deployment or local development path and prepare its prerequisites.

DrowAI has two Docker deployment models and a local contributor setup. All
three use the same control-channel architecture: **Management** owns the UI,
API, database, and task coordination, while a **Runner** starts the isolated
Kali task containers and executes runtime work.

Choose the path that matches where and why you are running DrowAI.

[**Standalone installation** Management and Runner on one Linux host](https://drowai.com/user-guide/0.1.0/standalone-installation)

[**Distributed installation** Management and Runner on separate Linux hosts](https://drowai.com/user-guide/0.1.0/distributed-installation)

[**Local development** Contributor stack with local backend and frontend](https://drowai.com/user-guide/0.1.0/local-development)

> These paths are intended for evaluation, testing, and development. They are
> not hardened, internet-facing production configurations.

## Docker deployment prerequisites

Standalone and Distributed hosts need:

- A supported Linux installation on `x86_64`/`amd64` or `arm64`/`aarch64`.
- Docker Engine with the Docker Compose v2 plugin.
- Permission to access the Docker daemon.
- Internet access while images and dependencies are downloaded.

Check Docker before continuing:

```bash
docker --version
docker compose version
docker info
```

The Management host also needs Git to download the DrowAI repository. A
Distributed Runner host does not need the full repository; it receives a
self-contained package from Management.

You do **not** create a `.env` file, database, JWT secret, encryption key, or
Runner token. DrowAI generates and stores deployment secrets during startup and
the browser setup wizard.

## Choose a path

Use **Standalone installation** when evaluating DrowAI on one Linux host.

Use **Distributed installation** when Management and Runner services should run
on separate Linux hosts.

Use **Local development** when contributing to DrowAI or testing the backend,
managed Runner, and frontend together from a source checkout.

Use **Installation troubleshooting** after a setup starts but the UI, Runner
registration, or Runner readiness does not behave as expected.