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[GH-ISSUE #479] Can someone ELI5 how to install locally with docker? Docs are vague. #276

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opened 2026-02-22 18:18:40 -05:00 by yindo · 6 comments
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:40 -05:00
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Originally created by @ewebgh33 on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/issues/479

OK Look I don't use docker much, sorry. I am a python/venv person. Docker does my head in.

What I did:
docker pull mintplexlabs/anythingllm:master
Then I can see it in Docker Desktop for Windows.

Made a dir and downloaded all the docker files into it, including docker-compose.yml
All files from here:
https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/tree/master/docker
Open cmd, cd to the dir with the yml
Then run docker compose up

But
It errors out saying it can't find files.

 ! anything-llm Warning                                                                                            6.0s
[+] Building 0.0s (0/0)                                                                                  docker:default
could not find C:\AI\Text\docker: CreateFile C:\AI\Text\docker: The system cannot find the file specified.

Contrast this to my docker experience with Cheshire Cat for LLMs, where it actually just works.

I get also that you probably really want to funnel more people to the paid hosted version and not just have us all run it locally free, but I gotta say there's a serious lack of information on how to get this thing running. None of the Youtube videos show it - whether from Mintplex or any 3rd party people, and I find this really odd. It's it's such a king app why aren't more people making vids about it?

I'd really, REALLY like to try it though as I've been on a quest for decent local LLM+RAG + configurability for weeks now and can't find anything that really works well yet.

Originally created by @ewebgh33 on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/issues/479 OK Look I don't use docker much, sorry. I am a python/venv person. Docker does my head in. What I did: `docker pull mintplexlabs/anythingllm:master` Then I can see it in Docker Desktop for Windows. Made a dir and downloaded all the docker files into it, including `docker-compose.yml` All files from here: https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/tree/master/docker Open cmd, cd to the dir with the yml Then run `docker compose up` But It errors out saying it can't find files. ``` ! anything-llm Warning 6.0s [+] Building 0.0s (0/0) docker:default could not find C:\AI\Text\docker: CreateFile C:\AI\Text\docker: The system cannot find the file specified. ``` Contrast this to my docker experience with Cheshire Cat for LLMs, where it actually just works. I get also that you probably really want to funnel more people to the paid hosted version and not just have us all run it locally free, but I gotta say there's a serious lack of information on how to get this thing running. None of the Youtube videos show it - whether from Mintplex or any 3rd party people, and I find this really odd. It's it's such a king app why aren't more people making vids about it? I'd really, REALLY like to try it though as I've been on a quest for decent local LLM+RAG + configurability for weeks now and can't find anything that really works well yet.
yindo added the documentationDocker labels 2026-02-22 18:18:40 -05:00
yindo closed this issue 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
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@lunamidori5 commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023):

download the full repo then go into the docker folder then do docker compose up -d

@lunamidori5 commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023): download the full repo then go into the docker folder then do ``docker compose up -d``
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
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@timothycarambat commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023):

Docker docs now contain a copy/paste snippet you can run in Powershell in Windows that will mount an external storage folder in the Powershell users Documents folder so you can have persistent storage without downloading the repo

https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/docker/HOW_TO_USE_DOCKER.md#recommend-way-to-run-dockerized-anythingllm

@timothycarambat commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023): Docker docs now contain a copy/paste snippet you can run in Powershell in Windows that will mount an external storage folder in the Powershell users `Documents` folder so you can have persistent storage without downloading the repo https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/docker/HOW_TO_USE_DOCKER.md#recommend-way-to-run-dockerized-anythingllm
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
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@ewebgh33 commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023):

Docker docs now contain a copy/paste snippet you can run in Powershell in Windows that will mount an external storage folder in the Powershell users Documents folder so you can have persistent storage without downloading the repo

https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/docker/HOW_TO_USE_DOCKER.md#recommend-way-to-run-dockerized-anythingllm

Thanks for this. I didn't realise I had to git-pull, I thought running the docker command pulled everything into docker, similar to a git pull. Thanks kindly for the help! Can't wait to get this going and I'll try now.

@ewebgh33 commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023): > Docker docs now contain a copy/paste snippet you can run in Powershell in Windows that will mount an external storage folder in the Powershell users `Documents` folder so you can have persistent storage without downloading the repo > > https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/docker/HOW_TO_USE_DOCKER.md#recommend-way-to-run-dockerized-anythingllm Thanks for this. I didn't realise I had to git-pull, I thought running the docker command pulled everything into docker, similar to a git pull. Thanks kindly for the help! Can't wait to get this going and I'll try now.
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
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@ewebgh33 commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023):

Ok, wait, I'm confused again. Clone the full repo then go into docker folder and docker compose up -d.
Or DON'T clone the repo, and instead use that snipped "so you can have persistent storage without downloading the repo".
What's preferred?

Can I do this
$env:STORAGE_LOCATION="C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage";

or is it not recommended to have the storage folder inside my main (git cloned) anything-llm folder? Will that cause problems when I update in the future?

I prefer to keep all things to do with an LLM app, in one location. Otherwise if I ever remove it, I have to remember that anything-llm has a bunch of stuff in my docs/home folder, which I would prefer not to be treating as a dir full of app files.

Also I've found docs in two locations, which should we be looking at?
https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/docker/HOW_TO_USE_DOCKER.md#recommend-way-to-run-dockerized-anythingllm
or
https://docs.useanything.com/private-deployment/run-anythingllm-locally

Thanks kindly

@ewebgh33 commented on GitHub (Dec 20, 2023): Ok, wait, I'm confused again. **Clone** the full repo then go into docker folder and `docker compose up -d.` Or **DON'T clone the repo**, and instead use that snipped _"so you can have persistent storage without downloading the repo"._ What's preferred? Can I do this `$env:STORAGE_LOCATION="C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage"; ` or is it not recommended to have the storage folder inside my main (git cloned) anything-llm folder? Will that cause problems when I update in the future? I prefer to keep all things to do with an LLM app, in one location. Otherwise if I ever remove it, I have to remember that anything-llm has a bunch of stuff in my docs/home folder, which I would prefer not to be treating as a dir full of app files. Also I've found docs in two locations, which should we be looking at? `https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/master/docker/HOW_TO_USE_DOCKER.md#recommend-way-to-run-dockerized-anythingllm` or `https://docs.useanything.com/private-deployment/run-anythingllm-locally` Thanks kindly
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
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@timothycarambat commented on GitHub (Dec 21, 2023):

@EmmaWebGH Since its docker and its open source, there are about 100 different ways you could run AnythingLLM. Since you are on windows I would do this:

in Powershell/terminal:
docker pull mintplexlabs/anythingllm:master to get the latest image.

Then You can create a folder anywhere on your host machine. Wherever you want to keep all your AnythingLLM information. If C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage is a real location on your drive, sure. It should ideally be an empty folder, but it doesn't matter.

Then you can run this command in Powershell:

$env:STORAGE_LOCATION="C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage"; `
If(!(Test-Path $env:STORAGE_LOCATION)) {New-Item $env:STORAGE_LOCATION -ItemType Directory}; `
If(!(Test-Path "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION\.env")) {New-Item "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION\.env"}; `
docker run -d -p 3001:3001 `
--cap-add SYS_ADMIN `
-v "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION`:/app/server/storage" `
-v "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION\.env:/app/server/.env" `
-e STORAGE_DIR="/app/server/storage" `
mintplexlabs/anythingllm:master;

Now you can visit localhost:3001 and use AnythingLLM. Any data, embeddings, and everything will be saved to C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage and if you ever want to upgrade your docker container, you can delete is from docker, then re-run the docker pull command and the Powershell command again, and you will have the latest code running but still have your data.

You can do exactly as @lunamidori5 did as well and it will work the same! There is no clear benefit to running either over the other. Its simply just another way to do it.

@timothycarambat commented on GitHub (Dec 21, 2023): @EmmaWebGH Since its docker and its open source, there are about 100 different ways you could run AnythingLLM. Since you are on windows I would do this: in Powershell/terminal: `docker pull mintplexlabs/anythingllm:master` to get the latest image. Then You can create a folder _anywhere_ on your host machine. Wherever you want to keep all your AnythingLLM information. If `C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage` is a real location on your drive, sure. It should ideally be an empty folder, but it doesn't matter. Then you can run this command in Powershell: ``` $env:STORAGE_LOCATION="C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage"; ` If(!(Test-Path $env:STORAGE_LOCATION)) {New-Item $env:STORAGE_LOCATION -ItemType Directory}; ` If(!(Test-Path "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION\.env")) {New-Item "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION\.env"}; ` docker run -d -p 3001:3001 ` --cap-add SYS_ADMIN ` -v "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION`:/app/server/storage" ` -v "$env:STORAGE_LOCATION\.env:/app/server/.env" ` -e STORAGE_DIR="/app/server/storage" ` mintplexlabs/anythingllm:master; ``` Now you can visit `localhost:3001` and use AnythingLLM. Any data, embeddings, and everything will be saved to `C:\AI\Text\anything-llm\storage` and if you ever want to upgrade your docker container, you can delete is from docker, then re-run the `docker pull` command and the Powershell command again, and you will have the latest code running but still have your data. You can do exactly as @lunamidori5 did as well and it will work the same! There is no clear benefit to running either over the other. Its simply just another way to do it.
yindo commented 2026-02-22 18:18:41 -05:00
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@lunamidori5 commented on GitHub (Dec 21, 2023):

The benefit of running it the way I do. Is you only have to remember three words. In order to reinstall / restart the container. It is also persistent. And you don't have to reinstall it every time you wish to run it. But my apologies for causing confusion!

@lunamidori5 commented on GitHub (Dec 21, 2023): The benefit of running it the way I do. Is you only have to remember three words. In order to reinstall / restart the container. It is also persistent. And you don't have to reinstall it every time you wish to run it. But my apologies for causing confusion!
yindo changed title from Can someone ELI5 how to install locally with docker? Docs are vague. to [GH-ISSUE #479] Can someone ELI5 how to install locally with docker? Docs are vague. 2026-06-05 14:34:25 -04:00
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Reference: Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm#276
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