Requirements

Before you begin

1. Choose the online installation or an air-gapped installation with its verification instructions. Confirm host support and sizing with your release contact.
2. In Bash on the intended Linux host, from any directory, check Docker access:

docker version
docker compose version

Check: Docker reaches its server and the Compose plugin is available. Generated Docker Compose agent bundles need 2.24.4 or newer. Resolve permission, connection, or version problems before installing.

Plan the deployment

Prepare:

• A local Owner who will set the first password privately.
• Persistent storage and an administrator-owned backup/recovery plan.
• The browser HTTPS address and reachable agent HTTPS/mutual TLS addresses. Mutual TLS checks both machines' certificates.
• A way to trust the LogForge server's public root certificate on operator devices.
• DNS, firewall rules, routing, and accurate clocks on the LogForge server and agent hosts.
• Online: Git and access to the public deployment repository and image registries. Confirm that its selected release supports your host.
• For the online server's one-time browser-update setup, a Linux host with systemd and Docker administrative access; see server updater setup.
• Air-gapped: a complete signed Linux package matching the server CPU, and independently obtained vendor public trust.
• For native agent updater setup, the package matching each agent's installed version and CPU. This is a separate step from first installation.
• Image registry access required by generated agent installers and connected updates.
• A decision about default usage reporting, including outbound restrictions needed before startup.

Sizing: ask your release contact about CPU, memory, and storage for your workload count, log volume, retention, queries, and alerts. There is no published universal minimum. Longer retention—keeping data longer—needs more storage.

Leave update headroom: the native server updater requires at least 4 GiB of available memory and 4 GiB of free disk space before it proceeds. These are free resources after the running server and operating system use their share, not total machine capacity. Also allow storage for the release download and database checkpoint. A 4 GB machine cannot satisfy that memory check.

Prepare a Docker agent host

The target host needs:

• Bash, Docker Engine, and sudo access. For a Compose bundle, use Compose 2.24.4 or newer.
• Permission to inspect Docker inventory, logs and metrics.
• Persistent agent state and space for disk queues.
• Readable supported log sources. For Docker with a custom data root, obtain matching release guidance; shell variables do not override the generated installer.
• Connectivity to both agent connection addresses, tested from that host.

Generated Docker installers pull exact images. Preloading alone is insufficient for a fully disconnected first install; obtain a release-approved procedure. Later disconnected updates need their own internal-registry setup. Installing the server bundle alone does not make images available on other hosts. See Networking and certificates.

Choose your edition

• Community: no license needed for the local Owner, monitoring, and alerts.
• Business: verified activation needed for people, teams, and delegated access.
• Notifications: require your own receiving service and any delivery credentials.

Ready to continue: release, Docker access, storage, network, and policy decisions are in place. Resolve missing items with your administrator or release contact.

Next, follow Install online or Install air-gapped. Check Runtime support before choosing another target.