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This guide covers the prerequisites, installation, and initial startup of the self-hosted Dreadnode platform.
1

Check Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:
  • Docker & Docker Compose: Must be installed and available on your system’s PATH.
  • Dreadnode Account & License: You need a Dreadnode account with an Enterprise license to access the private container registries. Contact us for details.
  • Python 3.10+: Required to run the Dreadnode SDK/CLI.
2

Install the SDK

Install the dreadnode SDK, which includes the Platform CLI.
pip install -U dreadnode
3

Authenticate

Authenticate the CLI to fetch your license credentials and container registry access.
dreadnode login
Follow the browser prompts to complete authentication.
4

Start the Platform

Run the start command to download the latest images and launch the services.
# Downloads the latest version for your architecture and starts the containers
dreadnode platform start
The first start may take a few minutes as it downloads the Docker images.
5

Access the Dashboard

Once the services are running, open your browser to:http://localhostYou will be prompted to create the first admin account for your local instance. This account is separate from your Dreadnode Cloud account.
6

Connect the SDK

To configure your local CLI to talk to this new local instance (instead of the cloud), create a new profile:
dreadnode login --server http://localhost --profile local
You are now ready to start shipping data to your local Dreadnode instance!

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Next Steps

Use the SDK

Get started shipping data to your platform instance.

Configuration

Configure ports, proxies, and persistence.

Manage Data

Connect to external databases or back up your data.

CLI Reference

View all available commands.