Docker Installation

Docker is the recommended way to run Bolly on servers or when you want isolated, reproducible deployments with easy updates.

Prerequisites

Docker Engine 20+ or Docker Desktop
An Anthropic API key (console.anthropic.com)

Quick start

docker run -d \
  --name bolly \
  -p 26559:26559 \
  -v bolly-data:/data \
  -e BOLLY_HOME=/data \
  --restart always \
  ghcr.io/triangle-int/bolly:latest

Open http://localhost:26559 in your browser. Bolly will guide you through the initial setup — including entering your API key — right in the web interface.

Docker Compose

For a more manageable setup, use Docker Compose:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  bolly:
    image: ghcr.io/triangle-int/bolly:latest
    container_name: bolly
    ports:
      - "26559:26559"
    volumes:
      - bolly-data:/data
    environment:
      - BOLLY_HOME=/data
    restart: always

volumes:
  bolly-data:

Run it:

docker compose up -d

Managing the container

View logs

docker logs bolly -f

Stop Bolly

docker stop bolly

Start Bolly

docker start bolly

Restart after config changes

docker restart bolly

Remove the container (preserves data)

docker rm -f bolly

Updating

Pull the latest image and recreate the container:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Your data is stored in the bolly-data volume and persists across updates. See the full updating guide for version pinning and release channels.

Custom port

To run Bolly on a different port, change the host port mapping:

docker run -d \
  --name bolly \
  -p 3000:26559 \
  -v bolly-data:/data \
  -e BOLLY_HOME=/data \
  --restart always \
  ghcr.io/triangle-int/bolly:latest

Bolly would then be available at http://localhost:3000.

Running behind a reverse proxy

If running Bolly behind Nginx, Caddy, or another reverse proxy, ensure WebSocket support is enabled — Bolly uses WebSockets for real-time communication. Example Nginx config:

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name bolly.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:26559;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}

Getting Started

Installation

Configuration

Help

Prerequisites

Quick start

Docker Compose

Managing the container

View logs

Stop Bolly

Start Bolly

Restart after config changes

Remove the container (preserves data)

Updating

Custom port

Running behind a reverse proxy

Next steps

Configuration

API Keys

​Prerequisites

​Quick start

​Docker Compose

​Managing the container

​View logs

​Stop Bolly

​Start Bolly

​Restart after config changes

​Remove the container (preserves data)

​Updating

​Custom port

​Running behind a reverse proxy

​Next steps

Configuration

API Keys

Prerequisites

Quick start

Docker Compose

Managing the container

View logs

Stop Bolly

Start Bolly

Restart after config changes

Remove the container (preserves data)

Updating

Custom port

Running behind a reverse proxy

Next steps