# Get Started

> What Stashix does, what it needs to run, and how to install it.

---

LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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Stashix is a self-hosted library for comics and ebooks. You point it at the
folders where your files already live, and it builds a browsable, searchable
shelf you can read from any browser on your network.

## What you get {#features}

- **A reader in the browser.** Open a comic or manga and start reading. Your
  place is saved per user, so you can pick up on another device.
- **A library that keeps itself up to date.** Stashix
  [watches your folders](/docs/admin-guide/scanner/how-it-works/#folder-watching)
  and imports new files a few seconds after they land.
- **Metadata from your files.** Series, issue numbers, creators and publishers
  come from `ComicInfo.xml`, `MetronInfo.xml`, sidecar files and filenames.
  See [how to organise your folders](/docs/admin-guide/scanner/file-structure/).
- **Full-text search** across titles, series and publishers.
- **Accounts for the household.** Admin and user roles, per-library
  permissions and age-gates for younger readers.
- **Installable on your phone** as a progressive web app on Android.

Stashix reads `.cbz`, `.cbr`, `.cb7`, `.pdf` and `.epub` files. Anything else
in a library folder is ignored. EPUBs are shown as their images, so they work
for manga and comics but not yet for text ebooks such as novels; see
[supported formats](/docs/admin-guide/scanner/how-it-works/#supported-formats).

## How it fits together {#overview}

Stashix runs as two containers: the Stashix server and a PostgreSQL database.
The default Compose file mounts your library folder read-write, so metadata
you edit can be saved back into your files. Covers, thumbnails and caches go
into a separate data volume.

```text
your library folder ◀─(read-write)─▶ stashix ◀──▶ postgres
                                        │
                                        ▼
                              browser · :4000
```

## Before you install {#requirements}

| You need | Details |
|---|---|
| Docker with Compose | Any host that runs Linux containers: a home server, a NAS or a VPS. |
| Your library on disk | One folder (or a parent of several) that holds your comics and ebooks. |
| A user ID that can use it | Stashix runs as `PUID`/`PGID` (default `1000`) and must be able to read the library folder, and write to it to save metadata. |
| Three random secrets | Generated with `openssl` during setup. See [Installation](/docs/get-started/installation/#secrets). |
| A modern browser | Any current desktop or mobile browser. |

PostgreSQL ships in the Compose file, so you don't need to install a database
yourself.

## Choose how to install {#install}


- [Docker Compose](/docs/get-started/installation/) (Recommended) — Copy `.env.example`, set your secrets and library path, then run `docker compose up -d`. A setup wizard opens on first launch.
- [From source](https://github.com/aroy-art/stashix#development) — For development. Needs Elixir 1.18+, Erlang/OTP 27+, PostgreSQL and a few system tools (`vips`, `p7zip`, `unrar`, `pdfinfo`, `pdftoppm`).


Once Stashix is running, open `http://<your-server>:4000`, create the admin
account, and add your first library.

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Section pages:

- [Installation](/docs/get-started/installation/): Install Stashix with Docker Compose, from an empty folder to your first library.

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Backlinks:

- [Docs](/docs/)
- [Installation](/docs/get-started/installation/)