Installation

Installing a node means running the Varen node software on the machine you've chosen. The software runs as a Docker Compose stack — a set of containers that Varen manages as a unit. You don't need to know Docker in detail to run it, but Docker must be installed on the host machine before you begin.

Choosing your platform

Varen runs on any machine that can run Docker. Three installation paths are supported, each suited to a different setup:

  • Linux / macOS — the simplest path. A single install command handles Docker setup, image pull, and service start. Most home servers and cloud hosts fall into this category.
  • Windows — requires Docker Desktop to be installed and running first. After that, a PowerShell one-liner handles the rest.
  • NAS / Proxmox — NAS GUI interfaces typically can't pipe scripts directly into a shell. A four-step manual process over SSH handles the install. Supported on Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, Unraid, and Proxmox.

In all cases, the node software that's installed is the same. The difference is only in how you get it running and how you manage it day-to-day. Once the node is running and connected, the experience in the Varen desktop is identical regardless of what hardware it's on.

Prerequisites

  • Docker Engine 24+ with docker compose v2
  • Outbound HTTPS to varen.tech and UDP 51820 (WireGuard)
  • /dev/net/tun available (default on most Linux hosts)

Install

Open a terminal on the target machine. Set your licence key and node name as environment variables, then run the installer. The script creates the node directory, pulls the Docker image, and starts the stack in one step. 

export LICENSE_KEY="<your-licence-key>"
export NODE_NAME="<your-node-name>"
curl -fsSL https://varen.tech/downloads/install-docker.sh | sh

The script creates ~/varen/<node-name>/, writes the compose file and environment configuration, pulls the Docker image, and starts the stack. The whole process typically takes two to five minutes depending on your connection speed.

Start

Start the node stack using the convenience script, or using Docker Compose directly.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
./varen-start

or manually

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose up -d

Stop

Stop the node stack gracefully.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
./varen-stop

or manually

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose down

Logs

Follow the node log output in real time. Useful for diagnosing connection problems.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
./varen-logs

or manually

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose logs -f varen-node

Upgrade

Pull the latest image and restart the node. Run this when a new Varen version is available.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
./varen-upgrade

or manually

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
curl -fsSL https://varen.tech/downloads/varen-node.yml -o docker-compose.yml
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Uninstall

Stop the stack (this removes data volumes) and delete the node install directory. sudo is required to remove bind-mounted data written by the container. 

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
./varen-uninstall

or manually

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose down -v
cd ~ && sudo rm -rf ~/varen/<node-name>

Prerequisites

  • Docker Desktop installed and running
  • Windows 10 (version 1903 or later) or Windows 11
  • Outbound HTTPS to varen.tech and UDP 51820 (WireGuard)

Install

Open PowerShell on the machine you want to set up. Set your licence key and node name, then run the installer. The script creates the node directory under your user profile, pulls the Docker image, and starts the stack. 

$env:LICENSE_KEY="<your-licence-key>"
$env:NODE_NAME="<your-node-name>"
irm https://varen.tech/downloads/install-docker.ps1 | iex

Start

Start the node stack using the convenience script, or using Docker Compose directly.

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
varen-start.cmd

or manually

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
docker compose up -d

Stop

Stop the node stack gracefully.

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
varen-stop.cmd

or manually

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
docker compose down

Logs

Follow the node log output in real time.

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
varen-logs.cmd

or manually

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
docker compose logs -f varen-node

Upgrade

Pull the latest image and restart the node.

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
varen-upgrade.cmd

or manually

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
curl -fsSL https://varen.tech/downloads/varen-node.yml -o docker-compose.yml
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Uninstall

Stop the stack (this removes data volumes) and delete the node install directory. Run these commands in PowerShell. 

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
varen-uninstall.cmd

or manually

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
docker compose down -v
cd $env:USERPROFILE
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>"

Prerequisites

  • Docker on your NAS — typically provided by Synology Container Manager, QNAP Container Station, TrueNAS Apps, Unraid Docker, or Proxmox LXC with Docker installed.
  • TUN device support (/dev/net/tun) — available on most modern NAS firmware.
  • Outbound HTTPS to varen.tech and UDP 51820 (WireGuard).

Install steps

NAS user interfaces typically can't pipe a remote script into a shell. SSH into your NAS (or use its terminal app) and run the steps below. Exact paths vary by platform — adapt the directory to match your NAS conventions (for example, /volume1/docker/varen-<node-name> on Synology).

1. Create a directory for this node and change into it:

mkdir -p ~/varen/<node-name>
cd ~/varen/<node-name>

2. Download the Varen compose file:

curl -fsSL https://varen.tech/downloads/varen-node.yml -o docker-compose.yml

3. Create a .env file with these contents, substituting your actual licence key and node name:

LICENSE_KEY=<your-licence-key>
NODE_NAME=<your-node-name>
SAAS_ENDPOINT=varen.tech:50051

4. Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Start

Start the node stack.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose up -d

Stop

Stop the node stack gracefully.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose down

Logs

Follow the node log output in real time.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose logs -f varen-node

Upgrade

Pull the latest image and restart the node.

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
curl -fsSL https://varen.tech/downloads/varen-node.yml -o docker-compose.yml
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Uninstall

Stop the stack (this removes data volumes) and delete the node install directory. sudo may be required depending on your NAS user setup. 

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose down -v
cd ~ && sudo rm -rf ~/varen/<node-name>

Verifying your node is connected

After starting the stack, the node establishes an encrypted tunnel back to Varen. In the desktop, the status dot next to your node in the navigator turns green within a minute or two. If it stays grey after several minutes, check the following:

  • Docker is running — docker ps should show the node containers
  • Outbound UDP 51820 is not blocked by your firewall or router
  • Your licence key is correct — it's set in the .env file or as an environment variable during install
  • The node logs don't show an error — use the Logs command above to check

The node directory

After installation, the node lives in ~/varen/<node-name>/ (or %USERPROFILE%\Varen\<node-name>\ on Windows). Understanding what's in this directory makes maintenance easier:

  • docker-compose.yml — the stack definition; the upgrade command downloads a fresh copy of this
  • .env — environment variables including the licence key; this file must never be shared or committed to version control
  • varen-start, varen-stop, varen-logs, varen-upgrade, varen-uninstall — convenience scripts wrapping the corresponding Docker Compose commands
Warning

The .env file contains your licence key. Don't check it into version control or share it. The ~/varen/<node-name>/ directory also contains your workspace data in Docker volumes — back up this directory if the host machine is not itself backed up through another mechanism.

Multiple nodes

A single Varen account can have multiple nodes. Each appears separately in the navigator. Workspaces are created on a specific node and their data lives on that node — there's no automatic sync between nodes. This lets you keep completely separate environments: a home node for personal workspaces and a work node for professional ones, each running on different hardware, each with its own isolated data.

To add a second node, click Add Node in the navigator again. You can use the same licence key or a different one depending on your account setup.