Installation

Installing a node means running the Varen node software on the machine you've chosen. The software runs as a Docker Compose stack — the node itself plus Qdrant (the vector index) and Ollama (local embeddings) — managed 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 requires a compatible Docker environment. The current Add Node flow provides Linux, Windows, and a generic Docker/manual path; compatibility depends on networking and privilege support. Three installation paths are documented, each suited to a different setup:

• Linux — the supported shell-installer path. The host must provide Docker Compose, persistent storage, NET_ADMIN, and /dev/net/tun.
• Windows — requires Docker Desktop to be installed and running first. After that, a PowerShell one-liner handles the rest.
• Generic Docker — a manual Compose path for compatible NAS, Proxmox, server, or other Docker environments. Compatibility depends on TUN, privileges, persistent volumes, architecture, and outbound connectivity.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
docker compose down
curl -fsSL https://varen.tech/downloads/install-docker.sh | sh

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

cd ~/varen/<node-name>
sudo systemctl disable --now varen-node-watcher.timer
sudo rm -f /etc/systemd/system/varen-node-watcher.service /etc/systemd/system/varen-node-watcher.timer
docker compose down -v
cd ~ && sudo rm -rf ~/varen/<node-name>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
docker compose down
irm https://varen.tech/downloads/install-docker.ps1 | iex

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

cd $env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>
schtasks /Delete /F /TN 'VarenNodeWatcher'
docker compose down -v
cd $env:USERPROFILE
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\Varen\<node-name>"

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

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

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

docker compose up -d

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

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

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

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

Automatic upgrades

On Linux and Windows, the installer schedules a background watcher that keeps the node up to date. On Linux it is a systemd timer (varen-node-watcher.timer, run hourly), with a cron fallback on hosts without systemd. On Windows it is a scheduled task named VarenNodeWatcher.

The watcher polls Varen for a pending reload request for this node's licence and, when one is present, runs docker compose pull and docker compose up -d to recreate the stack on the new image, then clears the request. You can run it manually at any time with ./varen watcher (Linux) or .\varen.cmd watcher (Windows). On the Generic Docker path there is no scheduled watcher; upgrade manually with a Compose pull.

Use ./varen status (or .\varen.cmd status) to show the running containers.

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
• .env — environment variables including the licence key; this file must never be shared or committed to version control
• varen (Linux) or varen.cmd and varen.ps1 (Windows) — a single unified command wrapping Docker Compose: varen {start|stop|reload|logs|watcher|status|uninstall}
• data/ — the bind-mounted node data directory (durable content: conversations, files, memories, indexes)
• On Linux, varen-node-watcher.service and varen-node-watcher.timer (installed as a systemd timer, or scheduled via cron); on Windows, a VarenNodeWatcher scheduled task

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.