# Install (/operations/install)



Connect to your server as root, or as a user with `sudo`, and run:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/unbindapp/unbind/master/apps/installer/install.sh | sudo sh
```

The script downloads the installer for your architecture, verifies its checksum and starts it. The installer guides you through the rest.

## What it asks [#what-it-asks]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Domain [#domain]

    Type the domain for the Unbind UI, like `unbind.example.com`. The installer shows your server's IP address and the DNS records to create.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Registry [#registry]

    Built images have to be stored somewhere.

    * **Self-hosted registry** keeps them on your server. Nothing to configure, and the right choice for almost everyone.
    * **External registry** pushes them to Docker Hub, GitHub Container Registry, Quay or a custom registry. You enter the host, a username and a password or token.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### DNS check [#dns-check]

    The installer checks your DNS records and keeps checking until they resolve. `Ctrl+r` checks again right away, `Ctrl+e` lets you change the domain. See [DNS Setup](/operations/dns-setup).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Swap [#swap]

    If the server has no swap and less than 8 GB of memory, the installer offers to create a swap file. Say yes unless you know you do not want it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Everything after that is automatic and takes several minutes. At the end you see:

```text
✓ Unbind Installation Complete!
Unbind is ready. Visit the link below to start using it:
https://unbind.example.com
```

## Create your account [#create-your-account]

Open the link. The first visit asks for an email and a password of at least 8 characters. That account owns the instance.

Do this right away. Until the first account exists, anyone who finds the address can create it.

## What got installed [#what-got-installed]

The installer sets up [k3s](https://k3s.io), a small Kubernetes distribution, and installs Unbind on top of it, along with storage, a build service, a registry, certificates, logs and metrics. [How Unbind Works](/operations/how-unbind-works) lists all of it. You do not need to know any of it to use Unbind.

It also installs the `unbind` command on the server:

| Command                   | What it does                                                   |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `sudo unbind add-node`    | Shows how to [add a server](/operations/servers)               |
| `sudo unbind update-node` | Applies the current settings to this server                    |
| `sudo unbind uninstall`   | [Removes Unbind](/operations/uninstalling) and all of its data |

## Running the installer again [#running-the-installer-again]

If the installer finds an existing Unbind on the server, it offers to update this server's configuration, to uninstall and start over, or to quit. It never wipes anything without asking.