Step 1: Install Docker

Install Docker on your system to run ControlBird Community Edition.

1
Docker
2
Run
3
Access
4
Architecture
5
Explore
6
Connect
7
Automate
8
Alarms
9
Users
10
Access+
11
Scripts
12
Logs
13
Dashboards
14
Builders
15
Kiosks
16
Themes
17
Config
18
Audio
19
Email

What You Need

ControlBird Community Edition runs as a single Docker container. All you need is a machine with Docker installed. CE supports Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Install Docker

If you don't have Docker installed yet, follow the official installation guide for your operating system:

Linux

Install Docker Engine using your distribution's package manager.

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

After installation, add your user to the docker group to run without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

macOS / Windows

Install Docker Desktop, which provides Docker Engine, CLI, and a graphical interface.

  • macOS: Download from docker.com or install via brew install --cask docker
  • Windows: Download Docker Desktop from docker.com (requires WSL 2)

Verify Installation

Open a terminal and verify Docker is working:

docker --version

You should see output like Docker version 27.x.x or similar. Then verify the Docker daemon is running:

docker run --rm hello-world

If you see "Hello from Docker!", you're ready to proceed.

System Requirements

ControlBird CE requires at minimum 1 GB RAM and 1 CPU core. For a smooth experience with multiple protocols and automation, we recommend 2 GB RAM and 2 cores.