Installation

This guide will help you install ArgusAI on your system.

Choose Your Installation Method

Method	Best For	Requirements
Docker Compose	Single server, Easy setup	Docker, Docker Compose
Kubernetes	Scalable clusters, Fine control	Kubernetes 1.25+, kubectl
Helm Chart	Template-based K8s, GitOps	Kubernetes 1.25+, Helm 3.10+
Manual Installation	Development, Customization	Python 3.11+, Node.js 18+

Recommended

• Single server: Use Docker Compose for the easiest setup
• Kubernetes clusters: Use Helm Chart for customizable deployments
• CI/CD pipelines: Pre-built images are available from GitHub Container Registry

Prerequisites (Manual Installation)

Before installing ArgusAI manually, ensure you have the following:

• Python 3.11+ - Required for the backend
• Node.js 18+ - Required for the frontend
• Git - For cloning the repository
• SQLite or PostgreSQL - Database (SQLite is default)

Quick Installation (Script)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/project-argusai/ArgusAI.git
cd argusai

# Run the installation script
./scripts/install.sh

The script will:

1. Create a Python virtual environment
2. Install backend dependencies
3. Install frontend dependencies
4. Set up the database
5. Optionally configure SSL certificates

Manual Installation

Backend Setup

cd backend

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Set up database
alembic upgrade head

Frontend Setup

cd frontend

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build for production
npm run build

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the backend directory:

# Database
DATABASE_URL=sqlite:///./data/app.db

# Encryption key (generate with: python -c "from cryptography.fernet import Fernet; print(Fernet.generate_key().decode())")
ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-encryption-key-here

# CORS origins
CORS_ORIGINS=http://localhost:3000,http://localhost:8000

# Debug mode
DEBUG=True
LOG_LEVEL=INFO

Running ArgusAI

Development Mode

# Backend (terminal 1)
cd backend
source venv/bin/activate
uvicorn main:app --reload

# Frontend (terminal 2)
cd frontend
npm run dev

Production Mode

# Backend
cd backend
source venv/bin/activate
uvicorn main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

# Frontend
cd frontend
npm run build
npm run start

Next Steps

Deployment Options

• Docker Compose - Single-server deployment with Docker Compose
• Kubernetes - Deploy with raw Kubernetes manifests
• Helm Chart - Template-based Kubernetes deployment
• CI/CD Pipeline - Automated builds and deployments

Configuration

• Configuration - Configure AI providers and cameras
• UniFi Protect - Set up UniFi camera integration