Choose an installation
Cove can run as a native app on a supported desktop platform or as a Docker deployment. Choose one path here, complete its installation page, and then return to the shared first-run setup.
Choose by where Cove will run
Section titled “Choose by where Cove will run”| Installation | Supported system | Best fit | What Cove manages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows on an x64 processor | A Windows computer that will run Cove directly | Cove Instance Manager, PostgreSQL, pgvector, and FFmpeg |
| macOS | macOS on Apple silicon (arm64) |
An Apple silicon Mac that will run Cove directly | Cove Instance Manager, PostgreSQL, pgvector, and FFmpeg |
| Linux | Linux on an x64 processor | A Debian- or Ubuntu-family computer that will run Cove directly | Cove Instance Manager plus managed dependencies on supported distributions |
| Docker | Docker with Compose on a system that can run Linux amd64 or arm64 containers |
A server or desktop where containers are the preferred installation model | Cove and its supporting services inside containers |
The native downloads currently target Windows x64, Linux x64, and macOS ARM64. There is no native macOS Intel or Linux ARM64 archive. The published Docker images target Linux amd64 and arm64 containers, which can run through Docker Engine on Linux or Docker Desktop on matching Windows and macOS systems.
If native Linux cannot use Cove’s managed PostgreSQL path, the Linux installation page explains the supported alternatives. Platform-specific NAS instructions are not included because Cove does not currently publish or test dedicated packages for those systems.
Before you install
Section titled “Before you install”- Choose a machine that can read the media you plan to add.
- Reserve writable storage for Cove’s database, configuration, generated assets, backups, and logs.
- Keep source media backed up independently. A Cove database backup does not contain the source files.
- Allow outbound network access during the first native start. Cove may need to download its managed PostgreSQL and FFmpeg dependencies.
For Docker, decide which host directories will hold persistent Cove data and media before starting the deployment. Container paths, not host paths, are entered in Cove’s setup wizard.
Keeping Cove up to date
Section titled “Keeping Cove up to date”Cove checks for new releases in the background and shows a notice to the owner. Settings → System Info → Updates shows the release notes and how to update:
- Native installs can install the update from that page. Cove downloads and verifies it, backs up the database and configuration, replaces the
CoveandCove.InstanceManagerexecutables, and restarts. If the new version does not start, Cove restores the previous one. Until a database migration has been run, Revert returns to the previous version. Your data folder is never touched by an update. - Docker shows the notice only. Update by pulling the new image:
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d. - If Cove runs as a systemd service, it exits with code 75 to restart into the new version, so the unit needs
Restart=on-failure(orRestartForceExitStatus=75). - If Cove cannot write to its program folder, the page lists the manual steps instead.
Automatic installs are off by default. When enabled on the same page, they run only inside a time window you choose (03:00–05:00 by default) and only while no jobs are running. A version that failed to install, did not start, or that you reverted is never installed automatically again; you can still install it yourself from the page.
What happens next
Section titled “What happens next”Every supported installation path ends with Cove running and the setup wizard open in a browser. From there you choose one of three shared setup routes:
- Start Fresh to add library paths and build a new Cove library.
- Import from Stash to migrate an existing Stash library.
- Restore Cove Backup to recover an existing Cove installation.
Continue with the page for your platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, or Docker.