🚀 Quick Start
Get the entire STELLA system running in 2 commands.
Prerequisites​
Before starting, ensure you have:
- Docker Desktop or OrbStack (macOS) / Docker Engine (Linux)
- An OpenAI API key
- A LiveKit server (cloud or self-hosted)
Deploy Everything​
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/c4dhi/STELLA.git
cd STELLA
# 2. Deploy — the setup wizard runs automatically on first launch
./scripts/start-k8s.sh
On a fresh clone the script detects that setup is incomplete and offers the
guided wizard. Press Enter to accept it. The wizard asks for your
OPENAI_API_KEY, auto-generates the database password, JWT secret and
encryption key, and can bootstrap an initial admin login. It writes
.env.local (or .env.production) for you — there is no .env file to copy
or edit by hand.
Once the wizard finishes, it deploys the stack in the background automatically.
# Reconfigure anytime
./scripts/start-k8s.sh --setup # required variables
./scripts/start-k8s.sh --config # every variable
Done! System is now running at:
| Service | URL |
|---|---|
| Frontend UI | http://localhost:5173 |
| API | http://localhost:3000 |
| LiveKit | ws://localhost:7880 |
| Agents | Auto-created as Kubernetes pods |
Deployment Modes​
| Flag | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| (default) | Foreground mode | Local development, press Ctrl+C to stop |
--daemon, -d | Background mode | Remote servers, survives SSH logout |
--restart, -r | Stop then restart | Apply code changes quickly |
--rebuild | Force rebuild images | After Dockerfile changes |
--skip-build | Skip builds | Restart pods only |
--stop | Stop all services | Cleanup |
--dry-run | Preview changes | Test before applying |
--production | Production mode | Deploy with production settings |
Examples​
# Local development
./scripts/start-k8s.sh
# Production deployment in background
./scripts/start-k8s.sh --production --daemon
# Apply code changes (stop, rebuild, restart)
./scripts/start-k8s.sh --restart
# Force rebuild everything
./scripts/start-k8s.sh --rebuild
# Preview what would happen
./scripts/start-k8s.sh --dry-run --verbose
Verify Deployment​
# View all resources
kubectl get all -n ai-agents
# View backend logs
kubectl logs -f -n ai-agents -l app=session-management-server
# Monitor daemon mode logs
tail -f /tmp/stella-ai-k8s/stella-ai-k8s.log
Next Steps​
- Installation Guide - Detailed setup instructions
- First Agent - Deploy your first conversational AI agent
- Agents Overview - Learn about different agent types