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Quick start

Run your own Resgrid server on one Linux machine in about 15 minutes. For a Windows laptop, a Kubernetes cluster or the Raspberry Pi Incident Command Kit, start from the deployment comparison instead.

Evaluation is not production readiness

The single-server stack has one instance of its database, cache, message bus and object store. Production use needs a security review, monitoring, capacity planning, tested backups and a recovery plan.

1. Prepare a server​

A 64-bit Linux server (Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS works well) with 4 CPU cores, 8 GB RAM and 40 GB of disk. Install Docker:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER      # then log out and back in

Decide on three hostnames that point at the server: web (dispatch.example.com), API (dispatchapi.example.com) and events (dispatchevents.example.com). For a LAN-only test you can keep the defaults (rg.mylocal, rgapi.mylocal, rgevents.mylocal).

2. Install​

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Resgrid/resgrid-setup/master/setup.sh | bash

Answer the hostname questions. For the certificate question give an email address (internet-facing server, Let's Encrypt) or press Enter for internal (LAN or offline). The installer generates every secret, starts Resgrid and waits until it answers. The first start takes 5–10 minutes while the database is created.

3. Trust the certificate (internal only)​

With internal certificates, install ~/resgrid/certs/ca/resgrid-root-ca.crt as a trusted root on every computer and phone that uses Resgrid, and add the hostnames to their hosts file if you have no DNS:

192.168.1.50  rg.mylocal rgapi.mylocal rgevents.mylocal

Step-by-step per operating system: Certificates.

Android apps need a public certificate

Installing the local CA on an Android phone only makes its browsers trust the server. The Resgrid Responder and Unit Android apps ignore user-installed CAs, so they need a publicly trusted certificate: use Let's Encrypt or your own public certificate if Android phones must use the apps. Android browsers and iPhones work with the local CA.

4. Sign up​

Open https://<web hostname>, choose Create an account, and fill in the form. This creates your department and makes you its administrator.

Sign up form

Then turn self-service sign-up off (RESGRID__SystemBehaviorConfig__AllowSignupWithoutBilling=false in ~/resgrid/.env, then docker compose up -d), set up your department (setup guide) and connect the mobile apps.

5. Keep it running​

cd ~/resgrid
docker compose ps                  # status
docker compose logs -f worker      # logs
./setup.sh features                # turn optional features (Records, Search, Chat, ...) on or off
./setup.sh upgrade                 # upgrade and repair (always safe to run)

Back up ~/resgrid/.env, ~/resgrid/certs/ and a database dump regularly; the installation guide has the commands, plus optional offline maps, GPS trackers and email dispatch. Optional features and upgrades explains the feature menu and what an upgrade does.