> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.burakov.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Self-hosting

> Run the open-source Lastward core yourself, so it outlives any single company.

A dead man's switch is only as trustworthy as its promise to still be running years from now.
So the core of Lastward is **open-source and self-hostable** — what you set up doesn't depend
on any one company staying alive.

## The open-source core

The self-hostable server (`lastward-core`) is released under the **AGPL-3.0** license — the same
model trusted privacy tools like Bitwarden and Standard Notes use. You can read every line,
run it yourself, and keep it running on your own terms.

<Card title="What the core gives you" icon="server">
  A standalone server you run with `docker compose up`: your switches, check-ins, the firing
  engine, and the recipient release page — all on infrastructure you control. It stays
  **content-blind**, exactly like the hosted service.
</Card>

## Quick start

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get the core">
    Clone [the repository](https://github.com/Nickbur/lastward_core) and copy `.env.example` to `.env`:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/Nickbur/lastward_core.git
    cd lastward_core
    cp .env.example .env
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your owner token">
    Generate a strong token (`openssl rand -hex 32`) and set `OWNER_TOKEN` — it's how your app
    authenticates to your instance.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run it">
    `docker compose up` starts PostgreSQL and the server, applies the database migrations, and
    begins the check-in sweep. Point your client at your instance's URL and you're live.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Continuity guarantees

* **Export anytime.** You can always download an encrypted bundle of your switches, so your
  setup is never trapped inside one service.
* **Published shutdown protocol.** If the hosted service ever winds down, you get long advance
  notice, a final export, and a migration guide to self-hosting.
* **Honest limits.** "It outlives any company" is only partly solvable — self-hosting is the
  real backstop, and we document that plainly rather than overclaiming.

<Note>
  The truly-public "make it public to the world" action is available **only on self-hosted
  instances** — the hosted service deliberately doesn't publish content to the open web.
</Note>