Native Linux

Native Linux

Docker Compose is the recommended deployment method. Native Linux installs are useful for development, testing, or special environments where Docker is not desired.

Basic native install flow

Use the install script from the Printbuddy repository:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vmhomelab/Printbuddy/main/install/install.sh -o /tmp/printbuddy-install.sh
sudo bash /tmp/printbuddy-install.sh --path /opt/printbuddy

Manual development-style setup

git clone https://github.com/vmhomelab/Printbuddy.git
cd Printbuddy
python3 -m venv venv
./venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt

Frontend development requires Node.js and npm:

cd frontend
npm ci
npm run build

Notes

• Native installs need systemd/service handling, Python dependencies, Node build tooling, and file permissions managed by the host.
• Docker isolates most of that complexity and is preferred for normal users.
• Keep /app/data-equivalent storage backed up if you run natively.