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

# Headless Install

> Install ModusBrain in headless / server environments.

# Headless install: Docker, CI, postinstall

As of v0.37, `modusbrain init --pglite` in a non-TTY context (Docker `RUN`, CI step, postinstall hook) exits 1 when no embedding-provider API key is present in the environment. This is a deliberate fail-loud — the alternative was the v0.36 silent-broken-state class where init succeeded with a default that didn't match any real key.

Two patterns work for headless installs. Pick whichever fits your image lifecycle.

## Pattern 1: Provider key available at image build time

If your CI / Docker pipeline can inject the API key as a build-time env var, set it before `modusbrain init`:

```dockerfile theme={null}
# Multi-stage Dockerfile sketch
FROM oven/bun:1 AS builder

# Inject key at build via --build-arg or `--env` from CI.
ARG OPENAI_API_KEY
ENV OPENAI_API_KEY=$OPENAI_API_KEY

RUN bun install -g github:thebuildceo/modusbrain
RUN modusbrain init --pglite  # auto-picks OpenAI, persists config
```

```yaml theme={null}
# GitHub Actions equivalent
- name: Initialize modusbrain
  env:
    OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
  run: |
    bun install -g github:thebuildceo/modusbrain
    modusbrain init --pglite
```

Init writes `~/.modusbrain/config.json` with the resolved `embedding_model` + `embedding_dimensions`. Subsequent runs (in the same image / runner) read from that config and don't re-resolve.

## Pattern 2: Provider key only at runtime (deferred-setup)

If the API key is a runtime secret (Kubernetes secret, runtime env injection, end-user-supplied), use `--no-embedding` at build time and configure the provider when the container actually runs:

```dockerfile theme={null}
FROM oven/bun:1
RUN bun install -g github:thebuildceo/modusbrain

# Build the brain shape without a provider — schema lands at the default
# width, but no embed callsite will actually run until runtime config.
RUN modusbrain init --pglite --no-embedding

# At container start (entrypoint), provide the real provider:
ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/sh", "-c", "\
  modusbrain config set embedding_model openai:text-embedding-3-large \
  && modusbrain init --force --pglite \
  && exec modusbrain serve"]
```

The `modusbrain init --no-embedding` opt-in writes `embedding_disabled: true` to config. Every embed callsite (`modusbrain import`, `modusbrain embed`, the `runEmbedCore` library entry point) checks this and refuses cleanly with a `modusbrain config set embedding_model <id>` hint rather than proceeding with a silent default.

The runtime `modusbrain init --force` re-runs the init flow against the now-populated env, which:

* Removes `embedding_disabled` from config.
* Resolves the provider via env detection.
* Re-templates the PGLite schema if dim differs from the build-time default.

## What WON'T work

```dockerfile theme={null}
# Don't do this — silent default leaves you with vector(1280) ZE column
# and 1536d OpenAI provider at runtime, mismatched.
RUN modusbrain init --pglite
```

If you upgrade from a pre-v0.37 image that used this pattern, `modusbrain doctor` will surface the mismatch on first run after upgrade and print a paste-ready repair command (`modusbrain init --force --embedding-model …` for empty brains, `modusbrain retrieval-upgrade --reindex` for non-empty).

## Verifying a headless install

After init, run `modusbrain doctor --json` to verify state:

```bash theme={null}
modusbrain doctor --json | jq '.checks[] | select(.name=="embedding_provider")'
```

The `embedding_provider` check returns `status: 'ok'` when:

* Config has a persisted `embedding_model`.
* Config has a persisted `embedding_dimensions`.
* Live provider probe returns the configured dim.
* DB column width matches.

If you used Pattern 2's deferred-setup path, the check shows `Skipped (no provider credentials)` until the runtime config is populated. That's expected.