ARI Software | ARI Software

Automated Install

This must be run in Windows PowerShell, not Command Prompt. Right-click the Start menu and choose "Terminal" or "Windows PowerShell", then paste this command:

irm https://ari.software/install-win | iex

The installer will check your system, install any missing tools (Git, Node.js, pnpm, etc.) via winget, clone the ARI repository, and guide you through database setup.

What the Installer Does

Installs required tools (Git, Node.js, pnpm) via winget
Clones the ARI repository
Runs pnpm install to install dependencies
Asks you to choose a database option (see below)
Configures environment variables based on your choice
Initializes the database schema
Creates the .\ari.cmd CLI for daily use

After installation, the installer will display your admin credentials and instructions.

Note on the Postgres install: The PostgreSQL installer runs silently and produces no output for several minutes. This is normal — do not cancel the install. The ARI installer will print a message letting you know the silent stretch is expected.

Database

The ARI installer offers three database options:

PostgreSQL (default)

The simplest option. Uses a local PostgreSQL server directly — no Docker or Supabase required. The installer will check that PostgreSQL is running, create an ari database, and configure the connection automatically. A pgweb database UI is available at http://localhost:5050 for browsing your database.

If you don't already have PostgreSQL installed, the installer will offer to install it for you via winget. The pgAdmin component is skipped to keep the install lean.
Supabase Local

Runs a full Supabase stack locally inside Docker containers. This gives you access to the Supabase Studio UI at http://127.0.0.1:54323 for browsing your database.

Supabase local requires Docker Desktop for Windows to be installed and running. Docker Desktop on Windows uses WSL2 — make sure WSL2 is enabled before installing Docker. The first start will download the Supabase Docker images, which may take a few minutes.
Supabase Cloud

Connect to a hosted Supabase project at supabase.com. Choose this if you want your database hosted online or plan to deploy ARI to production.

During installation, the database connection is deferred — you will configure your Supabase project URL, anon key, service role key, and connection string through the Welcome Setup Wizard on first launch.

Welcome Setup Wizard

When you first open ARI in your browser, you will land on the /welcome page — an interactive setup wizard that walks you through:

Account — Create your admin email and password (this is the only account — public sign-up is disabled by default)
Personal — Set up your profile (name, title, company, location, timezone)
Download — Download your generated .env configuration file

For Supabase Cloud installations, there is an additional step to configure your Supabase project URL, keys, and connection string.

The setup wizard runs once on first launch. After completing it, you will be taken to your ARI dashboard.

Starting ARI

To start ARI, open PowerShell, navigate to the project directory, and run:

.\ari.cmd start

Or if you prefer to see full server logs, run it in verbose mode:

.\ari.cmd start --verbose

The .\ prefix is required in PowerShell to run a script from the current directory.

What happens depends on your database mode:

	PostgreSQL	Supabase Local	Supabase Cloud
Database	Checks PostgreSQL is running	Starts Docker containers	Nothing (hosted)
Extras	Launches pgweb UI on port 5050	Generates `.env.supabase.local`	—
Dev server	Starts Next.js	Starts Next.js	Starts Next.js

Then open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Stopping ARI

Press Ctrl+C in PowerShell to stop the development server. You may need to confirm with Y when PowerShell asks "Terminate batch job (Y/N)?".

If you are using Supabase Local, the database containers will continue running in the background. You can stop them from Docker Desktop if you need to free up resources.

CLI Reference

Command	Description
`.\ari.cmd start`	Start the database (if local) and development server
`.\ari.cmd start --verbose`	Start the database (if local) and development server and will display server logs
`.\ari.cmd status`	Show database connection status
`.\ari.cmd update`	Pull latest ARI updates and install dependencies

Requirements

Always required:

Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
PowerShell 5.1 or later (built into Windows)
Node.js v18+
pnpm (package manager)
Git for Windows (version control)
winget (recommended — used by the installer to install missing tools)

Additional requirements by database mode:

	PostgreSQL	Supabase Local	Supabase Cloud
PostgreSQL	Yes	—	—
Docker Desktop	—	Yes	—
WSL2	—	Yes (for Docker)	—
Supabase CLI	—	Yes	—

The automated installer handles most of these. If any are missing, the installer will offer to install them for you via winget.

Execution Policy

If PowerShell blocks the install script with an execution-policy error, allow scripts for the current user with:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Then re-run the install command.

Managed Setup

Prefer not to deal with infrastructure? The Managed Setup plan includes full hosting on your own custom domain, daily backups, and professional setup. Contact hello@ari.software for details.

Next Steps

Authentication — Secure your instance
Settings — Customize your ARI instance
Security — Harden your deployment

Installation — Windows