Run gcontext on your own machine

docker-compose.yml:

services:
  db:
    image: postgres:16
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: gcontext
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:?set DB_PASSWORD in .env.selfhost}
      POSTGRES_DB: gcontext
    volumes:
      - gcontext-db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U gcontext"]
      interval: 5s
      timeout: 3s
      retries: 10
  app:
    image: ghcr.io/bleak-ai/gcontext-cloud:latest
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://gcontext:${DB_PASSWORD}@db:5432/gcontext
      # This chosen token IS your API token. Use it as GCONTEXT_TOKEN
      # in your connector config.
      GCONTEXT_DEV_TOKEN: ${GCONTEXT_TOKEN:?set GCONTEXT_TOKEN in .env.selfhost}
      # Empty = machines-only (no human login). Set a 32+ char string
      # to enable dashboard login with your GCONTEXT_TOKEN.
      SESSION_SECRET: ${SESSION_SECRET:-}
      PUBLIC_ORIGIN: ${PUBLIC_ORIGIN:-http://localhost:8770}
      HOST: "0.0.0.0"
      PORT: "8770"
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-8770}:8770"
volumes:
  gcontext-db:

.env.selfhost:

# --- required ---
DB_PASSWORD=change-this-postgres-password
# Your API token. The connector uses this as GCONTEXT_TOKEN.
# Pick a long random string.
GCONTEXT_TOKEN=change-this-to-a-long-random-string

# --- optional ---
# Enable dashboard login with your GCONTEXT_TOKEN (no OAuth needed).
# Leave unset for machines-only mode.
# SESSION_SECRET=a-random-string-at-least-32-characters-long
# Public URL if not localhost. Default: http://localhost:8770
# PUBLIC_ORIGIN=https://gcontext.example.com

docker compose --env-file .env.selfhost up -d
curl -s http://localhost:8770/health   # -> {"ok": true, "version": "..."}

Postgres runs alongside, schema migrations apply automatically on every boot, and your GCONTEXT_TOKEN becomes the API token. No OAuth apps needed for single-tenant use. To also sign in to the web dashboard in a browser, set SESSION_SECRET and restart; the login page then asks for your GCONTEXT_TOKEN directly.

In your MCP client config (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or any MCP client):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gcontext": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["gcontext-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GCONTEXT_API_URL": "http://localhost:8770",
        "GCONTEXT_TOKEN": "the-same-token-you-set-in-.env.selfhost"
      }
    }
  }
}

Secret values and script execution stay on your machine, exactly as in the hosted product. Self-hosting only moves the structure and metadata store onto your box.

docker compose --env-file .env.selfhost pull
docker compose --env-file .env.selfhost up -d
curl -s http://localhost:8770/health   # confirm the version bumped

Migrations apply automatically on boot and your Postgres volume is preserved. The API surface is additive-only (functions are never renamed or removed), so an older connector keeps working against a newer backend.