Installation

Recommended Installation

The recommended way to install Kapowarr is using Docker.
This does not mean that other options are bad, just that support is much easier for this setup.

After installing Kapowarr, it is advised to read the Setup After Installation page.

Docker

Create volume or folder

Kapowarr needs some permanent place to put the database file. This can be a docker volume, or a folder on the host machine.

Docker VolumeLocal Folder (Linux)Local Folder (Windows)

Both of these options will create a named volume that you can then use when launching the container.

Docker CLIPortainerDocker CLI (Windows)

docker volume create kapowarr-db

• Open Volumes
• Click Add Volume
• Enter name matching the one you'll use in compose (kapowarr-db, in the above example)
• Click Create the volume
• Open Stacks
• Create the stack with the named volume in it.

docker volume create kapowarr-db

If you'd prefer to use a local folder on the host machine for storing config, Linux standards would suggest putting that in /opt/application_name, as the /opt directory is where program options should be stored.
In this case, you'd create the desired folder with something like mkdir /opt/Kapowarr/db, and replace 'kapowarr-db:/app/db' with '/opt/Kapowarr/db:/app/db'.
Note, the permissions on this folder need to allow the container to read, write, and execute inside it. See the note in the FAQ for more info.

Please note that Windows uses a \ for directories, rather than a /.

If you'd prefer to use a local folder on the host machine for storing config, there isn't really a defined standard for where to put it.
We'd suggest a path like C:\apps\application_name, so that it can be managed easily.
In this case, you'd create the desired folder with something like mkdir C:\apps\Kapowarr\db, and replace 'kapowarr-db:/app/db' with 'C:\apps\Kapowarr\db:/app/db'.
Note, the permissions on this folder need to allow the container to read, write, and execute inside it. See the note in the FAQ for more info.

Launch container

Now that the database file can be stored somewhere, we can launch the container.

Docker CLIDocker ComposeDocker CLI (Windows)

The command to get the docker container running can be found below:

docker run -d \
    --name kapowarr \
    -v kapowarr-db:/app/db \
    -v /path/to/download_folder:/app/temp_downloads \
    -v /path/to/root_folder:/comics-1 \
    -p 5656:5656
    mrcas/kapowarr:latest

A few notes about this command:

1. If you're using a folder on the host machine instead of a docker volume to store the database file, replace kapowarr-db with the path to the host folder.
   E.g. /opt/Kapowarr/db:/app/db.
2. Replace /path/to/download_folder with the path to your desired download folder. Everything is downloaded to this folder and when completed, moved out of to their final destination. It's smart to set this on a disk that can sustain more writes than normal. Ideally something like a non-network mounted ssd.
3. Replace /path/to/root_folder with the path to your desired root folder. Then, this folder will get mapped to /comics-1 inside the docker container. When adding a root folder in Kapowarr, you'll then set its location as /comics-1, mapping it this way to where ever /path/to/root_folder may be.
4. You can map multiple root folders by repeating -v /path/to/root_folder:/comics-1 in the command, but then supplying different values for /path/to/root_folder and /comics-1.
   E.g. -v /media/Comics-2:/comics-2, then add /comics-2 as your second root folder in Kapowarr.
5. If your folder has a space in the name, you will need to wrap it in quotes (i.e. "/path/to/root folder:/comics-1").
6. Information on how to change the port can be found on the Setup After Installation page.

The contents of the docker-compose.yml file would look like this:

version: '3.3'
services:
    kapowarr:
        container_name: kapowarr
        volumes:
            - 'kapowarr-db:/app/db'
            - '/path/to/download_folder:/app/temp_downloads'
            - '/path/to/root_folder:/comics-1'
        ports:
            - '5656:5656'
        image: 'mrcas/kapowarr:latest'

A few important notes about the command/file before launching the container:

1. If you're using a folder on the host machine instead of a docker volume to store the database file, replace kapowarr-db with the path to the host folder.
   E.g. /opt/Kapowarr/db:/app/db.
2. Replace /path/to/download_folder with the path to your desired download folder on the host machine. Everything is downloaded to this folder and when completed, moved out of to their final destination. It's smart to set this on a disk that can sustain more writes than normal. Ideally something like a non-network mounted ssd, but pretty much everything will suffice.
3. Replace /path/to/root_folder with the path to your desired root folder on the host machine. Then, this folder will get mapped to /comics-1 inside the docker container. When adding a root folder in Kapowarr, you'll then set it's location as /comics-1, mapping it this way to where ever /path/to/root_folder may point.
4. You can map multiple root folders by repeating - /path/to/root_folder:/comics-1 , but then supplying different values for /path/to/root_folder and /comics-1.
   E.g. - /media/Comics-2:/comics-2 for the Docker Compose file, then add /comics-2 as your second root folder in Kapowarr.
5. Information on how to change the port can be found on the Setup After Installation page.

Windows CLI does not handle the multi-line command style used in Linux.
As a result, this command is adjusted to be a 'one-liner'.
Remember also that Windows uses a \ for directories, rather than a /.

The command to get the docker container running can be found below:

docker run -d --name kapowarr -v kapowarr-db:/app/db -v "DRIVE:\with\download_folder:/app/temp_downloads" -v "DRIVE:\with\root_folder:/comics-1" -p 5656:5656 mrcas/kapowarr:latest

A few notes about this command:

1. If you're using a folder on the host machine instead of a docker volume to store the database file, replace kapowarr-db with the path to the host folder.
   E.g. D:\kapowarr\Kapowarr/db:/app/db.
2. Replace DRIVE:\with\download_folder with the path to your desired download folder. Everything is downloaded to this folder and when completed, moved out of to their final destination. It's smart to set this on a disk that can sustain more writes than normal. Ideally something like a non-network mounted ssd.
3. Replace DRIVE:\with\root_folder with the path to your desired root folder. Then, this folder will get mapped to /comics-1 inside the docker container. When adding a root folder in Kapowarr, you'll then set its location as /comics-1, mapping it this way to where ever DRIVE:\with\root_folder may be.
4. You can map multiple root folders by repeating -v "DRIVE:\with\root_folder:/comics-1" in the command, and supplying different values for DRIVE:\with\root_folder and /comics-1.
   E.g. -v "DRIVE:\with\Comics-2:/comics-2", then add /comics-2 as your second root folder in Kapowarr.
5. All paths on Windows require being wrapped in quotes, because of the use of : in the path.
6. Information on how to change the port can be found on the Setup After Installation page.

Docker example

Docker CLIDocker Compose

docker run -d \
    --name kapowarr \
    -v kapowarr-db:/app/db \
    -v /home/cas/media/Downloads:/app/temp_downloads \
    -v /home/cas/media/Comics:/comics-1 \
    -v /home/cas/other_media/Comics-2:/comics-2 \
    -p 5656:5656
    mrcas/kapowarr:latest

version: '3.3'
services:
    kapowarr:
        container_name: kapowarr
        volumes:
            - 'kapowarr-db:/app/db'
            - '/home/cas/media/Downloads:/app/temp_downloads'
            - '/home/cas/media/Comics:/RF'
            - '/home/cas/media/Comics-2:/RF-2'
        ports:
            - '5656:5656'
        image: 'mrcas/kapowarr:latest'

In this example, we use a Docker volume as the place to store the database file, set /home/cas/media/Downloads as the download folder and we map the folder /home/cas/media/Comics to /comics-1 and /home/cas/other_media/Comics-2 to /comics-2. In Kapowarr, you'd then add /comics-1 and /comics-2 as root folders.

Manual Install

WindowsUbuntumacOS

On Windows, there are a couple of extra steps involved.

1. Download and install Python. This is the framework Kapowarr runs on top of.
   Make sure you select to add Python to PATH when prompted. This will make installing requirements much easier.
2. Download (or clone) the latest Kapowarr release.
3. Extract the zip file to a folder on your machine.
   We suggest something straightforward - C:\services\Kapowarr is what we'll use as an example.
4. Install the required python modules (found in requirements.txt). This can be achieved from a command prompt, by changing to the folder you've extracted Kapowarr to and running a python command.

   cd C:\services\Kapowarr
   python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
   

5. Run Kapowarr with the command python C:\services\Kapowarr\kapowarr.py.
6. Access Kapowarr with the IP of the host machine and port 5656.
   If it's the machine you're using, try http://localhost:5656

If you want Kapowarr to run in the background, without you having to start it each time your machine restarts, a tool called nssm will allow you to configure Kapowarr to run as a system service. It is recommended that you set it up as above before doing this, as it will allow you to see any errors you may encounter on screen (instead of having nssm intercept them).

Coming soon.

Use docker.
Permissions on macOS (and GateKeeper) make this needlessly complex.