diff --git a/docs/deployment/docker.mdx b/docs/deployment/docker.mdx
index 7e075163..9c2fa5b9 100644
--- a/docs/deployment/docker.mdx
+++ b/docs/deployment/docker.mdx
@@ -113,12 +113,14 @@ curl -o setup_remote.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dograh-hq/dograh/main/
The script will prompt you for:
- Your server's public IP address
- A password for the TURN server (optional, press Enter for default)
+- Deployment mode — press Enter for **prebuilt** (pulls official images, the recommended default) or pick **build** to compile images from source. Use **build** when you maintain a fork or want to deploy local customizations — see [Building from source](#building-from-source) below.
It will automatically:
-- Download the docker-compose.yaml file
+- Get the source — `docker-compose.yaml` only (prebuilt mode), or clone the full repo (build mode)
- Create and configure nginx.conf with your IP address
- Generate SSL certificates
- Create an environment file with TURN server configuration
+- Write a `docker-compose.override.yaml` with build directives (build mode only)
### Start the Application
@@ -126,12 +128,20 @@ It will automatically:
Please ensure that Docker Compose is installed on your machine before proceeding further. You can check whether its installed by running `docker compose version` command. If its not installed, please install it by following your server provider documentation.
-After the setup script completes, start Dograh:
+After the setup script completes, start Dograh. The script prints the exact command to run at the end — it differs slightly between modes:
-```bash
+
+```bash Prebuilt mode
cd dograh
sudo docker compose --profile remote up --pull always
```
+```bash Build mode
+cd dograh
+sudo docker compose --profile remote up -d --build
+```
+
+
+First boot in build mode takes several minutes — Docker has to build both the API and UI images before the stack comes up.
### Access Your Application
@@ -162,6 +172,7 @@ The setup script creates the following files in the `dograh/` directory:
| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `docker-compose.yaml` | Main Docker Compose configuration |
+| `docker-compose.override.yaml` | Build directives for `api` and `ui` (**build mode only**) |
| `turnserver.conf` | Configuration for TURN server |
| `nginx.conf` | nginx reverse proxy configuration with your IP |
| `generate_certificate.sh` | Script to regenerate SSL certificates |
@@ -169,5 +180,29 @@ The setup script creates the following files in the `dograh/` directory:
| `certs/local.key` | SSL private key |
| `.env` | Environment variables for TURN server |
+### Building from source
+
+If you maintain a fork or want to ship local code changes without waiting for an official image release, pick **build** when the setup script prompts for deployment mode.
+
+In this mode the script:
+
+1. Clones the repo into `dograh/` (default: `dograh-hq/dograh@main`; the script will ask for an `owner/name` and `branch` so a fork can point at its own).
+2. If you run the script from inside an existing dograh checkout, offers to use that checkout instead of cloning.
+3. Generates a `docker-compose.override.yaml` next to `docker-compose.yaml` that swaps the `image:` directives for local `build:` directives. Docker Compose auto-loads the override file — you don't need to pass any `-f` flags.
+
+After editing `api/` or `ui/` code, rebuild and restart the affected service:
+
+```bash
+cd dograh
+sudo docker compose --profile remote build api # or ui
+sudo docker compose --profile remote up -d
+```
+
+To revert to pulling official images, delete `docker-compose.override.yaml` and start the stack with `--pull always` as in the [prebuilt flow](#start-the-application).
+
+
+Build mode is for **fork maintainers and self-hosters who want to deploy customized images** — not for active development on the code itself. For day-to-day contributor work (fast reload, IDE/LSP integration), use the [contributor setup](/contribution/setup) instead.
+
+
### Next Steps
Now that you are able to create and test a voice agent, you can setup a custom domain and setup SSL using letsencrypt. Checkout [Custom Domain](custom-domain) for instructions on how to do that.
diff --git a/docs/deployment/update.mdx b/docs/deployment/update.mdx
index d4dc3a1f..bfa431d9 100644
--- a/docs/deployment/update.mdx
+++ b/docs/deployment/update.mdx
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ description: "Update your self-hosted Dograh stack to a newer image version"
This guide covers updating a Dograh stack you've already deployed with [Docker](/deployment/docker) or a [custom domain](/deployment/custom-domain). You run commands from the same directory that contains your `docker-compose.yaml` (this is the `dograh/` directory if you used `setup_remote.sh`).
+
+This guide assumes you deployed in **prebuilt mode** — i.e. your stack pulls official `dograh-api` / `dograh-ui` images from a registry. If you deployed in **build mode** (a `docker-compose.override.yaml` exists in your `dograh/` directory), the update flow is different — see [Updating a source build](#updating-a-source-build) at the bottom.
+
+
## Find an image version
Dograh publishes two images — `dograh-api` and `dograh-ui` — to both container registries:
@@ -111,3 +115,24 @@ If something breaks, roll back by pinning the previous tag using the same proces
Rolling back across a database migration is not always safe — if the newer release ran a schema migration, downgrading may leave the DB in a state the older API doesn't understand. If in doubt, [open an issue](https://github.com/dograh-hq/dograh/issues) before rolling back.
+
+## Updating a source build
+
+If you deployed in **build mode** (you'll have a `docker-compose.override.yaml` in your `dograh/` directory), there are no image tags to pull — you update by pulling new source and rebuilding:
+
+```bash
+cd dograh
+git pull
+sudo docker compose --profile remote build
+sudo docker compose --profile remote up -d
+```
+
+To roll back, check out an earlier commit or tag and rebuild:
+
+```bash
+git checkout
+sudo docker compose --profile remote build
+sudo docker compose --profile remote up -d
+```
+
+The same migration warning above applies: rolling back across a schema change can leave the DB in a state the older API can't read.
diff --git a/scripts/setup_remote.sh b/scripts/setup_remote.sh
index d02a313d..2b5a6fd1 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_remote.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup_remote.sh
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ fi
if [[ -z "$DEPLOY_MODE" ]]; then
echo ""
echo -e "${YELLOW}Deployment mode:${NC}"
- echo " 1) prebuilt — pull official dograh images (recommended, fastest)"
- echo " 2) build — build images from source (for forks or local customizations)"
+ echo " 1) prebuilt - pull official dograh images (recommended, fastest)"
+ echo " 2) build - build images from source (for forks or local customizations)"
read -p "Choose [1]: " mode_choice
mode_choice="${mode_choice:-1}"
case "$mode_choice" in
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ if [[ -z "$DEPLOY_MODE" ]]; then
esac
fi
-# Build mode needs source code — either use existing repo or clone fresh
+# Build mode needs source code - either use existing repo or clone fresh
if [[ "$DEPLOY_MODE" == "build" ]]; then
if [[ -z "$REPO_SOURCE" ]]; then
if [[ -d ".git" ]] && [[ -f "docker-compose.yaml" ]]; then
@@ -95,6 +95,46 @@ fi
# Telemetry opt-out (default: true)
ENABLE_TELEMETRY="${ENABLE_TELEMETRY:-true}"
+# Where setup artifacts (.env, certs, nginx.conf, etc.) will land. Build mode
+# with an existing repo writes them next to docker-compose.yaml in cwd;
+# everything else writes into a fresh dograh/ subdirectory.
+if [[ "$DEPLOY_MODE" == "build" && "$REPO_SOURCE" == "existing" ]]; then
+ TARGET_DIR="."
+else
+ TARGET_DIR="dograh"
+fi
+
+# Refuse to overwrite an existing install - re-running this script would
+# regenerate OSS_JWT_SECRET (invalidating logged-in sessions), reset the
+# TURN secret (breaking WebRTC auth), and overwrite nginx.conf customizations.
+# Set DOGRAH_FORCE_OVERWRITE=1 to bypass; DOGRAH_SKIP_DOWNLOAD=1 (used by e2e)
+# also bypasses since those flows manage state themselves.
+if [[ "$DOGRAH_FORCE_OVERWRITE" != "1" && "$DOGRAH_SKIP_DOWNLOAD" != "1" ]]; then
+ if [[ -f "$TARGET_DIR/.env" ]]; then
+ if [[ "$TARGET_DIR" == "." ]]; then
+ existing_path="$(pwd)/.env"
+ else
+ existing_path="$(pwd)/$TARGET_DIR/.env"
+ fi
+ echo ""
+ echo -e "${YELLOW}Detected an existing Dograh install:${NC}"
+ echo -e " ${YELLOW}$existing_path${NC}"
+ echo ""
+ echo -e "${RED}Refusing to continue - re-running setup would:${NC}"
+ echo -e "${RED} - overwrite .env (invalidates sessions, breaks TURN auth)${NC}"
+ echo -e "${RED} - regenerate SSL certificates${NC}"
+ echo -e "${RED} - reset nginx.conf and turnserver.conf customizations${NC}"
+ echo ""
+ echo -e "${BLUE}To upgrade an existing install, follow:${NC}"
+ echo -e " ${BLUE}https://docs.dograh.com/deployment/update${NC}"
+ echo ""
+ echo -e "${BLUE}To wipe state and reinstall from scratch, re-run with:${NC}"
+ echo -e " ${BLUE}DOGRAH_FORCE_OVERWRITE=1 ${NC}"
+ echo ""
+ exit 1
+ fi
+fi
+
# Total step count depends on mode (build adds the override-file step)
if [[ "$DEPLOY_MODE" == "build" ]]; then
TOTAL=7
@@ -116,7 +156,7 @@ if [[ "$DEPLOY_MODE" == "build" ]]; then
fi
echo ""
-# Step 1: get the source — either the standalone compose file (prebuilt mode)
+# Step 1: get the source - either the standalone compose file (prebuilt mode)
# or the full repo (build mode). Skip the download/clone when
# DOGRAH_SKIP_DOWNLOAD=1 (e.g. e2e tests that already have everything in place).
if [[ "$DEPLOY_MODE" == "build" ]]; then
@@ -168,7 +208,7 @@ server {
ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
- # Backend API and WebSockets — bypass the UI, go straight to api:8000
+ # Backend API and WebSockets - bypass the UI, go straight to api:8000
location /api/v1/ {
proxy_pass http://api:8000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;