Self-Hosted

Run DashVox on
your own machine

No account needed. No data leaves your network. The DashVox server runs anywhere Java 21 runs — Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Why self-host

Full data control

All conversations, SSH keys, and session data stay on your machine. Nothing is sent to DashVox servers.

No account required

Skip Firebase auth entirely. The self-hosted server runs in standalone mode with local authentication.

Cross-platform

Java 21 runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Single JAR file, no complex infrastructure.

Quick Start

Up and running in 3 commands

01Install Java 21
terminal
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install openjdk@21

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install openjdk-21-jdk

# Windows — download from adoptium.net
02Download the server
terminal
# Download the latest release (currently v1.0.143)
curl -LO https://dashvox.ai/downloads/dashvox-server.jar
03Run it
terminal
java -jar dashvox-server.jar

# A control window opens. Port 8081 is just the default —
# change it any time with the Port field + "Apply & Restart".
# The window shows the LAN URL to point your DashVox app at
# (http://<your-lan-ip>:<port>).
# Check for updates: https://dashvox.ai/version.json

Requirements

Java21 or later
RAM512 MB minimum
Disk100 MB for the JAR
OSWindows, macOS, Linux
NetworkLAN access from your phone (or port forward for remote)
DatabaseEmbedded H2 (default) or external PostgreSQL

Downloads

Get the server

macOS / Linux

Shell script — downloads JAR and runs

start.sh

Windows

Batch script — downloads JAR and runs

start.bat

Latest JAR (v1.0.143)

Always the newest build — double-click or run with java -jar

dashvox-server.jar

Double-clicking the JAR opens a small control window where you can set the port (default 8081) and see the LAN address to point your app at; closing it shuts the server down cleanly. Java 21+ required.

Running headless? (no window)

To require an API token for remote access, start the server with DASHVOX_API_TOKEN=your-secret (or DASHVOX_AUTH_ENABLED=true to auto-generate one, printed once in the log). Off by default; local access stays open. On the desktop app this is just Settings → API Security.

Update your DashVox app to the latest version before turning on server auth; older builds may not have the token field yet (iOS support in progress).