# How to Set Up and Self-Host Perplexica Using Docker

## 1. Preparing Your Development Environment

### Updating Dependencies
Before you start, it's essential to ensure your system has the necessary dependencies installed:

```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
```

This command updates your package lists and installs any new required packages.

### Installing Docker
Docker is crucial for containerizing and running Perplexica. Install Docker CE (for development) or Docker Hub (for production):

```bash
apt install docker.io docker-compose git -y
```

This will install Docker CE on your system, allowing you to create and run Docker containers.

## 2. Cloning the Perplexica Repository

To get access to the Perplexica codebase:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/ItzCrazyKns/Perplexica
cd Perplexica
```

Replace `[your-repository-url]` with the actual GitHub repository URL of your Perplexica project.

## 3. Configuring the Docker Compose File

### Understanding the Docker Compose File

The following YAML file configures a multi-service application:

```yaml
services:
  searxng:
    image: docker.io/searxng/searxng:latest
    volumes:
      - ./searxng:/etc/searxng:rw
    ports:
      - 4000:8080
    networks:
      - perplexica-network
    restart: unless-stopped

  ollama:
    image: ollama/ollama:latest
    ports:
      - "11434:11434"
    volumes:
      - ollama_data:/root/.ollama
    deploy:
      resources:
        reservations:
          devices:
            - driver: nvidia
              count: all
              capabilities: [gpu]
    environment:
      - OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0:11434
    networks:
      - perplexica-network
    restart: unless-stopped

  app:
    image: itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:main
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: app.dockerfile
    environment:
      - SEARXNG_API_URL=http://searxng:8080
      - OLLAMA_API_URL=http://ollama:11434    # Added Ollama API URL
    ports:
      - 3000:3000
    networks:
      - perplexica-network
    volumes:
      - backend-dbstore:/home/perplexica/data
      - uploads:/home/perplexica/uploads
      - ./config.toml:/home/perplexica/config.toml
    depends_on:
      - ollama  #Ensure ollama is started first
      - searxng #Ensure searxng is started second
    restart: unless-stopped

networks:
  perplexica-network:

volumes:
  backend-dbstore:
  uploads:
  ollama_data:    # Add ollama volume so it does not get lost
```

### Explanation of Each Service

1. **searxng**:
   - Uses the official `docker.io/searxng/searxng:latest` image.
   - Listens on port 4000 and maps to Perplexica's 8080 endpoint.

2. **ollama**:
   - Uses the Ollama image with CUDA support for GPU acceleration.
   - Exposes port 11434, which is used by Perplexica for API communication.

3. **app** (Perplexica Service):
   - Runs in a custom Docker image (`itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:main`).
   - Exposes the application on port 3000.
   - Maps local development files to host volumes for data persistence.

### Volume Configuration

Volumes ensure that data remains accessible after deployment:

- `backend-dbstore`: Stores the database used by Perplexica.
- `uploads`: Stores uploaded content (e.g., PDFs).
- `config.toml`: Stores configuration settings.

## 4. Building and Running the Application

After setting up the Docker Compose file, run these commands to deploy:

```bash
docker-compose down && docker-compose up --build -d
```

This command:
1. Removes existing containers (`docker-compose down`).
2. Builds and starts a new deployment (`docker-compose up --build -d`).

## 5. What If It Fails?

If the setup fails, clean all containers and volumes:

```bash
docker rm -v -f $(docker ps -qa)
docker rmi -f $(docker images -aq)
docker volume prune
docker system prune
sudo systemctl restart docker
```

Then, repeat the deployment steps.

## 6. Conclusion

By following these steps, you'll have a fully functional Perplexica application running on your local machine. The Docker setup ensures consistency across development environments and simplifies deployment to production.false