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Installation

This section explains how to install Bacalhau on your machine, verify it's working, and understand basic requirements. Bacalhau is distributed as a single self-contained binary that can function as a client, orchestrator node, and compute node—greatly simplifying deployment and management of your distributed compute network.

Install the Bacalhau Binary​

To install the CLI, choose your environment, and run the command(s) below.

curl -sL https://get.bacalhau.org/install.sh | bash
  • This fetches the latest Bacalhau release and places it in /usr/local/bin or a similar path.
  • You many need sudo mode or root access to install the binary at the desired path

Verify the Installation​

bacalhau version

This should print:

  • The local binary version
  • The version of the orchestrator this client is connected to, if any
  • The latest available version of bacalhau in case you are running an outdated version.

If you get command not found, verify your PATH includes the Bacalhau binary.

Upgrading Bacalhau​

To upgrade Bacalhau to the latest version, run the installation script. If Bacalhau is already installed, this will update it to the most recent version available.

Requirements & Tips​

  • Docker:
    • Must be installed and running on any compute node to handle Docker-based jobs.
  • AWS Credentials (if you're using S3):
    • For S3 inputs or outputs, the node needs valid AWS credentials (e.g., environment variables).
  • Running an Orchestrator & Compute:
    • See Quick Start for how to run a local or hybrid node with bacalhau serve --orchestrator --compute.
  • bacalhau devstack:
    • Perfect for local development or running tests.

Next Steps​

  • Head over to Basic CLI Usage to learn how to submit, describe, and stop jobs.
  • Check Common Workflows for steps on mounting data (S3, local folders) and publishing outputs.
  • Explore References for advanced node management (Docker Compose, devstack, multi-node clusters).