Your server. Your apps. One simple platform.
KRATE turns a fresh Debian server into a managed home for your media and automation stack.
This is the official KRATE distribution repository. Releases published here are the official builds intended for end users.
KRATE is a self-hosted platform for managing media and automation applications on your own Linux server.
It provides:
- zen — CLI for installation, updates, and server administration
- HarmonyUI — web interface for managing your stack
- Application catalogs — official and community applications
- Built-in updates — safely download, verify, and install releases
- Bare-metal deployment — no Docker required
| Requirement | Support |
|---|---|
| OS | Debian 13 (trixie) |
| Architecture | amd64 |
| Installation | Bare metal |
| Docker | Not required |
Additional operating systems and architectures are planned.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/runkrate/krate/main/bootstrap.sh | sudo bashThe bootstrap script does not install arbitrary software from third-party repositories. It downloads the official KRATE package from GitHub Releases, verifies its checksum, and installs it through APT.
Security: KRATE releases are published through GitHub Releases and verified before installation.
After install, edit /root/krate.conf and run setup. See the documentation for details.
Manual installation
Prefer the bootstrap above when you can. For a fully manual install, open a root shell first (sudo -i or sudo -s) and run every step as root — do not mix an unprivileged download with a later sudo install.
Pick a release tag from GitHub Releases, then set the variables to match your host and the asset names on that release:
sudo -i
# Example values — replace with the tag/version and platform you want
VERSION=1.2.3 # package version (no leading "v")
TAG=v${VERSION} # GitHub release tag
CODENAME=trixie # Debian codename in the .deb filename
ARCH=amd64
BASE="https://github.com/runkrate/krate/releases/download/${TAG}"
DEB="krate_${VERSION}-${CODENAME}_${ARCH}.deb"
# Download package + checksums (curl or wget)
curl -fLO "${BASE}/${DEB}"
curl -fLO "${BASE}/SHA256SUMS"
# wget -q "${BASE}/${DEB}" "${BASE}/SHA256SUMS"
# Verify SHA256 (checks only the files you downloaded)
sha256sum -c --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS
# Install the .deb
apt-get update
apt-get install -y "./${DEB}"
# alternative: dpkg -i "./${DEB}" && apt-get install -f -yThen configure the host and finish first-time setup (still as root):
nano /root/krate.conf
/opt/Krate/bin/setup| Channel | Tag pattern | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Stable | v1.2.3 |
Production |
| Pre-release | v1.2.3-beta.N / v1.2.3-rc.N |
Testing |
KRATE manages its own updates through zen.
zen pull --check # report available update without installing
zen pull # download, verify, and installzen pull checks for a newer KRATE release, downloads the matching package for your platform, verifies it, and installs the update.
Every KRATE .deb package includes:
- zen — KRATE administration CLI
- zenfw — framework / runtime components
- setup — first-time host configuration
- HarmonyUI — web administration interface
- Official application catalog
- Community application catalog
Application-specific extensions are distributed separately in krate-apps/extensions and are not required for a normal install.
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| zen | CLI and day-to-day host operations |
| HarmonyUI | Web administration interface |
| App catalogs | Application definitions and integrations |
This repository contains the official KRATE distribution packages.
KRATE itself is composed of several open-source components maintained in separate repositories. Those repositories contain source code, not alternative KRATE distributions.
If you want to install KRATE, use this repository’s releases.
runkrate/
├── krate ← official distribution / releases (this repo)
├── console ← zen / zenfw source
├── setup ← first-install wizard source
├── web ← HarmonyUI source
└── docs ← documentation sources
Application catalogs live under krate-apps (core, community, extensions).
KRATE is actively developed.
The current release supports:
- Debian 13 (trixie)
- amd64
- bare-metal installations
Additional operating systems and architectures are planned.
KRATE is primarily funded through its paid licenses. If you’d like to support the project beyond that, you can make a one-time contribution on Ko-fi.
More details: FUNDING.md
Source for the components shipped in this package lives in sibling repositories. See the contributing guide for how to report issues and open pull requests. Bug reports and feature ideas go to hub.
KRATE distribution packages in this repository are licensed under the BSD 3-Clause License.