Configuration

Each service is configured via a .env file in its directory. Copy the example files and edit them.

elster-terminal-backend


cd elster-terminal-backend
cp .env.example .env

Variable	Description	Example
`HOST`	Bind address	`0.0.0.0`
`PORT`	Listen port	`8000`
`NEXTAUTH_SECRET`	Shared secret with frontend (must match)	Random 32+ char string
`FRONTEND_URL`	Frontend URL for CORS	`http://localhost:3000`
`ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	JSON array of allowed CORS origins	`["http://localhost:3000"]`
`BUILDS_PATH`	Directory for git worktrees during builds	`/home/user/elster-builds`
`BUILD_ISO_REPO_URL`	SSH URL for build-iso-public repo	`git@github.com:org/build-iso-public.git`
`BUILD_ISO_UBUNTU_REPO_URL`	SSH URL for build-iso-ubuntu repo	`git@github.com:org/build-iso-ubuntu.git`
`CLAUDE_CODE_PATH`	Path to Claude Code CLI binary	`claude`
`CLAUDE_WORKING_DIR`	Working directory for Claude subprocesses	`/home/user/elster-builds`
`LIBVIRT_BACKEND_URL`	URL of cto-gui-libvirt-backend	`http://localhost:8001`

Variable	Description	Default
`DEBUG`	Enable debug mode	`false`
`DATA_FILE_PATH`	Path to users.json	`./data/users.json`
`LOG_DIR_PATH`	Log directory	`./data/logs`
`GIT_SSH_KEY_PATH`	SSH key for git operations	System default
`WORKER_CONCURRENCY`	Max concurrent builds	`4`
`ORCHESTRATOR_ENABLED`	Enable build orchestrator	`true`
`INSTRUCTIONS_DIR`	AI instruction templates	`./instructions`
`OBS_API_URL`	Open Build Service URL (Elster OS only)	—
`OBS_API_USER`	OBS username	—
`OBS_API_PASSWORD`	OBS password	—
`OPENQA_API_URL`	openQA URL	—
`GITHUB_CLIENT_ID`	GitHub OAuth app ID	—
`GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET`	GitHub OAuth secret	—
`SMTP_HOST`	SMTP server for notifications	—
`SMTP_PORT`	SMTP port	`465`
`SMTP_USER`	SMTP username	—
`SMTP_PASSWORD`	SMTP password	—
`NOTIFICATIONS_ENABLED`	Enable email notifications	`false`
`SUPER_ADMIN_EMAILS`	Comma-separated admin emails	—
`GUEST_MAX_AGE_DAYS`	Auto-cleanup guest accounts after N days	`30`


cd cto-gui-libvirt-backend
cp .env.example .env

Variable	Description	Example
`HOST`	Bind address	`0.0.0.0`
`PORT`	Listen port	`8001`
`KVM_URI`	Libvirt connection URI	`qemu:///system`
`NEXTAUTH_SECRET`	Must match frontend and backend	Same secret
`ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	CORS origins	`["http://localhost:3000"]`
`ELSTER_API_URL`	URL of elster-terminal-backend	`http://localhost:8000`
`BENCHMARK_DIR`	CIS benchmark definitions	`./benchmarks`
`BENCHMARK_STORAGE_DIR`	Benchmark results	`./data/benchmarks`
`TEST_STORAGE_DIR`	Test results	`./data/tests`
`LOG_DIR_PATH`	Log directory	`./data/logs`

For remote KVM hosts, use an SSH URI:


KVM_URI=qemu+ssh://user@kvm-host/system


cd web-terminal-backend
cp .env.example .env


cd elster-terminal
cp .env.local.example .env.local

The NEXTAUTH_SECRET value must be identical across all services. Generate one:


openssl rand -base64 32

With configuration complete, proceed to Running Services.