langbot-deploy

name

langbot-deploy

description

Deploy and configure a LangBot instance — Docker / Docker Compose, Kubernetes, the config.yaml model, the Box sandbox runtime, the plugin runtime, and the global API key. Use when installing, deploying, upgrading, or configuring LangBot in production or self-hosted environments. Triggers on "deploy langbot", "langbot docker", "langbot compose", "langbot kubernetes", "langbot config.yaml", "langbot box runtime", "langbot global api key".

LangBot Deployment & Configuration

Covers running LangBot in production. For development see langbot-dev.

Docker Compose (recommended)

git clone https://github.com/langbot-app/LangBot
cd LangBot/docker

# Full stack (sandbox/Box + stdio MCP hosting + skill add/edit enabled)
docker compose --profile all up

# Basic (no Box runtime)
docker compose up

The all / box profile starts three services:

• langbot — main app, serves API + UI on :5300.
• langbot_plugin_runtime — plugin runtime (control :5400, debug :5401).
• langbot_box — Box sandbox runtime (:5410). Uses the host Docker socket to spawn sandbox containers, so the Box root host path and in-container path must be identical (BOX__LOCAL__HOST_ROOT=${LANGBOT_BOX_ROOT:-${PWD}/data/box}).

With Box off, the dashboard/skills list stays visible (read-only) but sandbox tools, skill add/edit, and stdio MCP are disabled. Set box.enabled: false (or BOX__ENABLED=false) to match.

Kubernetes

See docker/kubernetes.yaml and the deployment guide at https://docs.langbot.app. docker/deploy-k8s-test.sh is a test helper.

config.yaml (generated at data/config.yaml on first run)

Top-level sections: api, system, command, concurrency, proxy, database, vdb, storage, plugin, monitoring, box, space.

Key settings:

Key	Meaning
api.port	HTTP API + UI port (default 5300)
api.global_api_key	Global API key for the HTTP API + MCP server. Non-empty = accepted with no login/DB record; no lbk_ prefix required. Empty = disabled. Plaintext — trusted/internal only, serve over HTTPS.
plugin.runtime_ws_url	Standalone plugin runtime WS URL (e.g. ws://langbot_plugin_runtime:5400/control/ws)
box.enabled	Master switch for the Box sandbox runtime
box.backend	local (Docker/nsjail autopick) / docker / nsjail / e2b; env override BOX__BACKEND
box.runtime.endpoint	External Box runtime URL (e.g. ws://127.0.0.1:5410); empty = local auto-managed

Many keys have ENV__SUBKEY overrides (e.g. BOX__BACKEND, BOX__ENABLED).

Runtimes & flags

• LangBot started directly spawns the plugin runtime over stdio.
• In containers it connects to a standalone runtime over WebSocket; start with --standalone-runtime.
• Box has a parallel --standalone-box flag; the Docker box host is langbot_box:5410.

Global API key — enabling for agents/automation

# data/config.yaml
api:
    port: 5300
    global_api_key: 'a-strong-secret'   # empty disables it

This key authenticates both the HTTP API and the MCP server (/mcp) without a login session. See langbot-mcp-ops for using it, and docs/API_KEY_AUTH.md.

Pitfalls

• "No supported sandbox backend (Docker / nsjail / E2B)" with Docker running usually means the user isn't in the docker group → sudo usermod -aG docker <user> and restart in a new shell.
• Box root host/container path mismatch breaks sandbox container creation.
• Don't commit a non-empty api.global_api_key to version control.