Running on your device

Your backend runs where you run ownbackend serve: Linux, macOS or Windows, on x86 or ARM. It keeps its files in a hidden .ownbackend/ folder there: data/ (the database, uploaded files, backups and this device's link; it's git-ignored, never commit it), and migrations/ and hooks/, which belong with your app's code.

Staying online

Your app is online while the device runs ownbackend serve and has internet. No router setup is needed: the device connects out to the relay.

• In the background: ownbackend service install runs it as a service that starts when you log in (on Linux, also at boot after loginctl enable-linger $USER) and restarts after a crash. ownbackend service status, stop, start and uninstall manage it.
• Sleep: while plugged in, ownbackend keeps the computer from going to sleep when idle. Closing a laptop's lid still puts it to sleep, and your app goes offline until it wakes.
• Alerts: when your app has been offline for 3 minutes, we email you, and again when it's back. In the dashboard you can mute them per backend and write the message visitors see while it's offline.
• Warnings: we also email you once when the battery is low and not charging, or when the disk is almost full.

Backups

The device sends an encrypted backup of the whole backend to the relay every 24 hours; the relay keeps the last 7. They're encrypted on the device with your backup recovery code, shown once when you connect the device. Without it, nobody can read them, including us. Show it again with:

ownbackend backup recovery-code

• List backups: ownbackend backup list
• Restore one (stop the app first): ownbackend backup restore latest --yes. Your current data is kept first, as a local backup in .ownbackend/data/backups/.
• Back up right now: POST /api/ownbackend/backups on the device, as an admin.

Moving to another device

Install ownbackend on the new device, then in the dashboard choose Move to another device on your backend for a new connect code, and run the commands it shows (or run ownbackend serve --relay wss://app.ownbackend.com on the new device and pick your existing backend when you approve). The old device is disconnected. To bring your data along:

ownbackend backup restore latest --yes --recoveryCode <your code>

Admin access

There's no admin dashboard: your AI agent manages the data and its rules through the MCP server, on the device. Admin access never works through the public address.

This page as Markdown: /docs/devices.md