Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up Codex and creating your first library.

System Requirements

• CPU: 1 core (2+ recommended for scanning)
• RAM: 512 MB (1 GB+ recommended)
• Storage: Depends on your library size and thumbnail cache
• OS: Linux, macOS, or Windows

Quick Start with Docker (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started is with a single docker run command:

docker run -d \
  --name codex \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -v /path/to/your/library:/library:ro \
  -v codex-data:/app/data \
  -e PUID=1000 \
  -e PGID=1000 \
  -e CODEX_AUTH__JWT_SECRET="$(openssl rand -base64 32)" \
  ghcr.io/ashdevfr/codex:latest

Access Codex at http://localhost:8080. On first launch, you'll be guided through a setup wizard to create your admin account.

:::tip Finding Your User ID Run id in your terminal to find your UID and GID. Use these values for PUID and PGID to avoid permission issues with mounted volumes. :::

Replace /path/to/your/library with the path to your comics, manga, or ebooks folder.

Volume Mounts

Container Path	Purpose
/app/data	Database (SQLite), thumbnails, and uploads
/library	Your media files (read-only recommended)

:::tip Library Permissions Mount your media library as read-only (:ro) to prevent accidental modifications. Codex only needs read access to your files. :::

:::tip Docker Compose For a more maintainable setup, see the Docker Deployment guide for Docker Compose examples. :::

Quick Start with Binary

If you prefer running Codex directly without Docker, pre-built binaries are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Supported platforms:

• Linux x86_64 / ARM64
• macOS x86_64 (Intel) / ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
• Windows x86_64

Linux & macOS

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/AshDevFr/codex/releases/latest/download/codex-installer.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell)

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://github.com/AshDevFr/codex/releases/latest/download/codex-installer.ps1 | iex"

The installer downloads the right binary for your platform and places it in $CARGO_HOME/bin (defaulting to ~/.cargo/bin). It also updates your shell PATH so the codex command works in new terminals.

:::tip Pinning a version To install a specific release, replace latest with the version tag, for example:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/AshDevFr/codex/releases/download/v1.19.3/codex-installer.sh | sh

:::

Run Codex

Once installed, start the server:

codex serve

With no config file present, Codex runs on its built-in defaults: a SQLite database under data/, listening on port 8080.

Access Codex at http://localhost:8080. On first launch, you'll be guided through a setup wizard to create your admin account.

:::tip Custom Configuration Codex does not write a config file for you. When you want one, generate a commented starter and edit it:

codex config init                  # writes config/codex.yaml
codex serve                        # reads config/codex.yaml
codex serve --config /path/to/codex.yaml

Run codex config check to validate it. See the Configuration guide for all available options. :::

First Login

1. Open Codex in your browser at http://localhost:8080
2. Complete the setup wizard to create your admin account

3. Optionally configure basic settings (application name, user registration)

4. Log in with your new credentials

Creating Your First Library

1. Click Libraries in the sidebar, then click + to add a new library
2. Fill in the General tab:
   • Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "My Comics")
   • Path: The folder path containing your files
     • Docker: Use the container path (e.g., /library)
     • Binary: Use the local path (e.g., /home/user/comics)
   • Default Reading Direction: Choose based on your content type

3. Configure the Strategy tab for how series and books are detected

4. Set up Scanning options:
   • Manual: Scan only when you trigger it
   • Automatic: Schedule regular scans with cron expressions

5. Click Create Library

Multiple Libraries (Docker)

Mount multiple folders in your Docker command or compose file:

volumes:
  - /media/comics:/library/comics:ro
  - /media/manga:/library/manga:ro
  - /media/ebooks:/library/ebooks:ro

Then create separate libraries pointing to /library/comics, /library/manga, etc.

Running Your First Scan

If you enabled "Scan on startup", Codex will automatically scan when the library is created.

For manual scans:

1. Go to your library in the sidebar
2. Click the Scan button
3. Choose Normal for incremental scan or Deep for full re-scan
4. Watch the progress in real-time

Browsing Your Library

Once scanning completes:

• Home: See "On Deck" (continue reading) and recently added series
• By Series: Click a library in the sidebar to browse series
• By Books: Toggle between series and books view

Reading a Book

1. Click on a book cover to open the reader
2. Navigate with arrow keys, swipe, or click left/right edges
3. Progress is saved automatically
4. Access settings via the gear icon in the toolbar

Upgrading

Docker

docker pull ghcr.io/ashdevfr/codex:latest
docker stop codex && docker rm codex
# Run your docker run command again

Binary

Re-run the installer to pull the latest release:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/AshDevFr/codex/releases/latest/download/codex-installer.sh | sh

Then restart Codex (migrations run automatically).

Troubleshooting

Library Not Found

Docker: Ensure the volume is mounted correctly:

docker exec codex ls -la /library

Binary: Verify the path exists and Codex has read permissions.

Books Not Appearing

1. Verify file format is supported (CBZ, CBR, EPUB, PDF)
2. Check files aren't corrupted
3. Run a deep scan to re-process all files

Login Issues

1. Verify credentials are correct
2. Check JWT secret is set in configuration
3. Clear browser cookies and try again

For more help, see the Troubleshooting Guide.

Next Steps

• Configuration options
• Docker Compose & PostgreSQL
• Running as a service
• OPDS for e-readers
• API documentation