Where to Find Kaneo Pre‑Compiled Binaries: Docker Images and CLI Download Guide

Kaneo provides its pre‑compiled runtime as a Docker image on GitHub Container Registry (ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest), with an optional standalone CLI installer called drim available from a separate releases page.

Unlike traditional open‑source projects that ship binary executables, the Kaneo project distributes its ready‑to‑run build as a containerized bundle. This approach packages both the API server and React web frontend into a single deployable artifact. According to the source code in usekaneo/kaneo, you have two primary paths to obtain working binaries: direct Docker image pulls for container deployments, or the drim CLI tool for automated setup workflows.

The Primary Kaneo Pre‑Compiled Binary: Docker Image

Official Image Location and Tagging

The canonical pre‑compiled binary is the ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest image published to GitHub Container Registry. This image is defined in the project's compose.yml at lines 17‑20:

# excerpt from compose.yml

services:
  kaneo:
    image: ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest
    restart: unless-stopped

The image follows a multi‑stage build process defined in Dockerfile.kaneo (lines 1‑84). This Dockerfile:

• Installs production node modules
• Builds both the API and web packages
• Copies compiled assets into a minimal runtime container with Nginx

Pull and Run the Docker Image Directly

# Pull the latest pre‑compiled image

docker pull ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest

# Run with default port exposure (web UI on port 5173)

docker run -d \
  -p 5173:5173 \
  -e NODE_ENV=production \
  ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest

The container exposes both services: the API responds on /api/* routes, and the React frontend is served by Nginx. Health check endpoints are available at /api/health as configured in Dockerfile.kaneo.

Alternative: The drim CLI Installer

What Is drim?

drim is a standalone command‑line tool maintained by the Kaneo project to automate deployment workflows. Unlike the main Kaneo image, drim ships as a native binary executable that you download and run directly on your host system.

The drim binary is not stored in the main usekaneo/kaneo repository. Instead, it has its own release pipeline at usekaneo/drim and is documented in apps/docs/core/installation/drim.mdx (lines 25‑27).

Install drim via Official Installer Script

# One‑liner installation (downloads and installs drim binary)

curl -fsSL https://assets.kaneo.app/install.sh | sh

# Verify installation

drim --version

# Initialize complete Kaneo deployment

drim setup

The install.sh script detects your operating system and architecture, then places the appropriate binary in your system PATH.

Manual drim Binary Download

If you cannot run the installer script, download platform‑specific binaries directly from the releases page:

Platform	Download Pattern
Linux AMD64	https://github.com/usekaneo/drim/releases/latest/download/drim_linux_amd64
Linux ARM64	https://github.com/usekaneo/drim/releases/latest/download/drim_linux_arm64
macOS AMD64	https://github.com/usekaneo/drim/releases/latest/download/drim_darwin_amd64
macOS ARM64	https://github.com/usekaneo/drim/releases/latest/download/drim_darwin_arm64
Windows	https://github.com/usekaneo/drim/releases/latest/download/drim_windows_amd64.exe

Example manual installation for Linux:

# Download latest release (replace with actual tag if needed)

wget https://github.com/usekaneo/drim/releases/latest/download/drim_linux_amd64 -O drim
chmod +x drim
sudo mv drim /usr/local/bin/

# Deploy Kaneo

drim setup
drim start

What drim Does With Kaneo Binaries

When you run drim setup, the tool performs these operations using the pre‑compiled Docker image:

1. Generates a compose.yml file referencing ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest
2. Creates environment configuration from .env.sample templates
3. Provisions a PostgreSQL container for data persistence
4. Configures Caddy for automatic HTTPS termination
5. Starts all services with proper networking

The drim CLI effectively manages the same Docker image you would run manually, but automates infrastructure concerns like TLS certificates and database initialization.

Comparing Binary Acquisition Methods

Docker image direct pull — Best for container‑native environments, CI/CD pipelines, or custom orchestration. You control the full deployment topology.

drim CLI — Best for quick setup on bare metal or VPS hosts where you want automated HTTPS and database configuration without manual Compose editing.

Both methods ultimately deploy the identical ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest image built from Dockerfile.kaneo.

Source File Reference

File	Purpose	Location
compose.yml	Docker Compose service definition using the pre‑compiled image	compose.yml lines 17‑20
Dockerfile.kaneo	Multi‑stage build producing the runtime container	Dockerfile.kaneo lines 1‑84
apps/docs/core/installation/drim.mdx	drim CLI documentation and download links	drim.mdx lines 25‑27

Summary

• Kaneo pre‑compiled binaries are distributed as the Docker image ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest, not as standalone executables
• Pull the image directly with docker pull ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest for manual deployments
• Use the drim CLI for automated setup; install via curl -fsSL https://assets.kaneo.app/install.sh | sh or manual download from usekaneo/drim releases
• The drim binary is separate from the main Kaneo repository and maintained at github.com/usekaneo/drim
• Both deployment paths use the identical container image built by Dockerfile.kaneo

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Kaneo provide downloadable .exe or .bin files?

No. Kaneo does not distribute native executable binaries for any platform. The project uses containerization as its distribution model. The ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest Docker image is the official pre‑compiled binary format. The drim tool provides a CLI experience but is a separate installer utility, not the Kaneo application itself.

How do I verify the Docker image is authentic?

The image is published to GitHub Container Registry under the usekaneo organization. The Dockerfile.kaneo in the source repository defines the exact build process. For additional verification, you can build the image locally from source using docker build -f Dockerfile.kaneo -t kaneo:local . and compare layer digests with the published image.

Can I run Kaneo without Docker or drim?

Running Kaneo without containers requires building from source. You would need to execute the build steps defined in Dockerfile.kaneo manually: install Node.js dependencies, run npm run build for both API and web packages, configure environment variables, and start the services. This path is not documented as a supported deployment method in the project repository.

Where is the drim source code if I want to audit it?

The drim CLI is maintained in a separate repository at github.com/usekaneo/drim. The Kaneo documentation in apps/docs/core/installation/drim.mdx references this external repository for source access and binary downloads. The installer script at https://assets.kaneo.app/install.sh is also stored in the drim repository and can be reviewed there.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}