Install¶
The server runs on Linux, amd64 or arm64. Containerlab is built in, so there is no separate containerlab binary to install.
Requirements¶
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Linux | Any modern distribution. |
| Container runtime | Docker (default) or Podman on the host, or a Kubernetes cluster with clabernetes. |
| PAM | The default login PAM service. Nothing to configure on most distributions. |
| Groups | Users who sign in must be in clab_api or clab_admins. The installer creates both. |
Choose a method¶
| Method | Best for | You manage |
|---|---|---|
| Systemd service | Lab hosts you keep, backends for the Containerlab Apps | Nothing beyond the config file. Recommended. |
containerlab tools api-server |
Trials, demos, temporary access | Nothing; it pulls and starts a container. |
docker run |
Hosts where everything runs in containers | Mounts, config, and lifecycle. |
| Binary | Debugging, custom supervision | Config and process lifetime. |
All methods listen on HTTPS port 8090 by default.