Documentation

Server settings

The environment variables and options FounderHQ Companion accepts on a server.

Companion on a server reads its settings from environment variables. All of them are optional.

Environment variables

VariableWhat it doesDefault
FOUNDERHQ_COMPANION_DEVICE_NAMEThe name this server shows in FounderHQ.The server's own name, cut to 60 characters
FOUNDERHQ_COMPANION_VOICE_MODELSet it to off to stop this server from making captions. Companion then does not download the voice model.Captions are on
FOUNDERHQ_COMPANION_DATA_DIRThe folder for the pairing and the voice model./data in the container. The user's ~/.config/FounderHQ Companion elsewhere
FOUNDERHQ_COMPANION_HEADLESSSet it to 1 or true to run with no window, the same as --headless.1 in the container

Set a variable

In Docker, add -e to the docker run command:

docker run -d --name founderhq-companion --restart unless-stopped \
  -e FOUNDERHQ_COMPANION_DEVICE_NAME=render-01 \
  -v founderhq-companion:/data ghcr.io/founderhq/founderhq-companion

In a systemd service, add a line under [Service], then restart the service:

Environment=FOUNDERHQ_COMPANION_DEVICE_NAME=render-01
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart founderhq-companion

Options

OptionWhat it does
--headlessRuns Companion with no tray, no window, and no browser. Pairing prints a link and a code.
--unpairEnds this machine's pairing, then exits.
--log-level=3Keeps the browser engine's own error lines out of the log. A server has no desktop session and no graphics card, and the engine reports that at every start. The container and the service already use this option.

The voice model

Companion makes captions with a voice model of about 490 MB. It downloads the model in the background after you pair the server, and writes the progress in the log: Downloading voice model… 40%. The model is kept in the data folder, so Companion downloads it once.

If the download fails, Companion tries again after 30 minutes, up to 3 times. After that, restart Companion to try once more. The server does not make captions until the model is there.

The data folder

The data folder holds the pairing. A server has no keyring, so the pairing is in a file that only Companion's user can read. Keep the folder private, and do not copy it to another machine.

If you delete the folder, the server is no longer paired. Pair it again from the link in the log.

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