Getting Started with PeriHub
There are two ways to use PeriHub: run it yourself on your computer with Docker, or use a hosted version if one is available to you. This guide covers installing and running it yourself.
Before you start
PeriHub is a set of services that run together. The easiest way to run them is Docker Compose. Install Docker Desktop first and make sure the Docker engine is running (its menu-bar / tray icon should show as running) before continuing.
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/PeriHub/PeriHub.git
cd PeriHub
Configure
PeriHub reads a .env file for its settings. One is included in the repository — copy it and leave the defaults as they are for a first run:
cp .env.example .env
The most useful setting to know about is MAX_NODES, which limits the size of a simulation to protect your computer. If you have a powerful machine you can raise it; for a first test, leave it as is.
Run
docker compose up
This builds and starts all the services. It can take a few minutes the first time because it downloads the required images. Once it reports that the services are running, open
in your browser.
If you want to actually submit simulations to run (not just build and view models), you also need the solver container started:
docker compose up perilab -d
You will usually be greeted by a short interactive tour the first time you open the app. Walk through it — it points out the three main areas of the interface. You can open it again any time from the Help button in the header.
Stop
When you are done, stop the services to free up memory and CPU:
docker compose down
Updating
PeriHub is updated frequently. To pull the latest version, re-run the steps:
git pull
docker compose up --build
Using a hosted version
Some organizations run their own hosted copy of PeriHub so that many users share one installation and its compute resources. If you are given a hosted URL, simply open it in a browser — no installation is required. Log in with the account your organization gave you, and skip straight to First Simulation.