serverstickGet ServerStick
Keep your files and apps on a computer you control, without starting from a blank server. ServerStick is free software built on StartOS. The USB stick installs it; your computer runs your server.
Use a computer you can erase. Installation wipes its target drive. Back up your files first.
- Platform
- x86_64 PC
- Size
- 2.31 GiB
- Built on
- StartOS 0.4.0.1
- SHA-256 · SHA256SUMS
- 3bb9b105118912569691c32412fa494ebec63d4241cb048da9d6bf8c76f76483
Compare the SHA-256 checksum before flashing to check that your download matches the published image. This build fixes interrupted setup and UEFI boot compatibility, and installs the current Hermes Bridge from the Stable channel. Shared sign-in is not required. See what’s new →
Before you install
Use an x86_64 PC with at least 4 GB of RAM and a 64 GB target drive. The installer USB needs at least 8 GB. Internet access is required for initial app provisioning.
Installation erases the target computer’s drive. Back up what you need and use a computer you can dedicate to your server. Flashing also erases the USB stick.
Request a claim code before starting if you want ServerStick’s managed services.
Free software; managed services are optional
ServerStick software is free. Managed AI and remote access are optional services supported by opt-in compute contributions, with usage limits.
Your apps run on your computer. Managed AI sends the content needed for a request to an outside model provider; remote access uses ServerStick’s network. These features depend on outside services and are not fully local.
Install ServerStick
Flash it to a USB drive (8GB+)
Use balenaEtcher (free, Mac/Windows/Linux): pick the ISO, pick the drive, hit Flash. It will erase the drive.
Boot the machine from it
Plug the USB into the computer that becomes your server, restart, and tap the boot-menu key — usually F12, F11, Esc or Del. Pick the USB drive.
Follow the on-screen setup
Set a password, connect to WiFi or plug in ethernet, and it installs itself. After it restarts, wait for the screen to go blank, then remove the USB stick so it boots the installed system.
Open the dashboard
When setup finishes, the screen shows an address — open it in a browser and Hermes, your AI admin, walks you through naming your server and installing apps.
Or watch the whole thing — 11 minutes
The complete walkthrough — flashing the stick, first boot, setup, and the dashboard.
Documentation