> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 5. Personalizing your instance

> Set the port, site URL and TeX Live image for a local instance on your Mac, check the Docker VM kernel, and start Ayakaleaf Pro.

**1. Container settings**

Edit these existing entries in `config/overleaf.rc`:

```bash title="config/overleaf.rc" theme={null}
PROJECT_NAME=ayakaleaf-macos
SERVER_PRO=true
OVERLEAF_LISTEN_IP=127.0.0.1
OVERLEAF_PORT=8080
SIBLING_CONTAINERS_ENABLED=true
DOCKER_SOCKET_PATH=/var/run/docker.sock
```

Keep the default data paths and the bundled MongoDB and Redis services. With `OVERLEAF_LISTEN_IP=127.0.0.1`, only browsers on this Mac can open the instance.

**2. Application settings**

In `config/variables.env`, set these values, replacing any active entries with the same names:

```dotenv title="config/variables.env" theme={null}
OVERLEAF_SITE_URL=http://localhost:8080
TEX_LIVE_DOCKER_IMAGE=ghcr.io/ayaka-notes/texlive-full:2026.1
ALL_TEX_LIVE_DOCKER_IMAGES=ghcr.io/ayaka-notes/texlive-full:2026.1
ALL_TEX_LIVE_DOCKER_IMAGE_NAMES="TeX Live 2026"
```

Generate a session secret:

```bash theme={null}
openssl rand -hex 32
```

Add the result as `OVERLEAF_SESSION_SECRET` in `config/variables.env`. Without it, every `bin/up` that recreates the container logs all users out, see [Environment Variables](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/configuration/overleaf-toolkit/environment-variables.md).

For a local instance without email, leave the SMTP settings and `OVERLEAF_EMAIL_FROM_ADDRESS` unset. Git Bridge, external authentication and the other integrations can be added later with their own [configuration pages](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/configuration/overleaf-toolkit).

**3. Check the Docker VM's Linux kernel**

MongoDB runs on the Linux kernel of Docker Desktop's virtual machine, not on macOS. Check its version before the first start:

```bash theme={null}
docker info --format '{{.KernelVersion}}'
```

MongoDB documents an incompatibility with Linux kernels **6.19 through 7.0.13**, which also affects MongoDB in Docker. The fix is a kernel **7.0.14 or later**, which comes with a Docker Desktop update, see [MongoDB's production notes](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/administration/production-notes/).

The tested Docker Desktop used `7.0.12-linuxkit`. On that kernel, MongoDB started with the following setting. Add it to `config/docker-compose.override.yml`, merged with any `services` you already have there:

```yaml title="config/docker-compose.override.yml" theme={null}
services:
  mongo:
    environment:
      GLIBC_TUNABLES: glibc.pthread.rseq=1
```

> [!WARNING]
>
> This is a workaround verified on the [tested configuration](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/installation/using-docker-compose/macos#tested-configuration), not a replacement for the kernel update that MongoDB recommends. If your kernel is outside the affected range, do not add it just because you use macOS.

**4. Start your instance**

From the Toolkit directory, run:

```bash theme={null}
bin/up -d
```

The Toolkit initializes MongoDB's replica set, pulls the TeX Live image and starts the application. The first download takes a while. To follow the progress:

```bash theme={null}
bin/docker-compose ps
bin/docker-compose logs --tail=100 -f sharelatex
```

Press `Ctrl+C` to stop following the logs. The containers keep running.

Check the published port and the first-run page:

```bash theme={null}
bin/docker-compose port sharelatex 80
curl -I http://localhost:8080/launchpad
```

The port should be `127.0.0.1:8080`.

> [!NOTE]
>
> To open the instance from other computers later, change the listen address and site URL, and set up HTTPS, as described in [5. Personalizing your instance](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/installation/using-docker-compose/linux/5.-personalizing-your-instance.md) of the Linux guide. The Mac then has to stay awake, see [Keep the instance available](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/installation/using-docker-compose/macos/6.-post-installation-tasks.md#keep-the-instance-available).

### Next step

Continue with [6. Post-installation tasks](https://ayakaleaf-pro.mintlify.site/on-premises/installation/using-docker-compose/macos/6.-post-installation-tasks.md).


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