Standalone deployment

This guide is for an independently operated Clear instance. When Clear is part of a Mainstay instance, Mainstay owns its configuration, data, start, update, and recovery lifecycle; operate it from the Mainstay deployment directory.

Install and configure

Use a dedicated checkout or release directory for each instance. Create the runtime environment and replace every required placeholder with independently generated material:

cp .env.example .env
# Set CLEAR_MASTER_SECRET, CLEAR_OPERATOR_TOKEN, and CLEAR_MINT_SERVICE_NSEC.
docker compose config --quiet
docker compose up --build --detach

Keep .env, the deployment revision, and the CLEAR_DATA_DIR host directory associated with the same instance. The directory contains the mint database and privileged root wallet. The configured service key supplies the mint's stable communication identity; commissioning and treasury authority remain separate operator actions.

Clear binds to 127.0.0.1 by default. For remote access, select the required LAN, VPN, or reverse-proxy interface explicitly and protect that path with appropriate network policy and HTTPS.

Verify

docker compose ps
curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:3339/health
docker compose exec clear clear-root info

A healthy process is not the same as a commissioned service or enabled treasury. Verify those states independently before issuing value.

Update

From the dedicated deployment checkout:

./refresh-containers.sh

The script refuses tracked working-tree changes, performs only a fast-forward source update, validates Compose, rebuilds and recreates the container, and waits for Clear's health check. It does not rotate secrets, change commissioning, or alter treasury policy.

Back up and recover

Back up the CLEAR_DATA_DIR host directory together with the protected .env, deployment revision, and local operating policy. Stop Clear while taking a simple directory backup so the SQLite database and root wallet are captured consistently. Test the recovery procedure without allowing two active instances to share the same state or service key.

Stop and retire

docker compose stop or docker compose down stops the service without deleting the host data directory. Do not use docker compose down --volumes for a routine stop. Retirement of a mint, its service identity, or its currency authority is a separate governance decision and should be recorded before state is destroyed.

Standalone storage selection

Set CLEAR_DATA_DIR in your ignored .env to the existing mint data directory. For the Beelink Lexar deployment, use /mnt/lexar/clear. Both public and operator services mount this directory at /app/data; a missing setting or directory fails instead of falling back to a Docker volume. Verify the external drive is mounted before starting. create_host_path: false checks directory existence, not the identity of the mounted drive.

This change does not migrate data. Existing named-volume deployments must stop both services, back up their current data and deliberately choose/migrate that same data before restarting. Never initialize an empty replacement mint or copy an older database over a newer one. Preserve the matching .env secrets. A new mint needs a pre-created directory writable by image UID/GID 10001.

Keep the tracked Compose file unchanged on the deployment host; the local path belongs in .env so it survives repository refreshes without a storage patch.