First-Time Setup

After installation, opening the panel URL shows the setup wizard. It runs once and locks itself afterwards. The wizard has three steps.

Prerequisites

• A completed installation with the stack running.
• The panel URL reachable in a browser.
• The backend has finished its startup migrations (otherwise the panel shows a Retry screen instead of the wizard — see If the wizard does not appear below).

Complete the wizard

1. Welcome. Set the Panel Name (default Catalyst) and confirm the Public Panel URL, which is prefilled with the address you opened the panel from. It drives sign-in links, CORS, and generated URLs, so it must be the exact URL users open — the same value the installer wrote to catalyst-docker/.env. The wizard stores it as a panel setting (a database override applied on the next panel restart); it does not edit .env. Optionally upload a Panel Logo (recommended: square, at least 128×128px, maximum 512KB). Select Next.
2. Admin Account. Create the first administrator:
   • Email — used for notifications and recovery.
   • Username — at least 3 characters.
   • Password and Confirm Password — at least 8 characters. A strength meter shows how the password scores. Use a strong, unique password. This account is created with the Administrator role and marked verified automatically.
3. Appearance. Pick a Seed Color and a Color Harmony rule; the wizard generates a full palette with a Live Preview. Choose whether the default theme is Dark or Light. Select Complete Setup.

The wizard signs you in and opens the dashboard. If your browser cannot keep the new session cookie (common behind a reverse proxy), it sends you to the sign-in page instead — sign in with the account you just created.

Note

Completing setup also switches open self-registration off and creates the built-in Administrator and User roles. To allow public sign-ups again, set REGISTRATION_ENABLED=true in Admin → Environment (configuration).

Immediately afterwards

1. Verify login works in a private window (catches cookie/proxy issues early).
2. Install a node — without one you cannot create servers.
3. Create roles for staff before inviting people.
4. Configure backups for the panel database itself.

Caution

The setup wizard is single-use. If you need to re-run it (for example, after restoring a database), see disaster recovery rather than deleting data to force it.

If the wizard does not appear

• You see the login page instead: setup already completed — sign in.
• You see a Retry screen: the panel could not reach the backend (a restart or update, typically). It keeps checking on its own and recovers when the backend answers; select Retry to check immediately. An installed panel is never sent back to the wizard because a status check failed. See panel issues.

Related

• Installation — install the stack first.
• Installing a node — the next step after setup.
• Roles — create staff roles before inviting people.