%28docs%29/getting-started/page.mdx

---
title: Getting Started - SudoBot
short_name: Getting Started
---

import Callout from "@/components/Alerts/Callout";

# Getting Started

Thanks for choosing SudoBot! In this article you'll learn how to set up a custom instance of SudoBot and configure it so that it does exactly what you want.

<Callout type="info">
    If you don't want to set the bot up yourself and want a pre-hosted solution
    for free, you can contact
    [@rakinar2](https://discord.com/users/774553653394538506) at Discord. Your
    Discord server should have at least 50 members to be eligible.
</Callout>

## Requirements

These are the requirements to host SudoBot:

-   A Discord API Application token (Go to [Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/applications) to obtain a token)
-   [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) version 18 or higher
-   A PostgreSQL database (If you're looking for a free PostgreSQL hosting service, check out [Neon](https://neon.tech))

Additionally, you can also set these up if you want to use them:

-   Cat and dog API Token (for fetching cat and dog images using `cat` and `dog` commands, the tokens can be obtained at [thecatapi.com](https://thecatapi.com) and [thedogapi.com](https://thedogapi.com))
-   Pixabay API Token to use the `pixabay` command (can be obtained [here](https://pixabay.com/api/docs/))
-   A Discord Webhook URL for sending error reports

## Cloning the project and setting up

First of all, clone the repository using [git](https://git-scm.com) or download the [latest release](https://github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot/releases/latest) and extract it.

To clone the repository, run this command:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot
```

After this command completes, go inside of the directory. (`sudobot/` if you cloned it using the above command)

Then, install the dependencies using the following command:

```bash
npm install -D
```

## Building the bot

Now we need to invoke the TypeScript compiler (`tsc`) to build the bot and generate compiled JavaScript files that the Node.js interpreter can run. To compile the bot, simply run:

```bash
npm run build
```

If it fails at building because you don't have enough resources to do so, or if it's for another reason, you can find pre-built versions [here](github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot/releases/latest) for linux and darwin.

## JSON Configuration Schema

Generate the JSON config schema files using the following command:

```bash
npm run gen:schema
```

## The environment variables

Create a file named `.env` inside of the root project directory. This file will contain some secret information that the bot needs, to work. (e.g. bot token)

Then you need to add a few variables to `.env` file:

```bash
# This is your bot's token.
TOKEN=

# This is the home server, where the bot will search for emojis.
HOME_GUILD_ID=

# The client ID of your bot application.
CLIENT_ID=

# Database URL
DB_URL=
```

Here:

-   `TOKEN` is your bot token. Make sure to put the correct token here, otherwise the bot won't be able to log in to Discord. The bot token can be obtained from [https://discord.com/developers/applications](https://discord.com/developers/applications).
-   `HOME_GUILD_ID` is the main server ID of the bot. The bot expects that it will always stay in that server, and it will search for the emojis there. You can download the emojis and use them freely. To download, go to [the downloads list](https://www.onesoftnet.eu.org/downloads/sudo/emojis/).
-   `CLIENT_ID` is the client ID of your bot application. You can obtain the client ID for your bot at [https://discord.com/developers/applications](https://discord.com/developers/applications).
-   `DB_URL` is the database URL. We'll be talking about this just in a moment. You can [jump](getting-started.md#setting-up-a-database-for-the-bot) into that section right now if you want.

A few more environment variables can be specified:

-   `DEBUG`: Used by the [Prisma](https://prisma.io/) ORM. This enables extra debug logging, aka Verbose Mode.
-   `SUDO_ENV` and `NODE_ENV`: If one of these is set to `dev`, then the bot will enter Verbose Mode, and log everything that it does or happens. This is useful if you want to debug the bot or troubleshoot something.
-   `CAT_API_TOKEN`: The Cat API token to use when fetching cat images, using `cat` command.
-   `DOG_API_TOKEN`: The Dog API token to use when fetching dog images, using `dog` command.

## Setting up a Database for the bot

As we've said [before](getting-started.md#configuration-and-the-environment-variables), `DB_URL` is the environment variable that you need to put in `.env` and the value of this variable should be the database URL. SudoBot at the moment, only supports **PostgreSQL**.

<Callout type="warning">
    As of November 28, 2023, we no longer officially support MySQL as a database
    for being used with SudoBot. Please migrate to PostgreSQL.
</Callout>

<Callout type="info">
    If you want a free PostgreSQL hosting service, check out
    [Neon](https://neon.tech), [Fly.io](https://fly.io) or [YugabyteDB](https://www.yugabyte.com/). It's easy to set up, and completely free of cost.
</Callout>

Your database URL should look like this if you're using PostgreSQL:

```
postgresql://username:password@hostname:port/dbname
```

-   `username` is your database username (usually this is `postgres`)
-   `password` is your database password
-   `hostname` is your database hostname
-   `port` is your database port (usually this is `5432`)
-   `dbname` is your database name (usually this is `postgres`)

After you have set the database URL inside `.env`, you can run the following command:

```bash
npx prisma db push
```

This will create the necessary tables for you inside the database.

## Configuration

Now it's time to configure the bot. Now, SudoBot comes with the config files bundled already, but you should edit them.

**Step 1.** Open up `config/config.json` and you have two options:

Remove everything inside of the file, and just put an empty object `{}` inside of that file and save it if you don't want to configure anything and just want the default settings. Or,

Manually set the settings inside of the file. If you're following along this documentation and have run the script `generate-config-schema.js` (previously specified [here](getting-started.md#cloning-the-project-and-setting-up)), then when you edit the file, you can remove everything inside of the file, and put the following JSON object inside of that file:

```json
{
    "$schema": "./schema/config.json",
    "guild_id": {}
}
```

Replace `guild_id` with your main guild ID, where you want to use the bot. If you want to use the bot in multiple servers, specify them here, as the keys of the root object.

If you're using an IDE or editor like [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or [WebStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/), you can hit Ctrl + Space (or Cmd + Space if you're on a Mac) to get auto completion and see available options. The IDE/editor will highlight errors inside of your config file if you have any.

**Step 2.** Open up `config/system.json` file and similarly here you'll get autocompletion. But you don't need to delete everything here, just change the `system_admins` property, which is an array of user IDs. Just add your User ID into the array. System Admins are those who have full access to the bot and can control everything. They are able to run commands like `-eval`.

## Registering Application Commands

If you want to use the application slash commands and context menu commands of SudoBot, you have to register it to the API first. To do that, simply run:

```bash
node scripts/deploy-commands.js
```

Pass the `--guild` option to register guild commands instead of global commands, and `--clear` to clear all the registered slash commands in the API.

## Starting the bot

Now it's time to start the bot. Run the following command to start the bot:

```bash
npm start
```

Or in a production enviroment, it's best to use the following command as it uses a process manager.

```bash
npm run start:prod
```

Or if you want to see the process output in real time while in a production enviroment you can run the following:
```bash
npm run start:prod -- --no-daemon
```

And if everything was configured correctly, the bot will log in successfully to Discord. Congratulations, you've set up your own instance of SudoBot!

## Emojis

The bot uses some custom emojis and it will try to find those emojis in the Home Guild (The main server, which is configured in `HOME_GUILD_ID` environment variable).

The emojs are freely available for download at the [download site](https://www.onesoftnet.eu.org/downloads/sudo/emojis/). The bot uses some other emojis as well, if you want you can download them from [emoji.gg](https://emoji.gg).

If you don't add these emojis, the bot may send messages that look weird or too simple.

## Help & Support

In case if you're facing issues, feel free to open an issue at [GitHub](https://github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot/issues). Or you can contact the Author of the bot in the following ways:

-   Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
-   Discord: [@rakinar2](https://discord.com/users/774553653394538506)
-   Discord Servers: [OSN's server](https://discord.gg/JJDy9SHzGv)

Give the repository a star to show your support! We'll be really thankful if you do.
1	---
2	title: Getting Started - SudoBot
3	short_name: Getting Started
4	---
5
6	import Callout from "@/components/Alerts/Callout";
7
8	# Getting Started
9
10	Thanks for choosing SudoBot! In this article you'll learn how to set up a custom instance of SudoBot and configure it so that it does exactly what you want.
11
12	<Callout type="info">
13	If you don't want to set the bot up yourself and want a pre-hosted solution
14	for free, you can contact
15	[@rakinar2](https://discord.com/users/774553653394538506) at Discord. Your
16	Discord server should have at least 50 members to be eligible.
17	</Callout>
18
19	## Requirements
20
21	These are the requirements to host SudoBot:
22
23	- A Discord API Application token (Go to [Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/applications) to obtain a token)
24	- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) version 18 or higher
25	- A PostgreSQL database (If you're looking for a free PostgreSQL hosting service, check out [Neon](https://neon.tech))
26
27	Additionally, you can also set these up if you want to use them:
28
29	- Cat and dog API Token (for fetching cat and dog images using `cat` and `dog` commands, the tokens can be obtained at [thecatapi.com](https://thecatapi.com) and [thedogapi.com](https://thedogapi.com))
30	- Pixabay API Token to use the `pixabay` command (can be obtained [here](https://pixabay.com/api/docs/))
31	- A Discord Webhook URL for sending error reports
32
33	## Cloning the project and setting up
34
35	First of all, clone the repository using [git](https://git-scm.com) or download the [latest release](https://github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot/releases/latest) and extract it.
36
37	To clone the repository, run this command:
38
39	```bash
40	git clone https://github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot
41	```
42
43	After this command completes, go inside of the directory. (`sudobot/` if you cloned it using the above command)
44
45	Then, install the dependencies using the following command:
46
47	```bash
48	npm install -D
49	```
50
51	## Building the bot
52
53	Now we need to invoke the TypeScript compiler (`tsc`) to build the bot and generate compiled JavaScript files that the Node.js interpreter can run. To compile the bot, simply run:
54
55	```bash
56	npm run build
57	```
58
59	If it fails at building because you don't have enough resources to do so, or if it's for another reason, you can find pre-built versions [here](github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot/releases/latest) for linux and darwin.
60
61	## JSON Configuration Schema
62
63	Generate the JSON config schema files using the following command:
64
65	```bash
66	npm run gen:schema
67	```
68
69	## The environment variables
70
71	Create a file named `.env` inside of the root project directory. This file will contain some secret information that the bot needs, to work. (e.g. bot token)
72
73	Then you need to add a few variables to `.env` file:
74
75	```bash
76	# This is your bot's token.
77	TOKEN=
78
79	# This is the home server, where the bot will search for emojis.
80	HOME_GUILD_ID=
81
82	# The client ID of your bot application.
83	CLIENT_ID=
84
85	# Database URL
86	DB_URL=
87	```
88
89	Here:
90
91	- `TOKEN` is your bot token. Make sure to put the correct token here, otherwise the bot won't be able to log in to Discord. The bot token can be obtained from [https://discord.com/developers/applications](https://discord.com/developers/applications).
92	- `HOME_GUILD_ID` is the main server ID of the bot. The bot expects that it will always stay in that server, and it will search for the emojis there. You can download the emojis and use them freely. To download, go to [the downloads list](https://www.onesoftnet.eu.org/downloads/sudo/emojis/).
93	- `CLIENT_ID` is the client ID of your bot application. You can obtain the client ID for your bot at [https://discord.com/developers/applications](https://discord.com/developers/applications).
94	- `DB_URL` is the database URL. We'll be talking about this just in a moment. You can [jump](getting-started.md#setting-up-a-database-for-the-bot) into that section right now if you want.
95
96	A few more environment variables can be specified:
97
98	- `DEBUG`: Used by the [Prisma](https://prisma.io/) ORM. This enables extra debug logging, aka Verbose Mode.
99	- `SUDO_ENV` and `NODE_ENV`: If one of these is set to `dev`, then the bot will enter Verbose Mode, and log everything that it does or happens. This is useful if you want to debug the bot or troubleshoot something.
100	- `CAT_API_TOKEN`: The Cat API token to use when fetching cat images, using `cat` command.
101	- `DOG_API_TOKEN`: The Dog API token to use when fetching dog images, using `dog` command.
102
103	## Setting up a Database for the bot
104
105	As we've said [before](getting-started.md#configuration-and-the-environment-variables), `DB_URL` is the environment variable that you need to put in `.env` and the value of this variable should be the database URL. SudoBot at the moment, only supports PostgreSQL.
106
107	<Callout type="warning">
108	As of November 28, 2023, we no longer officially support MySQL as a database
109	for being used with SudoBot. Please migrate to PostgreSQL.
110	</Callout>
111
112	<Callout type="info">
113	If you want a free PostgreSQL hosting service, check out
114	[Neon](https://neon.tech), [Fly.io](https://fly.io) or [YugabyteDB](https://www.yugabyte.com/). It's easy to set up, and completely free of cost.
115	</Callout>
116
117	Your database URL should look like this if you're using PostgreSQL:
118
119	```
120	postgresql://username:password@hostname:port/dbname
121	```
122
123	- `username` is your database username (usually this is `postgres`)
124	- `password` is your database password
125	- `hostname` is your database hostname
126	- `port` is your database port (usually this is `5432`)
127	- `dbname` is your database name (usually this is `postgres`)
128
129	After you have set the database URL inside `.env`, you can run the following command:
130
131	```bash
132	npx prisma db push
133	```
134
135	This will create the necessary tables for you inside the database.
136
137	## Configuration
138
139	Now it's time to configure the bot. Now, SudoBot comes with the config files bundled already, but you should edit them.
140
141	Step 1. Open up `config/config.json` and you have two options:
142
143	Remove everything inside of the file, and just put an empty object `{}` inside of that file and save it if you don't want to configure anything and just want the default settings. Or,
144
145	Manually set the settings inside of the file. If you're following along this documentation and have run the script `generate-config-schema.js` (previously specified [here](getting-started.md#cloning-the-project-and-setting-up)), then when you edit the file, you can remove everything inside of the file, and put the following JSON object inside of that file:
146
147	```json
148	{
149	"$schema": "./schema/config.json",
150	"guild_id": {}
151	}
152	```
153
154	Replace `guild_id` with your main guild ID, where you want to use the bot. If you want to use the bot in multiple servers, specify them here, as the keys of the root object.
155
156	If you're using an IDE or editor like [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or [WebStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/), you can hit Ctrl + Space (or Cmd + Space if you're on a Mac) to get auto completion and see available options. The IDE/editor will highlight errors inside of your config file if you have any.
157
158	Step 2. Open up `config/system.json` file and similarly here you'll get autocompletion. But you don't need to delete everything here, just change the `system_admins` property, which is an array of user IDs. Just add your User ID into the array. System Admins are those who have full access to the bot and can control everything. They are able to run commands like `-eval`.
159
160	## Registering Application Commands
161
162	If you want to use the application slash commands and context menu commands of SudoBot, you have to register it to the API first. To do that, simply run:
163
164	```bash
165	node scripts/deploy-commands.js
166	```
167
168	Pass the `--guild` option to register guild commands instead of global commands, and `--clear` to clear all the registered slash commands in the API.
169
170	## Starting the bot
171
172	Now it's time to start the bot. Run the following command to start the bot:
173
174	```bash
175	npm start
176	```
177
178	Or in a production enviroment, it's best to use the following command as it uses a process manager.
179
180	```bash
181	npm run start:prod
182	```
183
184	Or if you want to see the process output in real time while in a production enviroment you can run the following:
185	```bash
186	npm run start:prod -- --no-daemon
187	```
188
189	And if everything was configured correctly, the bot will log in successfully to Discord. Congratulations, you've set up your own instance of SudoBot!
190
191	## Emojis
192
193	The bot uses some custom emojis and it will try to find those emojis in the Home Guild (The main server, which is configured in `HOME_GUILD_ID` environment variable).
194
195	The emojs are freely available for download at the [download site](https://www.onesoftnet.eu.org/downloads/sudo/emojis/). The bot uses some other emojis as well, if you want you can download them from [emoji.gg](https://emoji.gg).
196
197	If you don't add these emojis, the bot may send messages that look weird or too simple.
198
199	## Help & Support
200
201	In case if you're facing issues, feel free to open an issue at [GitHub](https://github.com/onesoft-sudo/sudobot/issues). Or you can contact the Author of the bot in the following ways:
202
203	- Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
204	- Discord: [@rakinar2](https://discord.com/users/774553653394538506)
205	- Discord Servers: [OSN's server](https://discord.gg/JJDy9SHzGv)
206
207	Give the repository a star to show your support! We'll be really thankful if you do.