Quickstart
Get SeqDesk running on your machine and create your first sequencing order.
Install
The npm command installs the seqdesk launcher first. The launcher downloads
and runs the public installer internally, so the direct curl command is only an
advanced fallback.
Install location depends on where you run the command. The default target is
./seqdesk relative to your current directory.
For predictable installs, set an explicit absolute path with --dir:
SEQDESK_BIND_HOST=127.0.0.1 seqdesk --interactive \
--dir "$HOME/seqdesk"On Linux, a home-directory target avoids running the app installer as root — and
you should not use sudo, because SeqDesk will not create a database owned by
root. You do not need to prepare PostgreSQL: the installer reuses a healthy
local server, or creates its own under ~/.seqdesk/postgres. See the
Linux install guide for Ubuntu/Debian,
RHEL-family, and production-directory instructions.
On a Mac, install the prerequisites with Homebrew first, then use the same launcher — see the macOS install guide.
First Login
Open SeqDesk
Open the exact URL printed by the installer. For the local command above, use
http://127.0.0.1:8000. The installer has already checked PostgreSQL, applied
the schema, and seeded the configured bootstrap accounts.
Sign in
Use the administrator email and password you created in the guided installer.
If you used unattended mode without configuring accounts, the published
bootstrap defaults are admin@example.com / admin and
user@example.com / user; change or remove them immediately before allowing
another machine to reach the service.
Run the setup checklist
As admin, configure the essentials:
- Site name and branding — Admin → Settings
- Departments — Admin → Departments
- Sequencing technologies — Admin → Sequencing Technology
- Data storage path — Admin → Data Compute
Create Your First Sequencing Order
Switch to researcher role or register a new account
Navigate to /register to create a researcher account, or sign in with the
optional researcher account created by the guided installer.
Create a sequencing order
From the Sequencing Orders page, start a new sequencing order. The wizard walks you through:
- Order Details — name and sample count
- Sequencing Parameters — sequencing technology, instrument, library strategy
- Samples — organism, title, and any custom metadata
- Review & Submit
Check status
Your sequencing order appears on the Sequencing Orders page with status SUBMITTED. The facility admin can now assign files, create studies, and run pipelines.