System requirements
To run
| Minimum | Comfortable | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 cores, x86-64 or arm64 | 4 cores |
| Memory | 2 GB free for Mandala | 4 GB or more |
| Disk | 10 GB free | 40 GB+, SSD (every confirmed write waits for a disk sync) |
| OS | Linux with systemd (Debian 12, Ubuntu 22.04+), or macOS 15+ on Apple silicon | |
| Network | Tailscale |
These are guidance rather than hard limits. For scale: a busy personal node with several mail and chat accounts uses about 1.3 GB of memory, and its data directory stays under 1 GB after months of use. Mail-heavy use grows the disk: the Communications index, attachments in the Library and record history.
To build
- Memory: about 8 GB (Rust and the C++ storage engine).
- rustup; the repository pins Rust 1.98.0.
- A C/C++ compiler with C++20 and its standard library (
build-essential, or clang),pkg-config, OpenSSL headers. - Node.js 20+ and npm for the web app.
Optional software on the server
| For | Needs |
|---|---|
| Telegram | TDLib libtdjson (/opt/alma/telegram/lib/libtdjson.so, or ALMA_TDLIB_LIBRARY) |
| Local models | Ollama |
| Coding sessions | Claude Code and/or Codex CLIs, logged in as Mandala's user; git; gh |
Clients
Any current browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge). Installing on a phone and notifications need HTTPS.