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Compiler reads your code through a private GitHub App that you own. This guide walks through creating one and connecting it to your self-hosted instance.

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Prerequisites

  • A GitHub account with permission to create GitHub Apps (a personal account or an organization admin)
  • The base URL of your instance (for example https://compiler.yourdomain.com)

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Step 1: Create a new GitHub App

  1. Go to GitHub Settings:
    • For a personal account: https://github.com/settings/apps/new
    • For an organization: https://github.com/organizations/YOUR_ORG/settings/apps/new
  2. Fill in the basic information:
  3. Set both the Callback URL and, under Post installation, the Setup URL to:
    GitHub sends people to the Setup URL after they install the app, so without it you won’t be brought back to your instance. Also check Redirect on update, so changing the repository selection later brings you back too.
  4. Uncheck Expire user authorization tokens. Compiler doesn’t need it.
  5. Uncheck Request user authorization (OAuth) during installation. Compiler doesn’t need it.
  6. Under Webhook, leave Active unchecked. Compiler doesn’t use webhooks, so no webhook URL is needed.

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Step 2: Configure permissions

Under Repository permissions, set: Leave all other permissions as No access.

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Step 3: Choose where it can be installed

Under Where can this GitHub App be installed?, select Only on this account for private use.

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Step 4: Create the app

Click Create GitHub App. GitHub takes you to your new app’s settings page.

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Step 5: Note your app credentials

After creation, collect these values.

App ID

Found at the top of the app settings page:

App slug

Found in the URL of your app’s public page:

Private key

  1. Scroll down to the Private keys section
  2. Click Generate a private key
  3. A .pem file downloads automatically
The private key looks like:
Keep this file secure. It’s used to authenticate your app.

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Step 6: Configure your instance

  1. Sign up as the first user on your instance. Setup asks for the GitHub App straight after sign-up. To change it later, open Settings > GitHub as an admin.
  2. Enter your credentials:
  3. Click Continue. Compiler checks the credentials before it moves on.

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Step 7: Install the app on your repositories

  1. Click Install GitHub App
  2. GitHub asks you to authorize the installation
  3. Select which repositories to grant access to:
    • All repositories: access to all current and future repositories
    • Only select repositories: choose specific repositories (recommended)
  4. Click Install
  5. GitHub sends you back to your instance through the Setup URL from step 1

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Step 8: Finish setup

  1. Choose your AI provider
  2. Create your first project and pick the repositories it should cover from those the app can access
  3. Compiler clones the repositories in the background. You can start asking questions while they sync
To add repositories later, open Settings, choose the project, and go to Repositories.

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Permissions summary