Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up and Running evi-run on DigitalOcean or Other VPS (for Beginners)

Introduction

evi-run is a ready-to-deploy multi-agent AI system built on the OpenAI Agents SDK. The system provides powerful artificial intelligence capabilities through a convenient Telegram bot interface and supports operating modes from personal use to commercial applications.

Key Technical Characteristics

• 
  Architecture: Multi-agent system with main agent, specialized sub-agents and tools


• 
  Backend: Python, OpenAI Agents SDK, FastAPI


• 
  Database: PostgreSQL for data + Redis for caching


• 
  Interface: Telegram Bot API


• 
  Containerization: Docker Compose for service orchestration


• 
  Integrations: MCP servers, Solana RPC

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements for DigitalOcean Droplet

• 
  CPU: 1 vCPU


• 
  RAM: 1GB


• 
  Storage: 25GB SSD


• 
  OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS


• 
  Network: 1TB Transfer

Required API Keys

• 
  Telegram Bot Token - get from @BotFather
  

• 
  OpenAI API Key - get from OpenAI Platform
  

• 
  Telegram User ID - get from @userinfobot
  

Carefully find the bot in the list, check all the characters in the name.

Step 1: Creating and Configuring DigitalOcean Droplet

Use any Droplet creation guide or refer to the official Droplet Quickstart documentation if you encounter difficulties.

Creating a Droplet

1. Log into the DigitalOcean panel and click "Create → Droplets"



2. 
   

   Choose the operating system image:

   
   
   
   
   
   • Distribution: Ubuntu
   
   
   • Version: 22.04 (LTS) x64
   
   
   
   


3. 
   

   Select Droplet size:

   
   
   
   
   
   • Minimum: Basic Plan → Regular → $6/mo (1GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 25GB SSD)
   
   
   • Or higher, depending on expected load
   
   
   
   


4. 
   

   Configure authentication:

   
   
   
   
   
   • Set a strong root password
   
   
   • Or use SSH Key
   
   
   
   


5. 
   

   Additional settings:

   
   
   
   
   
   • Hostname: evi-run-server
     
   
   
   • Enable monitoring (optional)
   
   
   • Enable backups (optional)
   
   
   
   



6. Create Droplet - the process will take 1-2 minutes

Connecting to the Server

Option 1: DigitalOcean Web Console (recommended for beginners)

1. In the DigitalOcean control panel, go to your Droplet


2. Click the "Console" button in the top right corner


3. Wait for the web terminal to load


4. Log in as root with the password you specified during creation

Option 2: SSH through terminal

Paste password with right mouse click in one press, password will not be displayed in the input line, just press Enter.

Initial Setup

Update the system and install necessary utilities:

Execute commands one by one (line by line), copy the line and paste into console with right mouse click.

apt update && apt upgrade -y

apt install -y curl wget git nano

Wait for commands to complete until the input prompt appears.

Step 2: Installing Docker and Docker Compose

evi-run has an automated Docker installation script:

# Navigate to working directory

cd /opt



# Clone the repository

sudo git clone https://github.com/pipedude/evi-run.git



# Set access permissions

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER evi-run

cd evi-run

Run the automatic Docker installation:

# Make script executable

chmod +x docker_setup_en.sh



# Run installation (requires sudo)

sudo ./docker_setup_en.sh

Step 3: Configuring evi-run

Environment Variables Setup

Copy and edit the environment file:

# Copy example configuration

cp .env.example .env



# Edit configuration

nano .env

Fill in the required parameters in .env:

# REQUIRED: Telegram bot token from @BotFather

TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here



# REQUIRED: OpenAI API key

API_KEY_OPENAI=your_openai_api_key

Insert your token and key instead of XXX, without quotes or other formatting

How to save file in nano:

• Press Ctrl + X to exit


• Press Y to confirm saving


• Press Enter to confirm filename

Main Configuration Setup

Edit config.py:

nano config.py

Required parameters to change:

# REQUIRED: Your Telegram ID from @userinfobot

ADMIN_ID = 123456789



# Admin list (optional, add user IDs who will have admin privileges)

ADMINS_LIST = [123456789, 987654321]



# Operating mode: 'private', 'free', or 'pay'

TYPE_USAGE = 'private'  # Start with private for testing

How to save file in nano:

• Press Ctrl + X to exit


• Press Y to confirm saving


• Press Enter to confirm filename

Agent Configuration Setup (Optional)

• 
  See guide: evi-run Quick Start on Ubuntu: installation, character setup, and adding a custom agent
  

Step 4: Building and Running the System

Building Containers and Starting the System

# Build all services

docker compose up --build -d

Expected output:

Step 5: Testing Functionality

Testing the Telegram Bot

1. Find your bot in Telegram by username - see in @BotFather
   


2. Send the /start command


3. Try a simple request, for example: "Hello, how are you?"

Additional Information

Useful Commands

System restart (after code changes):

cd /opt/evi-run

docker compose down

docker compose up --build -d

System shutdown:

cd /opt/evi-run

docker compose down

Viewing logs:

# All system logs

docker compose logs -f



# Specific service logs

docker compose logs -f bot



# Logs from the last hour

docker compose logs --since 1h bot

Conclusion

After completing all steps, you will have a fully functional multi-agent AI system evi-run running on VPS. Now start configuring your system in detail. Have a good coding experience! 💜

Useful Resources

• evi-run Documentation


• OpenAI Agents SDK Documentation


• DigitalOcean Documentation


• Docker Compose Reference


• PostgreSQL Documentation

Community and Support

• 
  Telegram Community: evi_run
  


• 
  GitHub Repository: Report an Issue
  

This article was written for beginners in the technical community on DEV who are interested in deploying AI systems. Questions and suggestions for improvement are welcome!