Get started

You need Git, Docker with Compose, and an AI assistant that speaks MCP (Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code). 0.1.0-rc.3 is a release candidate for 0.1.0, so the HTTP API, the pack format and the database schema can still change until 1.0.

1Get the code and start an instance#

git clone https://github.com/alkhatibdev/dpolens.git

cd dpolens

printf 'DPOLENS_OWNER_PASSWORD=%s\nDPOLENS_APP_PASSWORD=%s\n' \
  "$(openssl rand -hex 24)" "$(openssl rand -hex 24)" > .env

docker compose up -d

The first up builds the images, or downloads them once the version has been released, and loads the law packs, which takes a few minutes. After that it takes seconds. When it returns, docker compose ps shows db, api, dashboard and mcp as healthy, and worker as running.

2Set it up#

docker compose exec api dpolens init

It asks for your email address, your name and a password for the dashboard, then which laws apply to your organisation, picked from a list with the arrow keys and space. Nothing is searched until they are chosen. Run it again whenever you like: it only does what is still missing.

You are the only person made on the command line. Everyone else is added in the dashboard, and gets a one-time link to choose their own password.

3Open the dashboard and make a token#

Go to http://localhost:8080 and sign in with that email and password. Under Tokens, create a token for your AI assistant. It starts with dpol_ and is shown once, so copy it now.

The library holds the laws you chose, clause by clause and in each of their languages, with a search box for asking them in your own words. Users and roles is where you add the people you work with and decide what each role allows. Overview shows how much was asked, what answered it and what found nothing, and Logs holds every question asked and every change made to the instance. Selected laws changes which laws a search covers, and Settings shows how the instance is set up, with Configuration saying how to change it.

4Connect your AI assistant#

claude plugin marketplace add alkhatibdev/dpolens
claude plugin install dpolens@dpolens

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dpolens": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8765/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:DPOLENS_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "dpolens-token",
      "description": "Your DPOLens personal access token, from `dpolens token create`",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "dpolens": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8765/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:dpolens-token}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Any other client: Connect your AI assistant.

5Ask a question#

Ask your AI assistant how long you may keep a deleted account, or whether you need consent to log an IP address. The answer quotes the clause it relies on and cites it.

If docker compose up stops#

docker compose ps -a shows which service stopped, and the end of its log says why, in one line that names the cause and what to do about it:

docker compose logs setup

The usual cause is a password the database refuses. The database keeps the passwords that were in .env when it was first created, so writing a new .env afterwards does not change them. Put that .env back if you still have it. If you don't, starting over deletes the local database, and with it every user, token and log entry on the instance:

docker compose down -v
docker compose up -d

After pulling a newer version, start it with docker compose up -d --build. Without --build, Compose runs the images it built from the old code.