📏 docs: Add System Requirements to Local Installation Guides

content/docs/local/docker.mdx

@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ For most scenarios, Docker Compose is the recommended installation method due to
 
 Docker Desktop is recommended for most users. For remote server installations, see the [Ubuntu Docker Deployment Guide](/docs/remote/docker_linux).
 
+### System Requirements
+
+LibreChat does not run AI models itself; it sends requests to the providers you configure, so it does not need a GPU.
+
+Your computer must first meet Docker Desktop's own requirements. At the time of writing, Docker Desktop needs at least 4 GB of system RAM on [macOS](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-install/) and [Linux](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/linux/), and 8 GB on [Windows](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/windows-install/), plus hardware virtualization. Check the linked pages for the current requirements.
+
+On top of that, LibreChat's containers need at least 1 GiB of RAM and 1 vCPU, the same [minimum](/docs/remote#minimum-requirements) as on a server. The default Docker Compose file starts MongoDB, Meilisearch (conversation search), and the RAG API with a PostgreSQL/pgvector database (file search) alongside LibreChat. It also defines the admin panel, which only starts once `ADMIN_PANEL_SESSION_SECRET` is set in `.env` (see [Admin Panel](/docs/features/admin_panel)). With everything running, give Docker at least 2 GB of memory for smoother operation. On Docker Desktop, check the memory limit under **Settings > Resources**.
+
+If you connect LibreChat to models running on the same machine, such as [Ollama](/docs/configuration/librechat_yaml/ai_endpoints/ollama), size the hardware for the model you choose. That model runtime needs far more memory, and often a GPU, than LibreChat does.
+
 <Callout type="warn" title="Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs">
 
 Mac computers with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) processors do not support AVX instructions, which are required by the default MongoDB image used in LibreChat's Docker Compose setup. If you're on an M-series Mac, MongoDB will crash on startup.

content/docs/local/npm.mdx

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ For most scenarios, Docker Compose is the recommended installation method due to
 - MongoDB (Atlas or Community Server)
   - [MongoDB Atlas](/docs/configuration/mongodb/mongodb_atlas)
   - [MongoDB Community Server](/docs/configuration/mongodb/mongodb_community)
+- At least 1 GiB RAM and 1 vCPU. See [System Requirements](/docs/local/docker#system-requirements) for what to plan for when you add more services or run models locally.
 
 If you use `nvm`, install and select the recommended Node.js version, then update npm:
 

e2e/local-system-requirements.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { expect, test, type Page } from '@playwright/test'
+
+const DOCKER = '/docs/local/docker'
+
+function body(page: Page) {
+  return page.locator('#nd-page')
+}
+
+function requirements(page: Page) {
+  return body(page).locator('h3#system-requirements ~ p')
+}
+
+test.describe('Local installation system requirements', () => {
+  test('@scenario:docker-guide-separates-host-and-container-requirements a Docker reader sees Docker Desktop host minimums apart from the container minimum', async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await page.goto(DOCKER)
+
+    await expect(
+      body(page).getByRole('heading', { level: 3, name: 'System Requirements' }),
+    ).toBeVisible()
+
+    // Docker Desktop's own host requirement comes first, per platform, so the
+    // 1 GiB container minimum is never read as the whole machine's requirement.
+    for (const [name, href] of [
+      ['macOS', 'https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-install/'],
+      ['Linux', 'https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/linux/'],
+      ['Windows', 'https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/windows-install/'],
+    ]) {
+      await expect(
+        requirements(page).getByRole('link', { name, exact: true }).first(),
+      ).toHaveAttribute('href', href)
+    }
+    await expect(requirements(page).filter({ hasText: 'at least 4 GB of system RAM' })).toHaveCount(
+      1,
+    )
+    await expect(requirements(page).filter({ hasText: '1 GiB of RAM and 1 vCPU' })).toHaveCount(1)
+
+    const minimum = requirements(page).getByRole('link', { name: 'minimum', exact: true })
+    await expect(minimum).toHaveAttribute('href', '/docs/remote#minimum-requirements')
+
+    await page.goto('/docs/remote')
+    await expect(page.locator('#minimum-requirements')).toBeVisible()
+  })
+
+  test('@scenario:docker-guide-admin-panel-needs-session-secret the admin panel is not promised to run without its session secret', async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await page.goto(DOCKER)
+
+    const compose = requirements(page).filter({ hasText: 'default Docker Compose file' })
+    await expect(compose).toContainText('ADMIN_PANEL_SESSION_SECRET')
+    await expect(compose.getByRole('link', { name: 'Admin Panel' })).toHaveAttribute(
+      'href',
+      '/docs/features/admin_panel',
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('@scenario:npm-guide-links-to-system-requirements an npm reader is pointed at the requirements section', async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    await page.goto('/docs/local/npm')
+
+    const link = body(page).getByRole('link', { name: 'System Requirements' })
+    await expect(link).toHaveAttribute('href', `${DOCKER}#system-requirements`)
+
+    await link.click()
+    await expect(page).toHaveURL(new RegExp(`${DOCKER}#system-requirements$`))
+    await expect(page.locator('#system-requirements')).toBeVisible()
+  })
+})