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Up and Running in 20 Minutes
Family Cove lives on one computer that stays at home. Every phone and tablet on your WiFi connects to it — and your family’s data never leaves the house.
📦 1 · Unzip
Download Family Cove and unzip it onto the computer that will stay home — a spare Windows PC, a NAS, or a Mac.
🖱 2 · Run the installer
Windows: right-click install.bat. Mac, Linux or NAS: run one command. Docker and WordPress set themselves up automatically.
When the installer asks, paste the license key from your purchase email — it covers up to 5 installs.
📱3 · Open it anywhere at home
When you see "READY", open the address on any phone or tablet on your WiFi. The welcome tour takes it from there.
Runs on whatever you already own
🪟 Windows
1. Unzip the download onto the PC.
2. Following the instrcution in “Guides” folder then Open the “docker” folder.
3. Right-click install.bat → Run as administrator.
4. If the PC needs a restart, setup continues automatically after you log back in.
5. When you see “Family Cove is READY!” you’re done — your address and login are saved in ACCOUNT-INFO.txt.
🗄 NAS
1. Package Center → install “Container Manager”.
2. Copy the Family Cove folder into File Station (e.g. /volume1/docker/family-cove).
3. Enable SSH once (Control Panel → Terminal & SNMP), connect, then cd into the docker folder and run: sudo sh install-nas.sh
4. You can switch SSH off afterwards — the site keeps running.
🐧 Linux
Install Docker (docs.docker.com/engine/install), then run sudo sh install-nas.sh in the docker folder.
🍎 Mac
Mac needs macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer — older Macs can’t run the current Docker Desktop. Windows and NAS are the tested, recommended hosts.
If you’re on a supported Mac:
- Install Docker Desktop once (free for home use — docker.com).
- Open Terminal in the “docker” folder.
- Run
sh install-mac.sh— no sudo needed. It starts Docker and prints your family’s address, usuallyhttp://your-mac-name.local.
First thing after installing: open the site → Parent Admin → set your parent password → add your family members.
The Parent's Handbook
🔑 Parents' Corner
The parent password guards everything that matters: awarding points, bank deposits and withdrawals, editing timetables, deleting anything, and managing rewards and wheels. Kids tap — parents approve.
Forgot it? Use the security question you set on day one (Parent Admin → Forgot password). Five attempts per 10 minutes, to keep clever kids honest.
wp-admin (the WordPress dashboard) is only for changing the design. Day-to-day family life never needs it.
🔄 Updating
1. Download the new family-cove.zip from familycove.fun.
2. Drop it into the “plugin” folder, replacing the old one.
3. Run update.bat (Windows) or sudo sh update-nas.sh (Mac / Linux / NAS).
Updates only replace the app code. Your family’s points, photos and members are never touched.
💾 Backup & Restore
Back up: double-click backup.bat (Windows) or run sh backup.sh (Mac / Linux / NAS). Everything — database, photos, uploads — lands in a dated backup folder. Copy it to a USB stick or your own cloud drive.
Restore on Windows: restore.bat (it asks you to type YES before overwriting anything).
Moving to a new machine? Install Family Cove there, then bring your data across with a backup — the bundled All-in-One WP Migration plugin makes it painless.
Something's Not Working?
My phone can't open the site
Make sure the phone is on the same WiFi as the Family Cove computer (not mobile data, not a guest network). Try the IP address from ACCOUNT-INFO.txt. Still nothing? Allow the site’s TCP port through the firewall — on a NAS that’s Control Panel → Security → Firewall; on Windows the installer normally handles it.
The .local address doesn't work
Use the IP address from ACCOUNT-INFO.txt instead — a few Android phones simply don’t understand .local addresses. Bookmark the IP and you’re set.
"Error establishing a database connection" after a restart
Totally normal for the first few seconds after the computer boots — the database is still waking up. Wait 15 seconds and refresh. Your data is fine.
The site won't start at all
Check that Docker is running: on Windows/Mac look for the whale icon in the tray (open Docker Desktop and let it settle); on a NAS make sure Container Manager / Container Station is started. Then reload the site.
My address has :8080 at the end — is that wrong?
No — it means port 80 was already taken on your device, so the installer picked another one. Use exactly the address shown in ACCOUNT-INFO.txt, colon and all.
Red text scrolled past during install
Harmless notices (things like “can’t preserve ownership”). If the installer ended with “Family Cove is READY!”, the install succeeded. The newest installer hides these messages entirely.
FAQ
What do I need to run Family Cove?
One computer that stays at home: a Windows 10/11 PC (an old desktop is perfect), a Mac, a Linux box, or a NAS that can run Docker (Synology, QNAP or similar). About 5 GB of free space. Every phone, tablet and laptop in the house then connects through your home WiFi — nothing to install on them.
Is my family's data really private?
Yes — that’s the whole point. Everything lives on your own machine. There are no accounts, no cloud sync, no analytics, no ads. Unplug your internet and Family Cove keeps working.
Do I need to know WordPress or anything technical?
No. The installer sets everything up and a guided tour walks your family through the site on first visit. If you can unzip a folder and double-click a file, you’re qualified.
How many family members and devices can use it?
As many as you like. Add every child, parent and grandparent — each gets their own habit board, bank account, bookshelf and growth tree. Any device with a browser works.
Can we use it away from home?
By design, the site itself only works on your home WiFi — that’s what keeps it private. For the things you need on the go, the menu and shopping list can be emailed to any phone with one tap.
What stops the kids from giving themselves 1,000 points?
The parent password. Points, rewards, bank deposits, deleting things — every action that matters asks for it. Kids tap, parents approve.
Can I start on my PC and move to a NAS later?
Yes. Run a backup on the old machine, install Family Cove on the new one, and restore — your points, photos and records all come along.
What happens after I buy?
Your download link and your license key arrive by email within minutes. Follow the install steps above — when the installer asks, paste your license key (it covers up to 5 installs). Every phone and tablet in your home can then open the site without limits.