# Dicto Docs

Install Dicto, connect its AI services, use the apps and operate your deployment.

## Start with a complete setup

Understand the [architecture](/start/architecture.md), check
[requirements](/start/requirements.md), then choose an installation recipe:

| Your installation | Start here |
| --- | --- |
| You already have transcription and chat endpoints | [Install with existing AI](/install/external-ai.md) |
| You want to host Whisper and a text-generation model | [Install self-hosted AI](/install/self-hosted-ai.md) |
| You want editable files matching our service layout | [Download our reference setup](/install/reference.md) |

The reference download includes Compose files, configuration templates, schemas,
a standalone README and verification steps. It uses published images without
requiring access to product source. Read its version/validation scope before
adapting it to your infrastructure.

## Deploy and configure each component

- [Backend, database and storage](/components/backend.md)
- [Transcription service](/components/transcription.md)
- [Text-generation LLM](/components/llm.md)
- [Optional inference gateway](/components/gateway.md)
- [Management app](/components/management.md)
- [Desktop and browser clients](/deployment/client.md)

Configure [models and capabilities](/configure/models.md) and
[authentication/browser URLs](/configure/authentication.md) explicitly. Transcription
and text generation are separate services with separate verification steps.

## Use and operate Dicto

[Connect a client and make a recording](/learn/getting-started.md), then verify
stored audio and transcription. Use [troubleshooting](/operations/troubleshooting.md)
and [backups/upgrades](/operations/backup-upgrade.md) to keep the installation healthy.

## Reference and agent access

Download [schemas and examples](/configuration.md), inspect
[versions and provenance](/reference/versions.md), or use
[clean Markdown and setup metadata](/reference/agents.md). Agents can start at
[llms.txt](/llms.txt); the machine-readable views share the handbook's source.

[Improve these docs](/contributing.md) with the relevant app/server versions and a
reproducible verification step.