Requirements Setup

This guide covers the technical prerequisites and initial environment setup for the auto-trading system.

System Requirements

Hardware

• RAM: 8GB minimum (each strategy uses ~500MB)
• Storage: 25GB available space
• CPU: 1+ cores (multi-core recommended for multiple strategies)
• Network: Stable internet connection

Operating System

• Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+ recommended)
• macOS (with Docker Desktop)
• Windows (with Docker Desktop or WSL2)

Software Prerequisites

Docker Installation

Ubuntu/Debian:

# Update package index
sudo apt update

# Install Docker
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose

# Add user to docker group (logout/login required)
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Verify installation
docker --version

macOS:

1. Download Docker Desktop for Mac
2. Install and start Docker Desktop
3. Verify: docker --version

Windows:

1. Install Docker Desktop for Windows
2. Ensure WSL2 backend is enabled
3. Verify: docker --version

Additional Tools

jq (JSON processor):

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install jq

# macOS
brew install jq

# Verify
jq --version

Project Setup

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/peteretelej/auto-trading.git
cd auto-trading

Environment Configuration

# Create environment file from template
cp .env.sample .env

# Edit with your settings (see next sections for values)
nano .env

Test Installation

# Verify Docker works
docker run hello-world

# Test project scripts
chmod +x docker-launch.sh scripts/*.sh
./scripts/setup-proxy.sh

Directory Structure

After setup, your project will have:

auto-trading/
├── config/                 # Strategy configuration templates  
├── docs/                   # Documentation (this folder)
├── scripts/                # Management and monitoring scripts
├── user_data/              # Local strategies and data
├── docker-launch.sh        # Main launch script
├── .env                    # Your API keys and settings
└── .env.sample            # Template for environment variables

Environment Variables

Your .env file needs these values (details in next sections):

# Binance API (required for live trading)
BINANCE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
BINANCE_API_SECRET=your_secret_here

# Telegram (optional, for notifications)
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token
TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=your_chat_id

# Web Interface
WEB_USERNAME=admin
WEB_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
WEB_PORT=8101

# Data directory (adjust path as needed)
DATA_DIR=/home/yourusername/trading-data

Verification

Test your setup works:

# 1. Test Docker and proxy
./scripts/setup-proxy.sh

# 2. Test bot launch (dry-run mode)
./docker-launch.sh

# 3. Check web interface
curl http://localhost:8101/api/v1/ping

# 4. View logs
docker logs freqtrade-ReinforcedAverageStrategy

Troubleshooting

Docker Permission Issues

# Add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Logout and login again

Port Already in Use

# Find process using port 8101
sudo lsof -i :8101
# Kill process or change WEB_PORT in .env

Script Permission Errors

# Make scripts executable
chmod +x docker-launch.sh scripts/*.sh

Optional: Domain Access Setup

If you want to access your bots via a custom domain instead of localhost:8101:

• Caddy Reverse Proxy Setup - Configure domain access with HTTPS

Next Steps

With your environment ready, continue to:

• Binance Setup - Configure your exchange account
• Telegram Setup - Set up trade notifications (optional)

Or jump to Launching Strategies if you want to test in dry-run mode first.