The bench is a command-line utility that helps you to install apps, manage multiple sites and update Frappe / ERPNext apps on */nix (CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, etc) for development and production. Bench will also create nginx and supervisor config files, setup backups and much more.
To do this install, you must have basic information on how Linux works and should be able to use the command-line. If you are looking easier ways to get started and evaluate ERPNext, [download the Virtual Machine](https://erpnext.com/download) or take [a free trial on erpnext.com](https://erpnext.com/pricing).
- A Normal Computer/VPS/Baremetal Server: This is strongly recommended. Frappe/ERPNext installs properly and works well on these
- A Raspberry Pi, SAN Appliance, Network Router, Gaming Console, etc.: Although you may be able to install Frappe/ERPNext on specialized hardware, it is unlikely to work well and will be difficult for us to support. Strongly consider using a normal computer/VPS/baremetal server instead. **We do not support specialized hardware**.
- A Toaster, Car, Firearm, Thermostat, etc.: Yes, many modern devices now have embedded computing capability. We live in interesting times. However, you should not install Frappe/ERPNext on these devices. Instead, install it on a normal computer/VPS/baremetal server. **We do not support installing on noncomputing devices**.
To install the Frappe/ERPNext server software, you will need an operating system on your normal computer which is not Windows. Note that the command line interface does work on Windows, and you can use Frappe/ERPNext from any operating system with a web browser. However, the server software does not run on Windows. It does run on other operating systems, so choose one of these instead:
- Linux: Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS are the preferred distros and are well tested. [Arch Linux](https://github.com/frappe/bench/wiki/Install-ERPNext-on-ArchLinux) can also be used
To manually install frappe/erpnext, you can follow this [this wiki](https://github.com/frappe/frappe/wiki/The-Hitchhiker%27s-Guide-to-Installing-Frappe-on-Linux) for Linux and [this wiki](https://github.com/frappe/frappe/wiki/The-Hitchhiker's-Guide-to-Installing-Frappe-on-Mac-OS-X) for MacOS. It gives an excellent explanation about the stack. You can also follow the steps mentioned below:
*(it is very common to use "frappe" as frappe-username, but this comes with the security flaw of ["frappe" ranking very high](https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/b3sirt/i_deployed_over_a_dozen_cyber_honeypots_all_over/?st=JTJ0SC0Q&sh=76e05240) in as a username challenged in hacking attempts. So, for production sites it is highly recommended to use a custom username harder to guess)*
use --user flag to create a user and install using that user (By default, the script will create a user with the username `frappe` if the --user flag is not used)
2. For production: Your process will be setup and managed by `nginx` and `supervisor`. [Setup Production](https://frappe.io/docs/user/en/bench/guides/setup-production.html)
Bench Manager is a graphical user interface to emulate the functionalities of Frappé Bench. Like the command line utility it helps you install apps, manage multiple sites, update apps and much more.