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Fix A Hosted Row-Bot

This page is for a Row-Bot that PikaPods or Railway runs for you; Row-Bot In Your Browser and Row-Bot On Railway explain how each works. For anything else, see Troubleshooting.

Problems with the server itself, such as billing, its size, or a server that won't start or can't be reached, are for your host: see Getting Help for PikaPods or Railway.

Lost The Setup Code​

Before anyone has signed in, Row-Bot prints the code every time it starts. In PikaPods, open your pod's More › Show Logs and look for "Row-Bot setup code". If it has scrolled away, restart the pod and it's printed again. On Railway, the code is the value of ROW_BOT_SETUP_CODE in your service's Variables, and the deploy log shows it too.

What the page says:

  • "That code doesn't match." Copy the whole code from the log again. After a few wrong tries the page says how many are left: five wrong codes pause sign-in for 15 minutes, and the page counts down the time.
  • "This code has already been used or has expired." Change the setup code in your pod's settings in PikaPods and restart the pod, or on Railway set a new ROW_BOT_SETUP_CODE in the service's Variables and deploy the change. Then enter the new code.
  • "Row-Bot is starting." Wait a few seconds; the page tries again by itself.

After you've signed in, a new browser shows This Row-Bot already has an owner:

  • If another device is still signed in, add this browser from there: Settings › Devices & remote access › Connect a phone or computer.
  • If no device is signed in any more, change the setup code in your pod's settings in PikaPods to a new one of at least 12 letters or digits, and restart the pod (on Railway: set a new ROW_BOT_SETUP_CODE in the service's Variables and deploy the change). Then open your Row-Bot, choose Lost access? and enter the new code. It works once, and signs out every other browser. Row-Bot doesn't print this code in the log: you know it because you set it.

Row-Bot Restarted: Out Of Memory​

When Row-Bot runs out of memory, the server restarts it. Home's Needs you and Monitor then say "Row-Bot restarted because the server ran out of memory", with your server's size. Your saved data and sign-ins stay. A reply that was running when it stopped may need sending again.

Local speech-to-text uses the most. With the search model and Row-Bot's browser, it needs about 3.2 GB. Do one of these:

  • Make the pod 4 GB in PikaPods, or on Railway raise the service's memory limit to 4 GB in Settings › Deploy. The notice's How to resize explains it, and its link to your host (Manage your pod in PikaPods, Manage your service in Railway) opens the host's own page. The notice goes once the server is bigger.
  • Use cloud speech-to-text. The notice's Use cloud speech-to-text opens Settings › Voice: choose OpenAI Realtime under Listen with, and on a server under 4 GB turn off Fall back to Whisper on your Row-Bot server too.

Dismiss hides the notice until it happens again.

On a server under 4 GB, Row-Bot helps you stay within it: Settings › Voice marks local speech-to-text Needs a 4 GB server and asks before you choose it, and Settings › Documents suggests Free memory when idle for the search model. Row-Bot's browser also closes by itself ten minutes after its last use. Hosting Row-Bot has the details.

A Sign-In That Won't Finish​

ChatGPT​

  • "This code expired." Choose Get a new code. It copies the new code too.
  • OpenAI's page didn't open, because the browser blocked the new tab: choose Open sign-in page. The code stays on screen with Copy.
  • The code wasn't copied: the panel says "Enter this code on OpenAI's page and approve." and shows the code to type in.
  • You approved, and closed Row-Bot's tab: Row-Bot finishes the sign-in on your server by itself. Open Row-Bot again to carry on.
  • You reloaded the page, or started again: that's fine. The newest sign-in replaces one that was still waiting.

Grok​

xAI's sign-in can only send your browser back to an address on the server's own computer, starting http://127.0.0.1:56121/, which your browser can't open. That's expected:

  1. Sign in on xAI's page. It ends on a page that doesn't load.
  2. Copy that page's whole address from the address bar.
  3. Paste it into Address of the page that didn't load and choose Connect with code.

"That address isn't from this sign-in" means it came from an earlier try: copy the address shown after this sign-in and paste it again. "Grok didn't allow the sign-in" means xAI turned it down: start it again.

Your Claude Plan​

Use my Claude plan installs Claude Code from Anthropic on your server, then opens Claude's own sign-in in a small panel. Open the link it shows, sign in to Claude, and paste the code Claude gives you into the panel. Row-Bot never sees, stores or relays your Claude sign-in.

  • "Claude Code couldn't be installed: …" names the reason, such as no internet connection, not enough disk space, or a download that didn't match Anthropic's checksum (it's deleted, never run). Choose Try again.
  • Claude turned the code down: Claude's own message shows in the panel and it asks again. Paste the code again, all of it.
  • "Claude's sign-in was closed before it finished." The panel was closed, or nothing happened in it for ten minutes. Choose Sign in again.
  • "Row-Bot needs Claude Code … or newer." Choose Update Claude Code.
  • "Claude signed you out." Choose Sign in again in Settings › Models › Claude (your Claude plan).

Claude (Your Claude Plan) explains the panel.

Can't Find Local Models​

Your hosted server has no graphics card, so it can't run chat models itself, and Row-Bot doesn't offer Ollama on it. Row-Bot's own search model for memory and documents does run there; only chat models need more. To use models on hardware of your own:

  • Connect your own model server. Run Ollama, llama.cpp, vLLM or LM Studio on a computer with a graphics card, and add it as a custom endpoint: Other ways › Use my own model server at first launch, or Add a provider › Your server in Settings › Models. Your hosted Row-Bot reaches it over the internet, so it needs an address the internet can reach, with a key or a tunnel in front: see Reach It From Anywhere.
  • Use the desktop app, which runs Ollama on your own computer. Move your Row-Bot there whenever you like.

What Row-Bot says:

  • "Row-Bot couldn't reach https://… Check it's running and reachable from the internet." The model server isn't running, or its address works only on your home network. Try the guide's check from outside.
  • Allow a private address? Seen from your server, a private address such as 192.168.1.20 or 10.0.0.5 is inside your host's network, not your home. Allow it only if your model server really runs there. For one at home, use an address the internet can reach.

Moving​

  • The backup didn't save. A big backup can take longer than the click. When the row says it's ready, choose Download backup again to save it.
  • No Restore from backup at first launch on your computer. It's only in Settings › Data. Choose Set up later at first launch, then open Settings › Data and choose Restore from backup….
  • The restore hasn't happened yet. It applies the next time Row-Bot starts: on your computer, quit Row-Bot and open it again; on your hosted Row-Bot, restart the pod in PikaPods, or redeploy the service in Railway. Cancel restore stops it before then.
  • "That backup comes from a newer Row-Bot." Update the Row-Bot you're restoring on first. On PikaPods it updates when PikaPods installs the new version, usually within a week; on Railway, update the service in its settings.
  • Models and apps ask you to sign in again. That's expected: backups never hold passwords, keys or sign-ins, and the restore lists what to set up again. For your Claude plan, choose Use my Claude plan again.
  • Your phone and websites are signed out. Signed-in devices and Row-Bot's browser sessions stay behind. Add your phone again, and sign in to websites again in Row-Bot's browser.
  • The search model or speech model is missing. Downloaded models and runtimes stay behind. Download them again in Settings › Documents or Settings › Voice.
  • "The restore didn't finish, so Row-Bot kept your profile as it was." Nothing changed. Check the file is the backup you meant, and try again.