Light Mode¶

Light Mode is an operating option for local Kamerplanter instances where you can open the app directly in your browser — without logging in or registering. You immediately see your plants, tasks, and calendar.

Perfect for: a Raspberry Pi on your home network, Docker Compose on your laptop, or just trying Kamerplanter out.

When Should You Use Light Mode?¶

Scenario	Light Mode	Full Mode
I am the only user and don't need a login	Recommended	Possible
Family / household shares one instance on the LAN	Recommended	Possible
I want to try the app first	Recommended	Possible
Multiple people with separate accounts	Not suitable	Recommended
Publicly accessible instance (internet)	Do not use	Recommended
Community garden with role management	Not suitable	Recommended

Security Warning: Closed Networks Only

Light Mode has no authentication. Anyone who can reach your instance on the network has full read and write access. Never run Light Mode on a publicly accessible address.

Suitable environments: localhost, home network behind router firewall, Raspberry Pi without port forwarding.

What Light Mode Changes¶

On first startup in Light Mode, the system automatically creates a System User (display name: "Gardener") and a System Garden (name: "My Garden"). All plants and data belong to this garden.

The table below shows which features are visible in each mode:

Feature	Light Mode	Full Mode
Login screen	Hidden	Visible
Registration	Hidden	Visible
Forgot password	Hidden	Visible
Garden switcher (tenant switcher)	Hidden	Visible
Member management	Hidden	Visible
Invitation system	Hidden	Visible
GDPR consent banner	Hidden	Visible
Privacy settings	Hidden	Visible
Account settings	Language & experience level only	Full
Task assignment to people	Hidden (single user)	Visible
Onboarding wizard	Starts directly on first open	After login
Manage plants	Full	Full
Manage locations	Full	Full
Care reminders	Full	Full
Fertilization & watering	Full	Full
Harvest management	Full	Full
Pest management (IPM)	Full	Full
Task planning	Full	Full
Phase control	Full	Full
Master data import	Full	Full

Enabling Light Mode¶

You enable Light Mode with a single environment variable in your Docker Compose configuration:

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  backend:
    environment:
      KAMERPLANTER_MODE: light

  frontend:
    environment:
      VITE_KAMERPLANTER_MODE: light

A restart of the services is required after every change. Existing data is preserved.

Default Mode

If you do not set the variable, Kamerplanter starts in Full Mode (KAMERPLANTER_MODE=full). Full Mode is the default for multi-user operation and SaaS installations.

Switching Modes¶

Upgrade: Light → Full¶

Want to share Kamerplanter with others or use multiple accounts? You can upgrade to Full Mode at any time.

flowchart TD
    A["KAMERPLANTER_MODE=light\nApp running, data present"] --> B["Set variable to 'full'\nRestart services"]
    B --> C["Login screen appears"]
    C --> D["Register first account"]
    D --> E{"Take over\nexisting data?"}
    E -- "Yes, take over" --> F["Your account takes ownership\nof the system garden with\nall existing data"]
    E -- "No, start fresh" --> G["Empty personal\ngarden is created"]
    F --> H["Dashboard with\nexisting data"]
    G --> H

After restarting in Full Mode you see the login screen. Register an account — a dialog will appear:

"There is existing data (X plants, Y locations). Would you like to take it over into your account?"

Yes, take over: Your new account takes ownership of the system garden with all plants, locations, and nutrient plans. You can then invite additional members.

No, start fresh: An empty personal garden is created for your account. The old data remains in the database and can be viewed or deleted via the admin panel.

Tip

If you are unsure, choose "Yes, take over". You can always delete data afterwards — but you won't lose anything.

Downgrade: Full → Light¶

Want to switch back from Full Mode to Light Mode?

Attention: Only the System Garden is Visible

In Light Mode only the system garden is accessible. If you created multiple gardens or user accounts in Full Mode, they are not visible in Light Mode. The data is not lost — it is fully accessible again when you next upgrade to Full.

Change the environment variable to light and restart the services. The system automatically reactivates the system user and system garden. You land directly on the dashboard without login.

Round Trip: Light → Full → Light → Full¶

A full back-and-forth switch is possible and safe. All data remains in the database. When you next upgrade to Full you see the take-over dialog again — you can take over the existing data once more.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

What happens if multiple people in the LAN access the Light Mode instance at the same time?

All devices on the network see the same data and act as the same system user. Changes made by one person are immediately visible to everyone else. There is no user separation — this is intentional for families and households.

Can I create backups in Light Mode?

Backups are created independently of the mode via ArangoDB backups or Docker volume backups. The mode has no influence on the backup strategy.

My network has a public IP address — can I still use Light Mode?

Only if the instance is exclusively reachable internally (firewall blocks the port externally, no port forwarding). If the instance is reachable via the internet, always use Full Mode with authentication.

I enabled Light Mode but the login screen still appears. Why?

Make sure you have set both KAMERPLANTER_MODE=light (backend) and VITE_KAMERPLANTER_MODE=light (frontend) and restarted both services. The frontend build reads the variable at startup — a restart of the frontend container is required.

Can I change the language and experience level in Light Mode?

Yes. Account Settings are available in a limited form in Light Mode: you can adjust language, timezone, and experience level. Password, sessions, and privacy settings are hidden because they are not relevant in Light Mode.