Deploy an app to NOVA

Last updated: July 21, 2026

Relevant for: Developer

Set up Docker and a container registry, connect the NOVA CLI, and deploy your app permanently to a Wandelbots NOVA instance.

So far your programs run on your own machine. Deploying makes your app permanently available on the NOVA instance: it appears as a tile on the home screen, keeps running independently of your laptop, and its programs stay available in the Program Operator.

NOVA apps are deployed as Docker containers. You build the container locally, push it to a container registry, and the NOVA instance pulls it from there.

Prerequisites

You completed the local development setup and have a project that runs locally.
You have permission to install Docker and to use a container registry, e.g., Docker Hub or a company-internal registry.

Set up Docker and registries

You’ll need Docker installed locally and access to an OCI registry such as Docker Hub.

Install Docker and create account

Install Docker Desktop (or Docker Engine) and create an account on your preferred OCI registry.

Log in to registry

Open your terminal and input the following command. This will allow Docker to push images to your registry:

docker login --username MY-DOCKER-USERNAME MY-REGISTRY

If you’re using Docker Hub, the registry value is typically registry-1.docker.io/MY-DOCKER-USERNAME.

Update repository visibility in Docker

By default, repositories created on Docker Hub are public. If you want to keep your images private, open the repository settings and change the visibility as shown below.

https://hub.docker.com/repository-settings/default-privacy

Connect the NOVA CLI

Set up CLI

Before you can deploy, specify the NOVA instance you’re deploying to.

Deploying to a physical controller or virtual machine in your network typically relies on IP connectivity.

Set the host of your NOVA instance:

nova config set host 192.168.1.100

Provide additional authentication details if your instance requires them.

Cloud instances are accessible over the internet and require authentication.

Set the host of your cloud instance:

nova config set host my.instance.wandelbots.io

Then authenticate via the CLI:

nova login

Follow the prompts to complete the login flow in your browser.

Set image registry

Configure the NOVA CLI to specify where to push your Docker images. This registry will also be used by your NOVA instance to pull the images.

nova config set image-registry MY-REGISTRY

If you’re using Docker Hub, the registry value is typically registry-1.docker.io/MY-DOCKER-USERNAME.

Deploy your app

Deploy the app

From within your project directory, deploy the app to your NOVA instance by running:

nova app install

Verify the app installation

After your app is installed, go to the home screen and make sure the app is visible.

Next steps

Your app now runs on the NOVA instance. To make it available to other NOVA users, continue with publishing to the app store.