Overview
This section walks you through everything you need to go from zero to a working Zester setup.
What You Will Learn
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Installation — Build from source, download a release binary, or spin up the Docker Compose playground.
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Quick Start — A hands-on walkthrough: start a master, bootstrap a peel, collect facts, write a state file, and apply it. Includes a Docker Compose playground for the fastest path.
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Concepts — Understand the core building blocks of Zester and how they map to SaltStack equivalents.
Fastest Path: Docker Compose Playground
If you just want to try Zester immediately, the Docker Compose playground gives you a fully working cluster in seconds:
git clone https://github.com/ptorbus/zester.git
cd zester
docker compose up -dThen approve peel enrollments and run Salt-like commands from the admin container:
docker compose exec admin sh /playground/auto-approve.sh
docker compose exec admin zester '*' cmd.run 'hostname'
docker compose exec admin zester 'web-01' state.apply helloSee the Quick Start for full details.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have one of:
- Docker and Docker Compose (for the playground — no Go required)
- Go 1.25+ (for building from source)
You also need:
- A Linux, macOS, or Windows machine to act as the master
- One or more target machines to act as peels (or use a single machine / the Docker playground for testing)
- Basic familiarity with infrastructure automation concepts
Coming from Salt?
If you have experience with SaltStack, you will feel right at home. Zester uses the same conceptual model with different naming and a modern implementation. Start with the Concepts page to see the full naming map.
Recommended Reading Order
If you are new to Zester, follow the pages in order: Installation, then Quick Start, then Concepts. The quick start is designed to give you working infrastructure before diving into theory.
If you are evaluating Zester, start with the Docker Compose playground to see it in action, then read Concepts for the architectural overview.