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+# Migrate LibreChat from /home/michael_clervi/ to /opt/LibreChat
+
+## Why
+
+LibreChat on optical-librechat-dev is installed under a user's home directory (`/home/michael_clervi/LibreChat`). That user account is being deactivated. Moving to `/opt/LibreChat` decouples the install from any user account.
+
+## Data Locations
+
+Before migrating, know where all your data lives:
+
+| Data | Volume Type | Location | Notes |
+|------|------------|----------|-------|
+| **MongoDB** (users, chats, transactions, costs) | Bind mount | `./data-node/` | The most critical data |
+| **Images** | Bind mount | `./images/` | User-uploaded images |
+| **Uploads** | Bind mount | `./uploads/` | File attachments |
+| **Logs** | Bind mount | `./logs/` | API logs |
+| **Meilisearch index** | Bind mount | `./meili_data_v1.12/` | Search index (can be rebuilt) |
+| **Config files** | Bind mount | `./librechat.yaml`, `./.env` | LibreChat configuration |
+| **Nginx config** | Bind mount | `./client/nginx.conf` | Web server config |
+| **SSL certs** | Absolute path | `/etc/cert/` | **Not in LibreChat dir** — unaffected |
+| **VectorDB (pgvector)** | Named volume | `pgdata2` | **Docker-managed** — unaffected |
+
+All bind-mount data uses **relative paths** (`./`) in `deploy-compose.yml`, so everything is inside the LibreChat directory. A single `cp -a` captures it all.
+
+## Migration Steps
+
+All commands as root on the server.
+
+### Step 1: Stop all containers
+
+```bash
+cd /home/michael_clervi/LibreChat
+docker compose -f deploy-compose.yml down
+```
+
+Wait for all containers to stop. This prevents data corruption during the copy.
+
+### Step 2: Copy to /opt (preserve permissions)
+
+```bash
+cp -a /home/michael_clervi/LibreChat /opt/LibreChat
+```
+
+This copies everything including MongoDB data, images, uploads, configs, and logs. The `-a` flag preserves file permissions and ownership.
+
+**Important:** We use `cp` (not `mv`) so the original stays as a rollback option.
+
+### Step 3: Start from new location
+
+```bash
+cd /opt/LibreChat
+docker compose -f deploy-compose.yml up -d
+```
+
+No config file changes are needed — all volume mounts in `deploy-compose.yml` use relative paths (`./data-node`, `./images`, etc.).
+
+### Step 4: Verify everything works
+
+Check each of these:
+
+- [ ] LibreChat loads at `https://chat-dev.oliver.solutions`
+- [ ] You can log in (MongoDB users are intact)
+- [ ] Chat history is visible (MongoDB data intact)
+- [ ] Images load in old conversations
+- [ ] File uploads are accessible
+- [ ] Search works (Meilisearch data intact)
+- [ ] Code interpreter works (test in a conversation)
+- [ ] Analytics dashboard loads at `/librechat-analytics/`
+- [ ] Admin dashboard loads at `/admin-dashboard/`
+
+### Step 5: Update backup script
+
+Edit `/opt/Librechat-backups/librechat-backup.sh`:
+
+```bash
+# Change:
+LIBRECHAT_DIR="/home/michael_clervi/LibreChat"
+# To:
+LIBRECHAT_DIR="/opt/LibreChat"
+```
+
+If the script also references LibreCodeInterpreter under michael_clervi, update that path too.
+
+### Step 6: Move LibreCodeInterpreter (if present)
+
+```bash
+# Check if it exists at the old location
+ls /home/michael_clervi/LibreCodeInterpreter
+
+# If yes, copy it:
+cp -a /home/michael_clervi/LibreCodeInterpreter /opt/LibreCodeInterpreter
+```
+
+### Step 7: Clean up old location
+
+**Only after you've verified everything in Step 4:**
+
+```bash
+rm -rf /home/michael_clervi/LibreChat
+rm -rf /home/michael_clervi/LibreCodeInterpreter
+```
+
+## What Does NOT Need Changing
+
+| File | Why |
+|------|-----|
+| `deploy-compose.yml` | All volume paths are relative (`./`) |
+| `.env` | No hardcoded directory paths |
+| `client/nginx.conf` | References Docker container names, not file paths |
+| SSL certs | Stored at `/etc/cert/`, outside LibreChat directory |
+| VectorDB | Uses Docker named volume `pgdata2`, not tied to directory |
+| Analytics dashboard | Already at `/opt/librechat-analytics/` |
+
+## Rollback
+
+If anything goes wrong after Step 3:
+
+```bash
+# Stop the new instance
+cd /opt/LibreChat
+docker compose -f deploy-compose.yml down
+
+# Start from the original location
+cd /home/michael_clervi/LibreChat
+docker compose -f deploy-compose.yml up -d
+```
+
+The original directory is untouched until you explicitly delete it in Step 7.
+
+## Expected Downtime
+
+2-3 minutes total:
+- Stop containers: ~15 seconds
+- Copy data: ~1 minute (depends on data size)
+- Start containers: ~30-60 seconds
+
+## Applying to Other Servers
+
+The same process works for any server where LibreChat is under a user's home directory. Just replace the source path. Verify the `deploy-compose.yml` on that server also uses relative paths before proceeding.