Installation & Setup

This chapter is the reference version of setup. If Getting Started is the short golden path, this is where you go when you want the exact install details, data locations, and configuration knobs.

Keep the first baseline local if you can. Remote and hosted GPU setups are real, but they belong later, after you have one clean generation working.

What This Chapter Covers

Public installer paths for Windows and Linux
Where Sweet Tea stores local data
How to connect to ComfyUI
Which environment variables matter
How to verify that your baseline is stable

Prerequisites

Operating system: Windows 10+ or a modern Linux distribution
Disk space: At least 15 GB free for the app, one model, and early outputs
ComfyUI: Either already installed or ready to be managed through Sweet Tea
A realistic expectation: A GPU is recommended for speed, but not required to prove the pipeline works

Windows

Download the Windows installer (.exe) from /download.
Run the installer and follow the wizard.
Launch Sweet Tea Studio from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

If Windows shows SmartScreen, click More info and then Run anyway.

Studio stores its local data at:

%APPDATA%\Sweet Tea Studio\data

That directory contains your local database, configuration, logs, and project metadata. You can override it with SWEET_TEA_ROOT_DIR if you need a custom location.

Linux

Public Linux downloads come in two forms.

AppImage

Use this when you want the quickest portable path:

chmod +x "Sweet Tea Studio-*.AppImage"
./"Sweet Tea Studio-*.AppImage"

Debian package

Use this when you want a package-managed install:

sudo dpkg -i sweet-tea-studio_*.deb

Studio stores its local data at:

~/.config/Sweet Tea Studio/data/

Tip: If you are on Wayland and notice display issues, try launching with ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT=auto.

First-Run Configuration

Open Settings and set up the baseline in this order.

1. Engine connection

This is the only truly essential setup step.

Managed runtime: Let Sweet Tea manage ComfyUI startup for you.
External runtime: Point Sweet Tea at the ComfyUI instance you already run yourself.

If you already have a stable local ComfyUI install, keeping it is completely valid.

2. Input and output locations

Confirm that Sweet Tea is writing where you expect. This matters once you start keeping real work and want reliable backups later.

3. Optional launch arguments

Only add custom ComfyUI arguments if you understand why you need them. The default path is the right path for most people.

Environment Variables

These only matter if you need a custom layout or multi-machine setup.

SWEET_TEA_ROOT_DIR    Override the base local data directory
COMFY_URL             Set the default ComfyUI endpoint

If you use overrides, write them down somewhere you will actually find later. Path-related confusion is one of the easiest ways to waste an afternoon.

Verify the Baseline

Before you import a large workflow collection or chase more advanced setups, prove the basics:

Studio launches cleanly — no crash, blank screen, or stuck first run.
ComfyUI connects — the engine status reads healthy.
You can open a Pipe — the main creation workspace loads and a Pipe is selectable.
One test image succeeds — queue a simple prompt and let it finish.
The result is reusable — open the finished image and confirm the prompt and settings are attached.

Do not change five variables at once if something fails. Fix one layer, then test again.

Data Directory Structure

Inside your local data directory, you will find something like:

data/
├── meta/          # Database, logs, configuration
├── projects/      # Project-organized assets
│   ├── input/     # Source and reference images
│   ├── output/    # Generated results
│   └── masks/     # Inpaint and selection masks
└── ...

This matters for backup planning, debugging path issues, and understanding where your work actually lives.

Hosted GPU Note

If you later need more VRAM than your local machine can provide, move to Hosted GPU Workflows. Keep that as a later decision, not the first requirement for deciding whether Sweet Tea works for you.

Next: ComfyUI Integration

Installation & Setup

This chapter is the reference version of setup. If Getting Started is the short golden path, this is where you go when you want the exact install details, data locations, and configuration knobs.

Keep the first baseline local if you can. Remote and hosted GPU setups are real, but they belong later, after you have one clean generation working.

What This Chapter Covers

Public installer paths for Windows and Linux
Where Sweet Tea stores local data
How to connect to ComfyUI
Which environment variables matter
How to verify that your baseline is stable

Prerequisites

Operating system: Windows 10+ or a modern Linux distribution
Disk space: At least 15 GB free for the app, one model, and early outputs
ComfyUI: Either already installed or ready to be managed through Sweet Tea
A realistic expectation: A GPU is recommended for speed, but not required to prove the pipeline works

Windows

Download the Windows installer (.exe) from /download.
Run the installer and follow the wizard.
Launch Sweet Tea Studio from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

If Windows shows SmartScreen, click More info and then Run anyway.

Studio stores its local data at:

%APPDATA%\Sweet Tea Studio\data

That directory contains your local database, configuration, logs, and project metadata. You can override it with SWEET_TEA_ROOT_DIR if you need a custom location.

Linux

Public Linux downloads come in two forms.

AppImage

Use this when you want the quickest portable path:

chmod +x "Sweet Tea Studio-*.AppImage"
./"Sweet Tea Studio-*.AppImage"

Debian package

Use this when you want a package-managed install:

sudo dpkg -i sweet-tea-studio_*.deb

Studio stores its local data at:

~/.config/Sweet Tea Studio/data/

Tip: If you are on Wayland and notice display issues, try launching with ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT=auto.

First-Run Configuration

Open Settings and set up the baseline in this order.

1. Engine connection

This is the only truly essential setup step.

Managed runtime: Let Sweet Tea manage ComfyUI startup for you.
External runtime: Point Sweet Tea at the ComfyUI instance you already run yourself.

If you already have a stable local ComfyUI install, keeping it is completely valid.

2. Input and output locations

Confirm that Sweet Tea is writing where you expect. This matters once you start keeping real work and want reliable backups later.

3. Optional launch arguments

Only add custom ComfyUI arguments if you understand why you need them. The default path is the right path for most people.

Environment Variables

These only matter if you need a custom layout or multi-machine setup.

SWEET_TEA_ROOT_DIR    Override the base local data directory
COMFY_URL             Set the default ComfyUI endpoint

If you use overrides, write them down somewhere you will actually find later. Path-related confusion is one of the easiest ways to waste an afternoon.

Verify the Baseline

Before you import a large workflow collection or chase more advanced setups, prove the basics:

Studio launches cleanly — no crash, blank screen, or stuck first run.
ComfyUI connects — the engine status reads healthy.
You can open a Pipe — the main creation workspace loads and a Pipe is selectable.
One test image succeeds — queue a simple prompt and let it finish.
The result is reusable — open the finished image and confirm the prompt and settings are attached.

Do not change five variables at once if something fails. Fix one layer, then test again.

Data Directory Structure

Inside your local data directory, you will find something like:

data/
├── meta/          # Database, logs, configuration
├── projects/      # Project-organized assets
│   ├── input/     # Source and reference images
│   ├── output/    # Generated results
│   └── masks/     # Inpaint and selection masks
└── ...

This matters for backup planning, debugging path issues, and understanding where your work actually lives.

Hosted GPU Note

If you later need more VRAM than your local machine can provide, move to Hosted GPU Workflows. Keep that as a later decision, not the first requirement for deciding whether Sweet Tea works for you.

Next: ComfyUI Integration