TarsTARS

Multiple Instances

Running multiple, specialized Tars agents concurrently on the same machine.

Because Tars is incredibly lightweight and operates as a standalone Node.js process managed by PM2, it is fundamentally designed to be multiplied.

You are not restricted to one Tars bot. A single server or workstation can comfortably host 5 or 10 independent Tars agents, each uniquely specialized.

How to Set Up Multiple Instances

Setting up a second instance requires pointing Tars to a different “home” directory before running the start command. By manipulating the TARS_HOME environment variable, Tars spins up a completely isolated brain, system prompt, task registry, and Discord connection.

Example: Deploying a “SecOps” Agent alongside a “DevOps” Agent

  1. Bootstrap the DevOps Agent (Default)
# This uses the default ~/.tars directory
tars setup
tars start

At this point, you have the default bot running on Discord.

  1. Bootstrap the SecOps Agent (Custom Path)
# Redirect Tars to build a new environment in ~/.tars-secops
export TARS_HOME=~/.tars-secops
tars setup

  1. Configure the new Agent When tars setup prompts you for a Discord token, provide a brand new token for “SecOps-Bot”.

  2. Start the second Agent

export TARS_HOME=~/.tars-secops
export ASSISTANT_NAME="SecOps"
tars start

Deep Isolation

When you use a custom TARS_HOME, the following are strictly isolated:

  • Identity: The assistant name and personality (system.md).
  • Memory: The SQLite knowledge base and daily facts.
  • Extensions: A fresh copy of all extensions is installed and hydrated in the new home.
  • Tasks: Scheduled cron jobs and one-time reminders.
  • Logs: All operational logs are written to the local logs/ directory.

To manage them, just supply the TARS_HOME variable before running the CLI:

TARS_HOME=~/.tars-secops tars logs
TARS_HOME=~/.tars tars stop
Next Up Multi-Agent →