Add Redis Configuration for Background Streaming Support

[actuallyrizzn]

Issue: Redis Configuration Required for Background Streaming

Problem

The Letta server requires Redis to be running for background streaming functionality. Without Redis configured, users will encounter 503 errors when attempting to use features that require background streaming (such as letta-code CLI tool).

Error Message:

503 {"detail":"INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR: Background streaming requires Redis to be running. 
Please ensure Redis is properly configured. LETTA_REDIS_HOST: None, LETTA_REDIS_PORT: 6379"}

Current Situation

The bootstrap/installer script does not set up Redis, leaving users to manually configure it after installation.

Proposed Solution

Add automatic Redis setup to the bootstrap script:

1. Start Redis container (or install Redis if not using Docker)
2. Configure Redis environment variables in .env file:

   LETTA_REDIS_HOST=host.docker.internal
   LETTA_REDIS_PORT=6379

3. Ensure Redis persists across reboots

Implementation Options

Option 1: Docker Compose (Recommended)

If using Docker Compose, add Redis service:

services:
  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine
    container_name: letta-redis
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"
  
  letta:
    # ... existing config ...
    environment:
      - LETTA_REDIS_HOST=redis
      - LETTA_REDIS_PORT=6379
    depends_on:
      - redis

Option 2: Standalone Docker Container

If using standalone Docker, add Redis container:

docker run -d \
  --name letta-redis \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 6379:6379 \
  redis:7-alpine

Then add to .env:

LETTA_REDIS_HOST=host.docker.internal
LETTA_REDIS_PORT=6379

Option 3: System Redis Installation

For non-Docker installations, install and configure Redis on the host system.

Benefits

• Prevents 503 errors for background streaming features
• Improves user experience (no manual configuration needed)
• Enables full functionality of Letta CLI tools
• Reduces support requests

Impact

• Severity: Medium-High
• User Impact: CLI tools and background streaming features fail without Redis
• Workaround: Manual Redis setup (documented but not ideal)

Testing

After implementation, verify:

1. Redis container/service is running
2. Letta server can connect to Redis
3. Background streaming works (test with letta-code CLI)
4. Redis persists across reboots

References

• Letta server requires Redis for background streaming
• Error occurs when LETTA_REDIS_HOST is not set
• Default Redis port is 6379

[actuallyrizzn]

Additional Requirements

Screen Session Management

For uniformity with the Letta server setup, Redis should also be launched in its own screen session. This provides:

• Consistent process management
• Easy monitoring and debugging
• Ability to attach/detach from sessions
• Better organization of services

Integration with launch_letta.sh

The Redis container should be launched as part of the launch_letta.sh script that's created during bootstrap. This ensures:

• Single command to start all services
• Proper startup order (Redis before Letta)
• Consistent service management
• Easier maintenance

Implementation Example

The launch_letta.sh script should be updated to include Redis:

#!/bin/bash

SESSION_NAME="letta"
REDIS_SESSION="letta-redis"

# Optional: load env vars from a .env file for better secret hygiene
source ~/.letta/.env

# Start Redis in its own screen session
REDIS_CMD="docker run -d --name letta-redis --restart unless-stopped -p 6379:6379 redis:7-alpine"
screen -dmS $REDIS_SESSION bash -c "$REDIS_CMD"

# Wait a moment for Redis to start
sleep 2

# Start Letta server (existing code)
CMD="docker run \
  -v ~/.letta/.persist/pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data \
  -p 8284:8283 \
  --env-file ~/.letta/.env \
  -e SECURE=true \
  -e LETTA_SERVER_PASSWORD=\"$LETTA_SERVER_PASSWORD\" \
  --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway \
  letta/letta:latest"

# Launch in a detached screen session
screen -dmS $SESSION_NAME bash -c "$CMD"

Benefits

• Consistency: Both services managed the same way
• Visibility: Easy to see all services with screen -ls
• Debugging: Can attach to Redis screen if issues occur
• Automation: Single script manages all dependencies