# Install plugins in your non-Docker development environment

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-plugins-in-your-non-docker-development-environment/205337
**Category:** Developer Guides
**Tags:** dev-install, how-to
**Created:** [October 6, 2021, 9:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-plugins-in-your-non-docker-development-environment/205337 "2021-10-06T09:47:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 1

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### Author: ![Discourse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/discourse/32/148734_2.png) [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2021, 9:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-plugins-in-your-non-docker-development-environment/205337/1 "2021-10-06T09:47:24Z")

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(This guide only covers non-docker dev install. For Docker dev 🐋 see [Install Discourse for development using Docker](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-install-discourse-for-development-using-docker/102009))

If you’ve followed the [instructions to set up your local discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-set-up-a-local-discourse-development-environment/182882/1), you can install a plugin locally:

1. Stop your local server if it’s running.

2. Download the plugin repo and save it your `/plugins` folder. Alternatively, you can [use a symlink](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-creating-discourse-plugins-part-4-git-setup/31272#creating-a-symlink-3).

3. If the plugin includes migrations (you’ll see them in `db/migrate`), run them with: `LOAD_PLUGINS=1 bundle exec rake db:migrate` from discourse root, not the plugin folder.

4. Re-start the server.

5. If the plugin has settings, you can edit them by going to `http://localhost:3000/admin/plugins` and clicking on “Settings” next to its name.

If you’d like to install a plugin in production, [follow this guide](https://meta.discourse.org/t/install-plugins-in-discourse/19157/1).

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This document is version controlled - suggest changes [on github](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/main/docs/developer-guides/docs/02-development-environments/07-non-docker-plugins.md).

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