Yep, I think I can see the issue. Let me think thru it properly when I’m back home. The way it works right now is that Docker Compose pulls the Python/nginx/BRouter images (and Kiwix if you’re using that), then bootstrap grabs the CORE WA assets as a once-off download.
The problem is that on a fresh install bootstrap doesn’t recognise pre-seeded CORE assets if you grab them manually. The ZIM is the exception (that one can be be validated and reused locally). So at the moment it assumes a once-off net connection to grab the PMTiles, search DB and routing data, and then you can basically lobotomize it from the internet afterwards. That was because I didn’t want to package the whole thing as one giant glob with a half GB d/l, as that might choke a SBC (it made my Rpi4 do exactly that).