How to install Sidekicks

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# How to install Sidekicks

This guide shows how to install Sidekicks from the packages of a release, on macOS, Linux or Windows. The packages are on the project's releases page, `https://rickub.com/bots-garden/sidekicks/releases`; `SHA256SUMS` lists their checksums.

Sidekicks talks with agents; it does not contain one. Install your agent's program too (for instance `mm`).

## macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel)

Sidekicks needs macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.

1. Download `Sidekicks-<version>-macos-universal.dmg` and open it.
2. Drag **sidekicks** into **Applications**.
3. Open it once from **Applications**. The application is not signed by an Apple developer account, so macOS refuses it the first time ("Apple could not verify…").
4. Open **System Settings → Privacy & Security**, scroll to the message about Sidekicks and click **Open Anyway**, then confirm.

From then on, Sidekicks opens normally.

## Linux (x86-64)

Sidekicks needs GTK 4 and WebKitGTK 6 (Ubuntu 24.04 or later, Debian 13, Fedora 40 or later).

- **Debian, Ubuntu**: `sudo apt install ./sidekicks_<version>_linux_amd64.deb`
- **Fedora**: `sudo dnf install ./sidekicks_<version>_linux_amd64.rpm`
- **Any distribution, without installing**: `chmod +x Sidekicks-<version>-x86_64.AppImage`, then run it. If it complains about FUSE, run it with `--appimage-extract-and-run`.
- **The bare program**: `sidekicks_<version>_linux_amd64.tar.gz` holds `sidekicks`; the GTK 4 and WebKitGTK 6 libraries must be installed.

The `.deb` and `.rpm` add Sidekicks to the applications menu.

## Windows (x86-64)

1. Download `Sidekicks-<version>-windows-amd64-installer.exe` and run it.
2. The installer is not signed: Windows SmartScreen may say "Windows protected your PC". Click **More info**, then **Run anyway**.
3. The installer adds Microsoft Edge WebView2 when it is missing, then a Sidekicks shortcut.

`sidekicks_<version>_windows_amd64.zip` holds the bare `sidekicks.exe`, for a machine where WebView2 is already present.

On Windows, the **Terminal** tab of an agent is not available yet; files, conversations and agents in Docker work.

## Variants

- **Check a download**: `shasum -a 256 <file>` (macOS) or `sha256sum <file>` (Linux), and compare with `SHA256SUMS`.
- **macOS, from a terminal**: `xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/sidekicks.app` lifts the quarantine instead of step 4.
- **Build it yourself**: `make package-macos`, `make package-linux` or `make package-windows` (see [How to publish a release](publish-a-release.md)).

## See also

- [Tutorial: your first agent, without writing any configuration](../tutorials/your-first-agent.md)
- [How to reset Sidekicks](reset-sidekicks.md)