Installing Catenary
Catenary is a new, independent product. Here is exactly what your operating system will say, and why.
Install from the terminal
Install with Windows Package Manager, Homebrew or AppImage. Copy the command for your operating system. Updates then arrive through the app itself.
winget install catenaryWhat it does
- Finds Catenary in the Windows Package Manager catalog.
- Downloads the official installer and verifies the checksum recorded in the package manifest.
- Runs the installer to install Catenary for your user.
Prefer the PowerShell script? irm https://thecatenary.app/install.ps1 | iex downloads the installer from GitHub Releases and checks its published SHA-256.
Why does Windows show a SmartScreen warning?
Catenary is new and independent software. Windows shows this standard notice for new executables with no prior corporate reputation. Click "More info", then "Run anyway". The code is entirely local, safe and free of telemetry.
Without a code-signing certificate, SmartScreen counts reputation per file, and every version is a new file. So the warning may come back with each release until the installer is signed.
And on macOS, with Gatekeeper?
Homebrew, above, installs without the warning. If you downloaded the .dmg, macOS may say the app cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.
On macOS 15 Sequoia and later: try to open Catenary once, close the warning, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, click "Open Anyway" and confirm with your password. On macOS 14 and earlier: right-click (or Control-click) the app in Finder, choose Open and confirm. Either way you only do it once for that copy.
Are you going to sign the installers?
Yes, and honestly: not yet. A Windows code-signing certificate costs around US$ 200 a year. The plan is to pay for it with Pro licence sales. Until then the installer is unsigned, which is why the warnings above exist and why this page exists.
Which formats are available?
Windows: NSIS installer and ZIP (x64). macOS: DMG and ZIP (arm64 and x64). Linux: AppImage, DEB and tar.gz (x64).
Does it need an account or an internet connection?
No account. Activation, seat removal and trial redemption contact our server. A valid Pro key activated offline can grant temporary Pro for 30 days; while it remains active and the seat is unconfirmed, activation retries automatically on launch. Confirmed Pro is checked locally, without periodic server revalidation. Updates come from GitHub Releases, and your agents may need a connection to their providers. Catenary sends no telemetry. Your API keys never pass through us.
Can I install directly from the terminal?
Yes. On Windows, run "winget install catenary" to install through Windows Package Manager. You can also use "irm https://thecatenary.app/install.ps1 | iex" in PowerShell: the script downloads the installer from GitHub Releases, checks its published SHA-256 and runs it. The script is plain text at that address, so you can read it first. On macOS, run "brew install --cask gionicolas/catenary/catenary". It adds the tap and trusts only this cask, which Homebrew requires since version 6.
On Linux there is no tap to add: download the universal AppImage, mark it executable and run it, or install the .deb on Debian and Ubuntu. Both formats are linked from the download buttons on the home page.