Install the Public edition

The Public edition is free, open source, and distributed through GitHub releases. It runs in solo mode: local SQLite, no authentication, no cloud sync.

Screenshot gap. GitHub releases page, macOS Gatekeeper first-run, and empty-state projects list haven't been captured yet. See the screenshot gap list.

Where to download

1. Open the Ideafy public repository on GitHub
2. Go to Releases in the right sidebar
3. Pick the latest release (top of the list)
4. Download the .dmg asset

There's only one DMG per release — universal binary, works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Prerequisites

Before opening the DMG, make sure these are installed and reachable from your shell's PATH. Ideafy delegates work to your local toolchain — if any are missing, you'll see a clear in-app error when you try to evaluate a card or chat with the agent.

1. Git — git-scm.com or brew install git
2. Node.js (LTS) including npm — nodejs.org or brew install node. Required when Ideafy installs its Claude Code plugin / MCP server
3. One supported coding CLI, signed in once from your terminal:
   • Claude Code — claude then complete the sign-in
   • Gemini CLI — gemini then authenticate
   • Codex CLI — codex then sign in
   • OpenCode — opencode auth login

The one-time sign-in writes credentials to your home directory (e.g. ~/.claude). Ideafy spawns the CLI as a non-interactive child process and can't prompt you for a password, so this step is mandatory — once per machine, not per project.

Verify with:

git --version
npm --version
claude --version   # or gemini / codex / opencode

Installing

1. Open the downloaded .dmg
2. Drag Ideafy.app into Applications
3. Eject the DMG
4. Open Applications → Ideafy

First run and Gatekeeper

Because the Public edition is open source and ships unsigned (or signed with a community certificate), macOS Gatekeeper may show a warning:

"Ideafy" cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.

To allow it:

1. Right-click Ideafy.app in the Applications folder
2. Pick Open
3. In the Gatekeeper dialog that appears, click Open again

This is a one-time step. Subsequent launches work normally.

If you'd rather not bypass Gatekeeper, the Team edition ships as a code-signed build. That's a paid build, though — Public remains unsigned.

What happens on first launch

• The app creates ~/Library/Application Support/ideafy/ with an empty SQLite database
• You land on an empty projects list, with the sidebar showing + Add Project
• No sign-in prompt, no team flow, no pool view — you're in solo mode

You're ready to create your first project.

What you can and can't do in Public

You can:

• Create unlimited projects on unlimited folders
• Create unlimited cards
• Run evaluate / autonomous / quick-fix on cards
• Use Claude Code, Gemini CLI, or Codex CLI as the agent
• Use the bundled MCP server, skills, and hooks
• Run multiple worktrees with per-card dev servers
• Chat with the agent per card section, with persistent conversation history

You can't:

• Push to the pool (pool tools aren't bundled in Public)
• See a team, my-queue, or notification bell (those UIs are cloud-only)
• Sync across devices (no Supabase)
• Access the board from a web browser

If you want those, upgrade to the Team edition. See Editions overview.

Updating

The Public edition ships through GitHub releases. There's no auto-update today:

1. Check the Releases page periodically
2. Download a newer DMG
3. Drag the new Ideafy.app into Applications, replacing the old one

Your local SQLite database is untouched by the update. You keep all your projects, cards, and conversations across versions.

Reporting bugs

The Public repo's issue tracker is the right place. Include:

• Your macOS version
• The Ideafy version (Settings → About)
• A short reproduction — ideally the Detail / Solution / Tests content of the card that triggered the issue if relevant

Prev: Editions overview Next: Install the Team edition Up: User guide index