Install and update

AgenC Desktop 0.1.12 is invitation-only for now. Each person receives one code. Replace AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX in the examples with your code. The example is a placeholder and will not download the app.

The first successful download request claims one platform. You can retry that platform for 30 minutes from the first claim. Retries do not extend the window. Any other platform is refused, including a different Mac architecture or switching between the Linux package and AppImage. After the window expires, ask the person who invited you for a new code. A failed file transfer after the download starts still uses that window.

The app includes AgenC Core and its runtime. You do not need a separate Core or Node.js install. Windows sessions also need Git for Windows.

Requirements

• macOS: 13.5 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. Run as your normal user.
• Windows: Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit Intel or AMD, desktop editions. Use normal 64-bit PowerShell 5.1 or later, not administrator PowerShell. Sessions need Git for Windows.
• Linux: 64-bit Intel or AMD with glibc 2.38 or later. Use Ubuntu 24.04+ or Debian 13 for the apt installer. There is no ARM or musl build.

Installation needs internet access. The first launch also downloads a speech model of about 141 MB. See First run and startup.

macOS

Paste this in Terminal:

curl -fsSL https://get.agenc.ag/desktop.sh | sh -s -- AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

The script selects the native architecture, including Apple silicon when Terminal runs under Rosetta. It installs into ~/Applications/AgenC.app. It refuses sudo, an existing app or link at the destination, and an existing /Applications/AgenC.app when using the default destination. Quit AgenC and move that copy to the Trash before reinstalling.

To choose another writable folder, pass an absolute path after the code:

curl -fsSL https://get.agenc.ag/desktop.sh | sh -s -- AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX --destination "$HOME/Applications"

--destination changes the target folder. It still refuses an existing AgenC.app there. With this option, the separate /Applications check is skipped. The script mounts the verified DMG read-only, checks the app's code seal, copies it into a staging folder beside the target, checks the copy, and moves it into place without overwriting another install. It refuses an unexpected quarantine attribute. It never removes quarantine, disables Gatekeeper or launches the app.

Open AgenC in Finder from the printed install path. The final message always mentions your home Applications folder, even with a custom path.

With the disk image instead

Use the invitation download address for mac-arm64 or mac-x64. Open the DMG and drag AgenC into Applications. The app has an ad-hoc code seal but is not Apple-notarized. A browser download can trigger Gatekeeper on first launch:

1. Double-click AgenC. If "AgenC.app Not Opened" offers Move to Trash and Done, choose Done.
2. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll to Security and click Open Anyway beside AgenC.
3. Authenticate if asked, then confirm Open.

Managed Macs may require their administrator. The terminal installer does not provide Apple verification or guarantee that a device will allow launch.

Windows

Paste this in normal PowerShell, not administrator PowerShell:

& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://get.agenc.ag/desktop.ps1))) AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Or set the environment variable before using the pipe form:

$env:AGENC_INVITE_CODE = "AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"
irm https://get.agenc.ag/desktop.ps1 | iex

The explicit argument takes precedence over the environment variable. The script downloads the EXE into a temporary folder, checks its pinned SHA-256 and refuses a Mark-of-the-Web (Zone.Identifier) stream. It runs the installer silently for your account with /S /currentuser /D=..., into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\AgenC. The installer adds shortcuts and an uninstaller. Open AgenC from Start. The script does not launch it or change Windows security settings.

The script refuses a running AgenC process, registered installs in either registry view, and occupied per-user or Program Files install paths. Files, links and nonempty folders are refused. An empty ordinary folder left after uninstall is allowed if no install remains registered. Uninstall in Settings > Apps first. Move leftover files aside manually. A machine install may need its administrator to remove it.

An installer failure can leave a partial install. Inspect Settings > Apps and the reported folder before retrying. The script removes its temporary download, but does not delete partial installed files.

With the installer file instead

Use the invitation download address for windows, then run the EXE. This installer is unsigned. For a browser warning, choose Keep. If SmartScreen offers More info and Run anyway, use those to continue. Smart App Control or organization policy can block the app without an override. Ask your administrator if the device is managed. The scripts do not bypass those policies or remove Mark-of-the-Web.

Windows needs Git for Windows

Install Git for Windows in its default location before starting a session. Core needs Git Bash. Without it, starting a session fails with "AgenC needs Git Bash to run sessions on Windows, and it is not installed."

For a custom Git installation, set AGENC_SHELL to the full path of bash.exe, then restart AgenC. Windows sessions use Bypass permissions. See Permissions and approvals.

Linux

On Ubuntu 24.04+ or Debian 13, use wget first. Stock desktops may have wget without curl:

wget -qO- https://get.agenc.ag/desktop-linux.sh | sh -s -- AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

If curl is installed:

curl -fsSL https://get.agenc.ag/desktop-linux.sh | sh -s -- AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

The script checks Linux, x86_64, apt, dpkg, the amd64 package architecture, and glibc 2.38+. It also needs sha256sum, getconf, mktemp and dpkg-query, plus curl or wget and sudo for a non-root install. If agenc-desktop is already 0.1.12 or newer, it exits successfully without downloading or claiming the code. An older package is upgraded in place.

The download uses curl if present, otherwise wget. After checking SHA-256, the script runs apt on the local file with -y --no-remove and a 120-second package-lock timeout. sudo may ask for your password in the terminal. Running as root skips sudo. apt reads no input from the script pipe. It can add dependencies from your configured repositories, but will not remove another package. No new package repository is added.

The app installs system-wide in /opt/AgenC, with an applications menu entry. The package sets chrome-sandbox to root-owned mode 4755. Open AgenC from the applications menu after installation. The script does not launch it or disable the sandbox.

With the package file instead

Use the invitation download address for linux-deb. From the download folder, run:

sudo apt install ./AgenC-0.1.12-linux-amd64.deb

The package declares shared-library dependencies but no glibc version floor. Check ldd --version before a manual install. Ubuntu 22.04 and Debian 12 are too old, even if apt accepts the package.

The AppImage

Use platform linux-appimage below. It is a separate claim from linux-deb. Downloading it does not install a package. It needs glibc 2.38+, FUSE 2 and a system that permits its Chromium sandbox. On Ubuntu 24.04+ the default sandbox restrictions block launch. Use the .deb there. Do not disable the sandbox to make it start.

After checking the downloaded file against the checksum supplied with your invitation, make it executable and open it:

chmod +x AgenC-0.1.12-linux-x86_64.AppImage
./AgenC-0.1.12-linux-x86_64.AppImage

Browser and AppImage downloads

Replace the platform and code in this address. Keep version=0.1.12:

https://agenc.ag/api/desktop/invite/<platform>?code=AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX&version=0.1.12

For example, save the AppImage with curl:

curl -fL 'https://agenc.ag/api/desktop/invite/linux-appimage?code=AGNC-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX&version=0.1.12' -o AgenC-0.1.12-linux-x86_64.AppImage

Browser and direct-file downloads do not run the installer scripts or their checksum checks. Compare SHA-256 before opening the file. Use shasum -a 256 FILE on macOS, Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 FILE in PowerShell, or sha256sum FILE on Linux. Ask your inviter for the checksum if you do not have it. Keep your code and the download address private.

What each command does

1. curl -fsSL fetches the script over HTTPS. -f fails on HTTP errors, -s hides the progress meter, -S still shows errors and -L follows redirects. wget -qO- fetches quietly and writes the script to stdout.
2. | sends those bytes to the next command's standard input. sh -s -- CODE reads shell commands from stdin. -- ends shell options, and the code becomes the script's first argument. The macOS and Linux scripts also accept an exported AGENC_INVITE_CODE; the argument wins.
3. PowerShell's irm is Invoke-RestMethod. It fetches the script text. [scriptblock]::Create(...) parses it and & invokes it with the code as its first argument. In the environment form, | iex passes the text to Invoke-Expression, and the script reads AGENC_INVITE_CODE.
4. macOS and Linux run their bodies from main, called only at the end. PowerShell uses a script block. An incomplete body is not executed. To review a script first, save it, wait for a successful download, then run it with your invitation code.
5. The script validates the code's format and checks the system before requesting a file from agenc.ag with the code, platform and version. Codes are checked by agenc.ag. An accepted request claims that platform and redirects to a short-lived HTTPS GitHub download link.
6. The script requires an absolute HTTPS redirect before downloading. If agenc.ag refuses the request, it prints AgenC: followed by the server's message and exits without installing. The message is limited to 200 printable ASCII characters on one line. It saves an accepted download in a temporary folder. It compares the file with its pinned SHA-256 before installing. macOS also checks the app's code seal. Temporary downloads are cleaned on normal completion and handled failures. The scripts do not launch AgenC.

The command trusts the script fetched from get.agenc.ag. The pinned checksum checks the installer bytes; it is not a publisher certificate. All three installers enforce HTTPS on download redirects, including the Linux wget fallback. Signed download addresses are not printed.

For the installer file download, macOS curl requires HTTPS and TLS 1.2 or later and allows three retries. Linux curl uses the same settings and stops a transfer that stays below 1,024 bytes per second for 60 seconds. Its wget fallback uses a 60-second read timeout, three tries and up to ten HTTPS download requests. Windows follows up to ten HTTPS download requests with a 300-second timeout per request. It sets TLS 1.2 for the download and restores the caller's TLS setting afterward. None of these retries extends the invitation's 30-minute window.

For every download status and installer refusal, see Installation errors.

How updates arrive

0.1.6 is not offered 0.1.12 in the app. Check for updates does not redeem an invitation. Install 0.1.12 with your invitation code:

• Windows: quit AgenC, uninstall in Settings > Apps, then run the Windows command above.
• macOS: quit AgenC, move ~/Applications/AgenC.app to the Trash, then run the macOS command. If installed elsewhere, remove that copy first.
• Linux .deb: run the Linux command. apt upgrades the old package.
• AppImage: download the new file with linux-appimage, quit the old copy and use the new file.

Chats, settings and keys stay in the data folder. Do not delete that folder when updating. Versions 0.1.4 and earlier also need a manual install.

The Updates card

Settings > General > Updates shows the installed version, Check for updates and Check for updates automatically. The app has signed-feed update support, but that feed does not distribute this invitation release. An up-to-date status on 0.1.6 does not mean 0.1.12 was installed. Follow the manual steps above and check the version in Settings > About.

0.1.7 includes in-app update support for writable macOS bundles, Windows, Linux AppImage and Linux .deb. That capability needs a newer release in a verified update feed. It does not grant access to invitation downloads. A Linux package update uses an administrator prompt. A build that cannot install an update can offer a download-page fallback. For this invitation release, use the commands on this page.

Remove AgenC Desktop

• macOS: quit AgenC and move AgenC.app to the Trash.
• Windows: uninstall AgenC in Settings > Apps.
• Linux: sudo apt remove agenc-desktop, or delete the AppImage.

Removing the app keeps chats, settings, keys and the speech model. Reinstalling finds that data and skips first-run setup. See Data and privacy before deleting any data folder.

AgenC Core without the app

Core also runs as a separate command line tool. It keeps separate data. See the AgenC Core guide.