Install

Download the installer for your platform from the Releases page. Every release is built from the same tag across a 6-platform matrix:

Platform	Architectures	Format
macOS	Apple Silicon, Intel	`.dmg`
Windows	x86_64, arm64	`.msi` / `.exe`
Linux	x86_64, arm64	`.deb`, `.rpm`, `.AppImage`

Unsigned builds

GitCat isn't code-signed or notarized yet, so your OS will warn that it comes from an unidentified developer. That's expected for an unsigned open-source build — the downloads point at the same GitHub Releases the source is built from. Here's how to get past each platform's gate.

macOS

Because the app is unsigned and arrived through a browser, macOS quarantines it.

Try first: right-click (or Control-click) GitCat in Applications → Open, then Open again in the dialog. You only need to do this once.
macOS Sequoia (15) and newer, where that right-click bypass was removed: launch it once (it'll be blocked), then open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the GitCat message, and click Open Anyway.
If you see “GitCat is damaged and can’t be opened” (common on Apple Silicon), clear the quarantine flag in Terminal, then launch normally:
bash
```
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/GitCat.app
```

Windows

On the blue “Windows protected your PC” SmartScreen prompt, click More info → Run anyway. It may reappear after each new download.

Linux

No OS-level gate. For the AppImage, mark it executable first (it needs FUSE, preinstalled on most desktops):

bash

chmod +x GitCat_*.AppImage
./GitCat_*.AppImage

The .deb / .rpm packages install normally — sudo dpkg -i GitCat_*.deb or sudo rpm -i GitCat-*.rpm.

Signed macOS/Windows builds are on the roadmap; until then these one-time steps are the trade-off for an unsigned open-source release.

Building from source

If you'd rather build it yourself (or want to run a development build), see Development in the README — you'll need Rust, Node 22+, and pnpm:

bash

git clone https://github.com/zangjiucheng/GitCat.git
cd GitCat
pnpm install
pnpm tauri dev

Want a repo to poke around in instead of pointing GitCat at something real? pnpm demo builds one at ~/gitcat-demo with branches, tags, a submodule, stashes, a diverged remote, an unmerged branch that conflicts with main on purpose, and a bisectable bug.

Install ​

Unsigned builds ​

macOS ​

Windows ​

Linux ​