⚡ Installation & Setup Guide

Get started with Yaku AI

Download the official installer for your operating system and follow the quick setup steps below.

Available Installers

Click on the specific installer below to download the build for your machine:

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macOS

macOS 11.0 Big Sur or later

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Windows

Windows 10 & 11 (64-bit)

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Linux

Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch & more

Mount DMG & Drag to Applications

After downloading the matching installer from the cards above (Apple Silicon or Intel), double-click the .dmg file to open it, and drag Yaku.app into your Applications folder.

First Launch: Clear Gatekeeper Quarantine

Required for both Intel & M-Series

macOS automatically places internet-downloaded apps into quarantine and may display “App is damaged and can’t be opened”. Run this command in Terminal (Cmd + Space → Terminal) to remove the quarantine flag:

bash

xattr -cr /Applications/Yaku.app

After running this, Yaku AI is fully installed. You can now open it directly from your Applications folder / Launchpad, or launch it via Terminal:

bash

open /Applications/Yaku.app

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Universal Compatibility: These commands work identically for both Apple Silicon (M-Series) and Intel Macs. Alternatively, you can Right-Click (or Control + Click) Yaku.app in your Applications folder and select Open to launch without Terminal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions and troubleshooting tips during installation

🍎Why does macOS say “App is damaged”?

macOS applies a Gatekeeper quarantine attribute to non-AppStore applications downloaded from the internet. Running xattr -cr /Applications/Yaku.app removes this quarantine attribute completely.

🪟 Why does Windows SmartScreen show an alert?

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen displays a warning for new binary releases until they establish historical trust. Simply click “More info” → “Run anyway” to proceed.

🔒 Is my canvas data and API key safe?

Yes. Yaku AI is local-first. 100% of your workspace nodes, transcripts, files, and Bring-Your-Own-Key (BYOK) configurations are stored locally on your machine and never uploaded to our servers.

🔄 How do I update Yaku AI to the latest version?

You can download the newest release directly from our website at any time. Installing the update over your existing installation seamlessly preserves all your local canvas projects and notes.