Installation

System Requirements

Before installing Guardian, ensure your system meets these requirements:

Minimum Requirements

Platform	Version	Notes
macOS	12.0+ (Monterey)	Apple Silicon and Intel supported
Windows	10+ (21H2)	64-bit required
Linux	Ubuntu 22.04+	Or equivalent GLIBC 2.35+

Additional Requirements

• Internet Connection: Required for release checks and AI provider communication
• Disk Space: 500 MB minimum for installation
• Memory: 4 GB RAM recommended

Installation Steps

macOS

1. Download: Get the .dmg file from the Download page
2. Open: Double-click the downloaded file to mount the disk image
3. Install: Drag Guardian to your Applications folder
4. First Launch: Right-click and select "Open" (required for first launch due to Gatekeeper)
5. Verify: Check Settings > Updates to confirm the version number

Note: If you see "Guardian is damaged", run this in Terminal:

xattr -cr /Applications/Guardian.app

Windows

1. Download: Get the .msi installer from the Download page
2. Run: Double-click the installer and follow the prompts
3. Complete: Accept the default installation location (C:\\Program Files\\Guardian)
4. Launch: Find Guardian in the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

Tip: If Windows Defender blocks the installer, click "More info" then "Run anyway"

Linux

1. Download: Get the .AppImage or .deb file from the Download page
2. Make Executable:

   chmod +x Guardian-*.AppImage
   

3. Run:

   ./Guardian-*.AppImage
   

For Debian-based systems, you can also use the .deb package:

sudo dpkg -i guardian-*.deb

Post-Installation Setup

After installing Guardian, complete these steps:

1. Configure AI Provider

Navigate to Settings > Providers and add your API credentials:

Provider: Anthropic Claude
API Key: sk-ant-api03-xxxxx
Model: claude-4.5-sonnet

2. Set Up Project Defaults

In Settings > Projects, configure:

• Default Scan Path: Your typical projects directory
• Ignore Patterns: Files/folders to exclude (e.g., node_modules, .git)
• Severity Threshold: Minimum severity level to display

3. Verify Installation

Run the built-in health check:

1. Go to Settings > Updates
2. Click "Check for Updates"
3. Verify that the current version is displayed correctly

Updating Guardian

Guardian supports automatic updates:

1. Auto-Check: The app checks for updates on startup
2. Notification: A banner appears when updates are available
3. One-Click Install: Click "Update Now" to download and install

To manually check: Settings > Updates > Check for Updates

Uninstallation

macOS

rm -rf /Applications/Guardian.app
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Guardian

Windows

Use "Add or Remove Programs" in Windows Settings

Linux

rm ~/Guardian-*.AppImage
rm -rf ~/.config/guardian

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
App won't launch	Delete preferences and restart
"Damaged app" on macOS	Run xattr -cr command above
Blank screen	Check if antivirus is blocking
Can't connect to AI	Verify API key in Settings

For more issues, see Troubleshooting.