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 and Linux installers will appear on the Download page once those builds are published.

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

Post-Installation Setup

After installing Guardian, complete these steps:

1. Configure AI Provider

Navigate to Settings > Provider and add your AI provider credentials.

2. Verify Installation

Open Settings > Updates and confirm the current version is displayed correctly.

Updating Guardian

Guardian supports automatic updates:

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

Uninstallation

macOS

rm -rf /Applications/Guardian.app
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/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 security software is blocking
Can't connect to AI	Verify API key in Settings

For more issues, see Troubleshooting.