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Download

Download the latest version of Polaris IDE for your operating system:

Windows

Polaris-IDE-Setup-x64.exeNSIS installer for Windows 10+

macOS

Polaris-IDE.dmgUniversal binary for Intel & Apple Silicon

Linux

Polaris-IDE.AppImagePortable app for all distributions
Desktop releases are published on GitHub. Check the releases page for the latest version.

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Windows Installation

1

Download the Installer

Download Polaris-IDE-Setup-x64.exe from the releases page.
2

Run the Installer

Double-click the installer file. Windows SmartScreen may show a warning for unrecognized apps - click “More info” then “Run anyway”.
3

Choose Installation Options

The installer allows you to:
  • Choose installation directory
  • Create desktop shortcut (enabled by default)
  • Add to Start Menu (enabled by default)
  • Install for current user or all users
4

Complete Installation

Click “Install” and wait for the process to complete. The app will launch automatically when finished.

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Windows Configuration

The installer is configured in electron-builder.yml:29: 
win:
  target:
    - target: nsis
      arch:
        - x64
  icon: electron/resources/icons/icon.ico
  publisherName: Polaris Team

nsis:
  oneClick: false
  allowToChangeInstallationDirectory: true
  createDesktopShortcut: always
  createStartMenuShortcut: true
  perMachine: false

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macOS Installation

1

Download the DMG

Download Polaris-IDE.dmg from the releases page.
2

Open the DMG

Double-click the DMG file to mount it. A window will open showing the Polaris IDE app.
3

Install the App

Drag the Polaris IDE icon to the Applications folder.
4

Launch the App

Open the Applications folder and double-click Polaris IDE.First launch: macOS may show a warning about an app from an unidentified developer. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and click “Open Anyway”.
Apple requires apps to be notarized for distribution. Until the app is notarized, you’ll need to manually approve it in System Preferences.

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Linux Installation

1

Download AppImage

Download Polaris-IDE.AppImage from the releases page.
2

Make it Executable

chmod +x Polaris-IDE.AppImage
3

Run the App

./Polaris-IDE.AppImage
Or double-click the file in your file manager.

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Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

sudo dpkg -i polaris-ide_0.1.0_amd64.deb
If dependencies are missing: 
sudo apt-get install -f

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Fedora/RHEL (.rpm)

sudo rpm -i polaris-ide-0.1.0.x86_64.rpm
Or using dnf: 
sudo dnf install polaris-ide-0.1.0.x86_64.rpm

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Linux Configuration

Linux builds are configured in electron-builder.yml:44: 
linux:
  target:
    - AppImage
    - deb
    - rpm
  icon: electron/resources/icons/
  category: Development
  mimeTypes:
    - x-scheme-handler/polaris
  executableName: polaris-ide

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Building from Source

You can build the desktop app from source if you prefer:
Required:
  • Node.js 20.09 or higher
  • npm or pnpm
  • Git
Platform-specific:
  • Windows: Visual Studio Build Tools
  • macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools
  • Linux: build-essential, libx11-dev, libxkbfile-dev

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Build Scripts

The build process is defined in package.json:17: 
{
  "scripts": {
    "electron:dev": "concurrently \"npm run electron:dev:next\" \"npm run electron:dev:electron\"",
    "electron:dev:next": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development next dev",
    "electron:dev:electron": "wait-on http://localhost:3000 && npm run electron:compile && cross-env NODE_ENV=development electron .",
    "electron:build": "npm run electron:build:next && npm run electron:build:app",
    "electron:build:next": "cross-env BUILD_ELECTRON=true next build",
    "electron:build:app": "npm run electron:compile && electron-builder",
    "electron:compile": "tsc -p electron/tsconfig.json"
  }
}

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Build Configuration

The desktop app uses electron-builder for packaging. Configuration is in electron-builder.yml:1: 
appId: com.polaris.ide
productName: Polaris IDE
copyright: Copyright © 2025 Polaris Team

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Updating the App

The desktop app includes automatic update functionality:
When a new version is available, you’ll see a notification in the app. Click “Download Update” to install the latest version.Update behavior:
  • Checks for updates on startup (after 3 seconds)
  • Downloads updates in the background
  • Prompts to restart and install when ready
  • Falls back to manual download if auto-update fails
File: electron/main/auto-updater.ts:80
If auto-update fails, download the latest installer from GitHub releases and run it. Your settings and projects will be preserved.
Auto-update is disabled in development mode (npm run electron:dev). Always use production builds for testing updates.

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Troubleshooting

Issue: Windows blocks the installer with “Windows protected your PC”Solution:
  1. Click “More info”
  2. Click “Run anyway”
This happens because the app is not yet code-signed. Once signed, the warning will disappear.
Issue: macOS blocks the app with “cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”Solution:
  1. Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy
  2. Click the lock to make changes
  3. Click “Open Anyway” next to the Polaris IDE message
Or use this command:
xattr -cr /Applications/Polaris\ IDE.app
Issue: App fails to launch with library errorsSolution (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt-get install libgtk-3-0 libnotify4 libnss3 libxss1 libxtst6 xdg-utils libatspi2.0-0 libdrm2 libgbm1 libxcb-dri3-0
Solution (Fedora):
sudo dnf install gtk3 libnotify nss libXScrnSaver libXtst xdg-utils at-spi2-core libdrm mesa-libgbm
Issue: Build fails with TypeScript or compilation errorsSolution:
# Clean build artifacts
rm -rf node_modules .next dist-electron

# Reinstall dependencies
npm install

# Rebuild
npm run electron:build

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Next Steps

Desktop Features

Explore desktop-specific features

Getting Started

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