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Quick Install

The fastest way to install Applad is via the official install script: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mittolabs/applad/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
This script will:
  • Download the latest Applad CLI binary for your platform
  • Install it to /usr/local/bin/applad
  • Verify the installation
  • Set up shell completions (optional)
The install script supports macOS, Linux, and WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

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Prerequisites

Before installing Applad, ensure you have the following installed:
1

Docker

Applad uses Docker Compose as the universal runtime model. You need Docker installed on your system.macOS:
# Install Docker Desktop
brew install --cask docker
Linux:
# Install Docker Engine
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

# Add your user to the docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
WSL: Install Docker Desktop for Windows with WSL 2 backend enabled.
2

SSH Access (for remote deployments)

For VPS deployments, you’ll need SSH key-based authentication configured. Applad uses SSH keys as identity for all operations.
# Generate an SSH key if you don't have one
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

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Platform Requirements

PlatformArchitectureMinimum Version
macOSx86_64, ARM64macOS 11+
Linuxx86_64, ARM64Kernel 3.10+
WSLWSL 2Windows 10 1903+
Windows native is not currently supported. Use WSL 2 for Windows development.

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Alternative Installation Methods

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Manual Installation

If you prefer to install manually or the script doesn’t work for your system:
1

Download the binary

Download the latest release for your platform from the GitHub releases page.macOS (Apple Silicon):
curl -LO https://github.com/mittolabs/applad/releases/latest/download/applad-darwin-arm64
macOS (Intel):
curl -LO https://github.com/mittolabs/applad/releases/latest/download/applad-darwin-x64
Linux (x86_64):
curl -LO https://github.com/mittolabs/applad/releases/latest/download/applad-linux-x64
2

Make it executable

chmod +x applad-*
3

Move to PATH

sudo mv applad-* /usr/local/bin/applad

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Build from Source

For developers and contributors wanting to build from source: 
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mittolabs/applad.git
cd applad

# Bootstrap with Melos
dart pub global activate melos
melos bootstrap

# Build locally
./scripts/build_local.sh

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Verify Installation

After installation, verify that Applad is correctly installed: 
applad --version
You should see output similar to: 
applad version 0.1.0
Check that Docker is accessible: 
docker --version
docker compose version

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Shell Completion (Optional)

Enable shell completion for a better CLI experience: 
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile
echo 'eval "$(applad completion bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

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Update Applad

To update Applad to the latest version, re-run the install script: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mittolabs/applad/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
Or manually download and replace the binary as described in the manual installation steps.

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Uninstall

To remove Applad from your system: 
applad uninstall
This command will:
  • Remove the Applad CLI binary
  • Clean up configuration files (with confirmation)
  • Remove shell completions
Alternatively, manually remove the binary: 
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/applad

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Troubleshooting

The install script requires write access to /usr/local/bin. You may need to run with sudo:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mittolabs/applad/main/scripts/install.sh | sudo bash
Ensure Docker is installed and running. Test with:
docker ps
If you see “Cannot connect to the Docker daemon”, start Docker Desktop (macOS) or the Docker service (Linux):
# Linux
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
The binary may not be in your PATH. Verify the installation location:
which applad
If nothing is returned, add /usr/local/bin to your PATH:
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
On macOS, you might see a security warning for the downloaded binary. To allow it:
  1. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy
  2. Click Allow Anyway next to the Applad message
  3. Re-run the applad command
Alternatively, remove the quarantine attribute:
sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /usr/local/bin/applad

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Next Steps

Now that you have Applad installed:

Quick Start

Get a live backend running in 3 minutes

CLI Reference

Explore all available commands

Configuration

Learn about Applad’s config structure

Deploy to VPS

Deploy your first project to a VPS

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