// RUNNING KAPTAIN

Install Kaptain from the terminal

One command downloads the right build for your machine, verifies it, and puts it on your PATH. It works on macOS and Linux.

curl -sL https://chynj.ca/install.sh | sh

What it does

  1. Detects your operating system and CPU architecture.
  2. Downloads the matching build through chynj.ca/download.
  3. Runs the new binary's --help as a smoke test and refuses to replace a working install if it fails. (SHA-256 verification against the signed manifest is done by the in-app updater.)
  4. Marks it executable and installs it to ~/.local/bin — never with sudo; if that folder isn't on your PATH it prints the exact export line. Run the installer again any time to update: the swap is atomic and a failed smoke test keeps your old install.
It installs only — it does not start Kaptain. That is deliberate: a piped shell script that launches a background server surprises people, and breaks Dockerfiles and CI images. When it finishes, run: 
kaptain start

Reading it first

Piping a script into a shell means trusting it. If you would rather read it before running it:

curl -sL https://chynj.ca/install.sh -o install.sh
less install.sh
sh install.sh

On Windows

There is no terminal installer for Windows yet. Download the .exe and see Run Kaptain on Windows.

What happens on first run

  1. Kaptain opens at localhost:8810 in your browser.
  2. The setup wizard walks seven steps: account, plan, models, install, project, network, done. First: create your CHYNJ account or sign in — a verification email follows (the account works right away, but the free trial waits for the verified address).
  3. On the plan step, start the free 3-day trial (no card — the clock starts only when you press it) or paste a licence key.
  4. Pick a model runtime. Kaptain detects Ollama, llama.cpp, and the Claude and Codex CLIs; for Ollama and llama.cpp it shows the exact install command for your machine, while the CLIs simply show whether they are present.
  5. Choose your project folder (the boundary Kaptain works inside), then pick network access: Local only (the default and most secure) or Tailscale for your other devices. The done screen shows your access code once — save it.

The trial is tied to this device, so reinstalling does not start a new one. Subscribing later keeps everything you set up here.

Stuck? support@chynj.ca.

The full picture: the Kaptain Setup Guide covers which build to pick for your machine, what each model runtime needs, and the whole first-run wizard.

// OTHER PLATFORMS

macOSWindowsLinux