Install

SurfSense is a desktop app. Download it from the downloads page, or install it with one command in a terminal.

System requirementsCopy Anchor Link

• No Intel Mac build. SurfSense does not run on a Mac with an Intel chip.
• Windows on Arm. The x64 build runs under emulation. It has not been tested there.
• RHEL, Rocky and Alma 9 are too old. Depending on the point release, the app either does not start or cannot run local models.
• Models on your computer. Running a model locally needs enough memory, and a graphics card helps. During setup, SurfSense only lists models that fit your computer. If none fit, you can use a model from a server instead. See Models.

Download and installCopy Anchor Link

irm https://www.surfsense.com/install.ps1 | iex

What the install script checksCopy Anchor Link

Both scripts download from one GitHub release and check every file against that release's published checksums before using it. On macOS the app must also pass Gatekeeper, and on Windows the installer must carry a valid SurfSense signature. Nothing is sent anywhere except the downloads themselves.

Two settings change what the scripts do:

• SURFSENSE_VERSION=2.2.5 installs that version instead of the latest, even if it is older than the one you have.
• SURFSENSE_INSTALL_DRY_RUN=1 prints what the script would do, and changes nothing.

On macOS and Linux, put the setting before sh:

curl -fsSL https://www.surfsense.com/install.sh | SURFSENSE_INSTALL_DRY_RUN=1 sh

On Windows, set it first:

$env:SURFSENSE_INSTALL_DRY_RUN = '1'
irm https://www.surfsense.com/install.ps1 | iex

Older versions, checksums and release notes are on GitHub Releases.

First launchCopy Anchor Link

Open SurfSense from the Start menu, Applications, or your app menu. The first time, it walks you through setup: two privacy choices, then the models it uses. There is no account to create. The quick start goes through it step by step.

SurfSense does not check for updates until you allow it during setup. How updates work, and how to install one, is on Updates.

UninstallCopy Anchor Link

• Windows: Open Windows Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find SurfSense, and choose Uninstall.
• macOS: Quit SurfSense, then drag it from Applications to the Trash.
• Linux, deb: sudo apt remove surfsense-local-electron
• Linux, rpm: sudo dnf remove surfsense-local-electron, or the same with zypper.
• Linux, AppImage: Delete the SurfSense.AppImage file. If the install script put it in your app menu, also delete ~/.local/share/applications/surfsense-appimage.desktop.

Uninstalling removes the app, not your workspaces, sources, chats or downloaded models. To remove those too, delete your data folder. Data folder says where it is.