Skip to main content
On Windows or Linux, the desktop app is the easiest way to run AppBlips: download it, install it, and add your API key in the app. Prefer containers? See Docker.
Running from source means you download AppBlips’ code and start it yourself with Node.js. It’s useful if you’re on macOS (there is no installer yet), if you want to change AppBlips itself, or if you just prefer a terminal. You can run it in two ways:

​
Before you start

You need two free tools:
  • Node.js 22.12 or newer. Download the LTS version from nodejs.org and install it. npm comes with it.
  • Git (optional). It makes updating easier. Get it from git-scm.com. Without Git, you can download the code as a ZIP file instead.
To check that Node.js is installed, open a terminal (on Windows, PowerShell; on macOS, Terminal) and type:
You should see a version number such as v22.12.0 or higher.

​
Get the code

In your terminal, run:
Then install AppBlips’ building blocks (this takes a minute or two the first time):

​
Run it in your browser

1

Start AppBlips

This builds AppBlips and starts it. When it’s ready, the terminal shows AppBlips is running. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.
2

Open it

Go to http://localhost:3000 in your browser.
3

Set up your AI provider

The welcome tour ends by asking for your AI provider, API key and model, just like the desktop app. You can change them later in Settings → API.
To stop AppBlips, click the terminal window and press Ctrl+C. To start it again later, open a terminal in the same folder and run npm start. Port 3000 already taken? Start it on another port. On macOS or Linux run PORT=3001 npm start. On Windows (PowerShell) run $env:PORT=3001; npm start.

​
Things to know about the browser version

  • Your projects live in your browser, for the exact address you opened (http://localhost:3000). A different browser, a private window or another port starts empty. Clearing your browser’s site data deletes them, so back up with Settings → Data → Export now and then.
  • Your API key is saved in your browser and sent to AppBlips with each request. It’s never put into your projects or exported apps.
  • It only answers on your own computer. Other devices on your network can’t open it. See Security before changing that.
  • Instead of entering a provider in the app, you can give the server one in a .env file. See the Configuration reference.

​
Build the desktop app from source

The same code runs as the desktop app, with projects saved as folders and your key in the system keychain.
This builds AppBlips and opens it in its own window. The first time, set up your AI provider as described in the desktop quickstart.
Ubuntu 24.04 and some other distributions need Electron’s sandbox helper to be owned by the system. Run these two commands once in the AppBlips folder, then npm run desktop again:
Repeat them after an npm install that updates Electron. Don’t use --no-sandbox instead: the sandbox is what keeps the apps you build away from your files.

​
Make your own installer

To build installer files like the ones on the Releases page:
When it finishes, the files are in the dist-desktop folder:
  • On Linux: AppBlips-<version>-x86_64.AppImage and AppBlips-<version>-amd64.deb
  • On Windows: AppBlips-Setup-<version>.exe
Build each one on the system it’s for: the Windows installer needs Windows. Installers you build yourself aren’t code-signed, so Windows may warn you the first time you run one (see Troubleshooting).

​
Updating

AppBlips tells you when a new version is out (turn this off in Settings → Workspace → Check for updates). To update a copy you run from source:
1

Stop AppBlips

Press Ctrl+C in its terminal, or close the desktop window.
2

Get the new code

With Git, run git pull in the AppBlips folder. Without Git, download the ZIP again and unzip it over the old folder.
3

Install and start again

Use npm run desktop instead of npm start for the desktop app.
Your projects aren’t touched by an update: the browser version keeps them in your browser, and the desktop app in your projects folder. With Docker, see Updating on the Docker page.

​
For contributors

npm run dev starts a development server on http://localhost:5175 that reloads as you edit the code. It’s meant for working on AppBlips itself; use npm start to just run it. Run npm run lint before you send changes.