Install Knode (Windows)
Who this is for: people installing the shipped Inno Setup installer (KnodeSetup-*.exe), for example from a GitHub Release.
Developers building from source: see KNODE-MVP-GUIDE.md §4; open dotnet/Knode/Knode.csproj in Visual Studio or run dotnet build / dotnet run from dotnet/Knode/.
Supported environment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit (x64) |
| Not supported | macOS, Linux, Windows ARM32, 32-bit Windows (this build targets win-x64) |
Prerequisites (install these before or with Knode)
- Microsoft .NET 8 Desktop Runtime, x64.
The published installer uses framework-dependent deployment (--self-contained false). Without this runtime, Knode will not start. - WebView2 Runtime: Usually already present on Windows 10/11. If answer/source panes stay blank, install the Evergreen runtime.
Get the installer
- Recommended: Download
KnodeSetup-x.y.z.exefrom the project’s GitHub Releases page (artifact built with Inno Setup viadotnet/build-installer.ps1). - Trust: Install only from official links you expect (maintainer’s repo or Release). This project does not ship through the Microsoft Store in the MVP.
Run the installer
- Double-click
KnodeSetup-*.exe. - Follow the wizard (install location, shortcuts as offered).
- Launch Knode from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
Windows SmartScreen and code signing
Release builds may be unsigned or not use a publicly trusted Authenticode certificate (common for small OSS projects). Windows SmartScreen may show “Windows protected your PC” or similar.
- This is normal for many community builds, not a guarantee the app is harmful.
- If you choose More info → Run anyway, you are choosing to trust this publisher and this download channel. Prefer downloads only from the official Release you verified.
- Code signing (paid cert) reduces SmartScreen friction but is optional for MVP; the project makes no claim of formal third-party security audit. See SECURITY-AND-RELEASES.md.
After install
Follow KNODE-FIRST-RUN.md (corpus file, API key, build index, first questions).
Building the installer yourself (maintainers)
On a machine with .NET 8 SDK and Inno Setup 6 (ISCC.exe on PATH):
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File dotnet/build-installer.ps1
Output: dotnet/dist-installer/KnodeSetup-*.exe (version from Knode.csproj / Knode.iss).
Published app binaries: dotnet/publish/ (before Inno wraps them).
Privacy and network (short)
Knode sends your question and retrieved highlight text to Google Gemini when you click Ask, and calls Gemini for embeddings during Build index. Your corpus file and local index stay on your PC. Details: SECURITY-AND-RELEASES.md.