Desktop App
Install & update

Install and update the desktop app

Download the current release from mdedit.ai/desktop-app (opens in a new tab). Releases are currently unsigned, so macOS and Windows can show an operating-system warning on first launch. Only continue when the file came from the mdedit.ai download page and its checksum matches the published checksum.

Choose the right file

PlatformDownload
macOS on Apple siliconmdedit-<version>-mac-arm64.dmg
Windows x64mdedit-<version>-win-x64-setup.exe
Linux x64.AppImage, .deb, or .rpm

You can compare the downloaded file with checksums.txt (opens in a new tab) before opening it.

macOS

  1. Open the .dmg and drag mdedit.ai into Applications.
  2. Open Applications, Control-click mdedit.ai, and choose Open.
  3. Confirm Open in the macOS warning.

If macOS does not offer Open, dismiss the warning, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway for mdedit.ai. Do not disable Gatekeeper globally and do not run terminal commands that remove quarantine attributes.

macOS does not use the in-app updater. To update, download the latest .dmg, quit mdedit.ai, and replace the copy in Applications. Your account and document data are not stored inside the application bundle.

Windows

  1. Run the downloaded setup .exe.
  2. If Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows Windows protected your PC, verify the filename and checksum, choose More info, then Run anyway.
  3. Choose the installation directory and finish setup.

For updates, open Settings → Updates, choose Check for updates, then download the available release. Choose Restart and install after the download completes. The app does not install an update without your confirmation.

Linux

Install the .deb or .rpm with your package manager, or make the AppImage executable and run it:

chmod +x mdedit-*-linux-x64.AppImage
./mdedit-*-linux-x64.AppImage

Some distributions require FUSE 2 for AppImage support. Install the compatibility package supplied by your distribution if the AppImage reports a FUSE error.

The AppImage build supports Settings → Updates. Check, download, and restart from that tab. For .deb or .rpm, you can also download the new package and install it over the existing version.

If an update fails

  • Confirm the device is online and retry from Settings → Updates on Windows or Linux.
  • If the updater cannot download the release, install the latest file manually from the download page.
  • On macOS, use the manual replacement flow; the Updates tab is intentionally unavailable.
  • Verify the checksum again before bypassing an operating-system warning.
OverviewLocal Markdown files