Installation

Install Fresh using your preferred package manager on macOS, Linux, Windows, or build from source

Quick Install

The fastest way to install Fresh is using the automatic installer that detects the best method for your system:

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sinelaw/fresh/refs/heads/master/scripts/install.sh | sh

Or choose your preferred installation method below.

macOS

Homebrew (Recommended)

The recommended way to install Fresh on macOS:

1. Add the Fresh tap

   brew tap sinelaw/fresh
   
2. Install Fresh

   brew install fresh-editor
   
3. Verify installation

   fresh --version
   

macOS Terminal Tips: For the best experience on macOS, see macOS Terminal Configuration for recommended terminal settings and keyboard shortcuts.

Windows

Winget (Recommended)

Install Fresh using Windows Package Manager:

winget install fresh-editor

npm

Alternatively, Windows users can install via npm:

npm install -g @fresh-editor/fresh-editor

Or try without installing:

npx @fresh-editor/fresh-editor

Linux

Arch Linux (AUR)

Binary Package (Recommended)

Using an AUR helper like yay or paru:

yay -S fresh-editor-bin

Or manually:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/fresh-editor-bin.git
cd fresh-editor-bin
makepkg --syncdeps --install

The binary package is faster to install as it downloads pre-built binaries instead of compiling from source.

Build from Source

Using an AUR helper:

yay -S fresh-editor

Or manually:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/fresh-editor.git
cd fresh-editor
makepkg --syncdeps --install

Debian/Ubuntu (.deb)

Download and install the latest release:

curl -sL $(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/sinelaw/fresh/releases/latest | grep "browser_download_url.*_$(dpkg --print-architecture)\.deb" | cut -d '"' -f 4) -o fresh-editor.deb && sudo dpkg -i fresh-editor.deb

Or download the .deb file manually from the releases page.

Fedora/RHEL/openSUSE (.rpm)

Download and install the latest release:

curl -sL $(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/sinelaw/fresh/releases/latest | grep "browser_download_url.*\.$(uname -m)\.rpm" | cut -d '"' -f 4) -o fresh-editor.rpm && sudo rpm -U fresh-editor.rpm

Or download the .rpm file manually from the releases page.

Bazzite/Bluefin/Aurora Linux

These distributions support Homebrew:

brew tap sinelaw/fresh
brew install fresh-editor

FreeBSD

Install from ports or using pkg:

pkg install fresh

For more information, see FreshPorts.

AppImage (Universal Linux)

Download the .AppImage file from the releases page:

1. Download and make executable

   chmod +x fresh-editor-VERSION-x86_64.AppImage
   
2. Run directly (slower startup)

   ./fresh-editor-VERSION-x86_64.AppImage
   

For faster startup (recommended): Extract the AppImage instead of running it directly. This avoids the FUSE mount overhead on each launch (~10x faster):

./fresh-editor-VERSION-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fresh-editor ~/.local/bin
mv squashfs-root/* ~/.local/share/fresh-editor/
ln -sf ~/.local/share/fresh-editor/usr/bin/fresh ~/.local/bin/fresh

Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH.

Available for x86_64 and aarch64 architectures.

Flatpak

Download the .flatpak bundle from the releases page:

flatpak install --user fresh-editor-VERSION-x86_64.flatpak
flatpak run io.github.sinelaw.fresh

See the flatpak README for building from source.

Cross-Platform

npm / npx

Install globally via npm:

npm install -g @fresh-editor/fresh-editor

Or try without installing:

npx @fresh-editor/fresh-editor

Pre-built Binaries

Download pre-built binaries for your platform from the releases page.

Available for:

• macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
• Linux (x86_64, aarch64)
• Windows (x86_64)

Rust Users

cargo-binstall (Fast)

Install the binary directly without compiling (much faster than crates.io):

1. Install cargo-binstall (if not already installed)

   cargo install cargo-binstall
   
2. Install Fresh

   cargo binstall fresh-editor
   

From crates.io

Build from source using Cargo:

cargo install --locked fresh-editor

This method compiles Fresh from source, which can take several minutes depending on your system.

Nix

Nix Flakes

Run without installing:

nix run github:sinelaw/fresh

Or install to your profile:

nix profile add github:sinelaw/fresh

Build from Source

For developers or those who want the latest development version:

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/sinelaw/fresh.git
   cd fresh
   
2. Build with Cargo

   cargo build --release
   
3. Run Fresh

   ./target/release/fresh [file]
   
4. Optional: Install to system

   cargo install --path .
   

Verification

After installation, verify Fresh is working:

Version Check

fresh --version

You should see the Fresh version number (currently v0.2.12) when running fresh --version.

Next Steps

Quick Start Tutorial

Learn the basics in 5 minutes

Configuration

Customize Fresh to your preferences

Features Guide

Explore all the features Fresh offers

Keyboard Shortcuts

Learn essential keyboard shortcuts

Troubleshooting

Command not found after installation

Ensure the installation directory is in your PATH:

• Homebrew: /usr/local/bin (Intel Mac) or /opt/homebrew/bin (Apple Silicon)
• npm: Check npm config get prefix
• Cargo: ~/.cargo/bin
• AppImage: Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH

Add to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.):

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Permission denied errors

If you get permission errors when running Fresh:

chmod +x /path/to/fresh

Terminal compatibility issues

Fresh works best with modern terminal emulators. Recommended terminals:

• macOS: iTerm2, Alacritty, or built-in Terminal.app
• Linux: Alacritty, Kitty, GNOME Terminal, Konsole
• Windows: Windows Terminal, Alacritty

See Troubleshooting for more help.