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Install the macOS desktop app for local work, or install the headless bundle on a supported Linux host. Both paths run the same server, daemon, web interface, and agent terminals.

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Choose a supported deployment

Choose the installation that matches the host where agents will run:

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Install the macOS desktop app

Download the latest macOS package from the Podium releases page, install it, and open Podium. The packaged app starts its local services for you.

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Install on Linux

The headless installer downloads a signed, architecture-matched bundle and installs it under ~/.local/share/podium. Run:
Open a new login shell if podium is not yet on PATH. You can also update the current shell:
Set PODIUM_NO_MODIFY_PATH=1 before running the installer if your configuration manager owns shell startup files.

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Finish first-run setup

Run Podium after installation:
An unconfigured install starts in all-in-one mode on port 18787 and prints a setup URL. Open that URL, or run podium setup in an interactive terminal.
Podium web inside a decorative macOS-style frame, showing the first-run installation mode choices.

Podium web setup modes inside a decorative macOS-style frame.

During setup:
  1. Choose how clients and future machines reach the server
  2. Register at least one Git repository
  3. Confirm that Podium detects an installed harness and reports it logged in
  4. Choose whether to opt into anonymous usage or crash telemetry
Verify the running processes and available machine:
After setup, open Settings, then Accounts to check harness sign-in state. The page heading is Accounts & Keys.

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Choose remote access carefully

Setup supports Tailscale Funnel, Tailscale Serve, a Cloudflare quick tunnel, or your own reverse proxy. Prefer Tailscale Serve for tailnet-only access or a stable TLS reverse proxy for a durable public endpoint.
Podium web inside a decorative macOS-style frame, showing Tailscale, Cloudflare, reverse-proxy, and login-password setup options.

Podium web network options inside a decorative macOS-style frame.

When password protection is enabled, the local sign-in form requires both Email and Password. Enter user:sole in the Email field and the configured Podium password in the Password field. Cloudflare quick-tunnel URLs change on restart. Every joined machine loses contact until you run podium set-server new_server_url on that machine and restart its daemon with podium stop && podium.
A public Podium server can reach repositories, terminals, and agent credentials on paired machines. Require authentication and Transport Layer Security (TLS), or keep access inside a private network. Read security and privacy before exposing an instance.

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Next step

Continue with your first issue. To add compute later, follow add a remote machine.
Last modified on September 16, 2026