Installation
Development Status
SilentCast is currently under active development. The installation methods described below may change. For the most stable experience, we recommend using the official releases from GitHub.
This guide covers all installation methods for SilentCast across different platforms. Choose the method that best suits your needs.
System Requirements
Minimum Requirements
- OS: Windows 10+ or macOS 10.15+
- Memory: 512MB RAM
- Storage: 50MB available space
- Permissions: Admin/sudo access for global hotkeys
Supported Architectures
- x86_64 (AMD64)
- ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
Quick Install Scripts
The fastest way to get started:
# Universal install script
curl -sSL https://get.silentcast.dev | bash
# With custom installation directory
curl -sSL https://get.silentcast.dev | bash -s -- --prefix=/opt/silentcast
# Install specific version
curl -sSL https://get.silentcast.dev | bash -s -- --version=1.0.0
# Run PowerShell as Administrator
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
iwr -useb https://get.silentcast.dev/install.ps1 | iex
# Install to custom location
iwr -useb https://get.silentcast.dev/install.ps1 | iex -InstallDir "C:\Tools\SilentCast"
# Install specific version
iwr -useb https://get.silentcast.dev/install.ps1 | iex -Version "1.0.0"
Security Note: Always review install scripts before running them. You can view the scripts at:
Package Managers
macOS (Homebrew)
# Install
brew tap spherestacking/silentcast
brew install silentcast
# Upgrade
brew upgrade silentcast
# Start as service
brew services start silentcast
Windows
Scoop
# Add bucket
scoop bucket add silentcast https://github.com/SphereStacking/scoop-silentcast
# Install
scoop install silentcast
# Update
scoop update silentcast
Chocolatey
# Install (Admin PowerShell)
choco install silentcast
# Upgrade
choco upgrade silentcast
WinGet
# Install
winget install SphereStacking.SilentCast
# Upgrade
winget upgrade SphereStacking.SilentCast
Manual Installation
Download Binaries
- Visit the releases page
- Download the appropriate archive for your platform:
silentcast-windows-amd64.zip
- Windows 64-bitsilentcast-darwin-amd64.tar.gz
- macOS Intelsilentcast-darwin-arm64.tar.gz
- macOS Apple Silicon
Installation Steps
# Extract archive
tar -xzf silentcast-*.tar.gz
# Move to PATH
sudo mv silentcast /usr/local/bin/
# Make executable
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/silentcast
# Verify installation
silentcast --version
# Extract ZIP (PowerShell)
Expand-Archive silentcast-windows-amd64.zip -DestinationPath C:\Tools\SilentCast
# Add to PATH
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(
"Path",
$env:Path + ";C:\Tools\SilentCast",
[EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User
)
# Refresh PATH
$env:Path = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
# Verify installation
silentcast --version
Building from Source
Prerequisites
- Go 1.21 or later
- Git
- Make (optional but recommended)
Build Steps
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/SphereStacking/silentcast.git
cd silentcast
# Build for current platform
make build
# Build for all platforms
make build-all
# Install locally
sudo make install
# Run tests
make test
Custom Build Options
# Build without C dependencies (no system tray)
make build-stub
# Build with specific version
make build VERSION=1.2.3
# Build for specific platform
GOOS=darwin GOARCH=arm64 make build
# Static build (no CGO)
CGO_ENABLED=0 make build
Post-Installation Setup
1. Configuration Directory
SilentCast looks for configuration in these locations:
# Create config directory
mkdir -p ~/.config/silentcast
# Copy example configuration
curl -o ~/.config/silentcast/spellbook.yml \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SphereStacking/silentcast/main/examples/spellbook.yml
# Create config directory
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$env:APPDATA\SilentCast"
# Download example configuration
Invoke-WebRequest `
-Uri "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SphereStacking/silentcast/main/examples/spellbook.yml" `
-OutFile "$env:APPDATA\SilentCast\spellbook.yml"
2. Platform-Specific Setup
macOS - Accessibility Permissions
- Run SilentCast once:
silentcast
- When prompted, open System Preferences
- Go to Security & Privacy → Privacy → Accessibility
- Click the lock and authenticate
- Add SilentCast to the list
- Restart SilentCast
3. Auto-Start Configuration
# Create launch agent
cat > ~/Library/LaunchAgents/dev.silentcast.plist << EOF
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>dev.silentcast</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/usr/local/bin/silentcast</string>
</array>
<key>RunAtLoad</key>
<true/>
<key>KeepAlive</key>
<true/>
</dict>
</plist>
EOF
# Load the agent
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/dev.silentcast.plist
# Create scheduled task
$Action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\Tools\SilentCast\silentcast.exe"
$Trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogon
$Principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId $env:USERNAME -RunLevel Highest
$Settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries
Register-ScheduledTask `
-TaskName "SilentCast" `
-Action $Action `
-Trigger $Trigger `
-Principal $Principal `
-Settings $Settings `
-Description "SilentCast - Silent Hotkey Task Runner"
Verification
After installation, verify everything is working:
# Check version
silentcast --version
# Validate configuration
silentcast --validate-config
# Run in debug mode
silentcast --log-level debug
# Test a simple spell
# Press your prefix key (e.g., Alt+Space) then 'h' for help
Troubleshooting Installation
Common Issues
Command not found
The binary is not in your PATH. Either:
- Add the installation directory to PATH
- Move the binary to a directory already in PATH
- Use the full path to run:
/usr/local/bin/silentcast
Permission denied
Make the binary executable:
chmod +x /path/to/silentcast
For global hotkeys, you may need to run with elevated permissions initially.
macOS: "Cannot be opened because developer cannot be verified"
Clear the quarantine attribute:
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /usr/local/bin/silentcast
Or right-click the app and select "Open" once.
Next Steps
Now that SilentCast is installed:
- Configure your spellbook - Set up your shortcuts
- Learn about shortcuts - Master the magic
- Explore automation - Advanced scripting features
Need help? Join our Discord community.