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Installation Guide

Brainiac is available in multiple versions to suit your needs:

  • GUI Version - Web-based interface (runs in browser or as desktop app)
  • CLI Version - Command-line interface for terminal users
  • TUI Version - Terminal User Interface with rich visual elements
  • Desktop App - Native application for Mac, Windows, and Linux

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+ and npm
  • (For CLI/TUI) No additional requirements
  • (For Desktop App) Electron will be installed automatically

Installation Methods

Method 1: Clone from GitHub (Recommended for Developers)

git clone https://github.com/zanni098/brainiac.git
cd brainiac
npm install

Method 2: Install via npm (Coming Soon)

npm install -g brainiac

Method 3: Download Desktop App (Coming Soon)

Download the appropriate installer for your platform from the Releases page.

Running Brainiac

GUI Version (Web)

Development Mode

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173 in your browser.

Production Build

npm run build
npm run preview

CLI Version

Run Directly

npm run cli -- --help

Configure API

npm run cli config

Research a Topic

npm run cli research "quantum computing"

View History

npm run cli history

Export Report

npm run cli research "climate change" -o report.md
npm run cli export 1 output.md

TUI Version

npm run tui

Use keyboard shortcuts:

  • Enter: Research
  • Ctrl+C: Exit
  • Ctrl+E: Export current report
  • Ctrl+H: View history

Desktop App

Development Mode

npm run electron:dev

Build for All Platforms

npm run electron:build

Build for Specific Platform

npm run electron:build:mac    # macOS
npm run electron:build:win    # Windows
npm run electron:build:linux  # Linux

Built applications will be in the dist/ directory.

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

  • Desktop app builds as .dmg and .zip
  • Requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
  • Notarization required for distribution (configure in electron-builder)

Windows

  • Desktop app builds as .exe installer and portable version
  • Requires Windows 10 or later
  • May require antivirus exception for unsigned builds

Linux

  • Desktop app builds as .AppImage, .deb, and .rpm
  • Tested on Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 35+, Debian 11+
  • AppImage works on most Linux distributions

Global CLI Installation (Optional)

To use Brainiac CLI from anywhere:

npm link

Then you can run:

brainiac --help
brainiac config
brainiac research "your query"

To unlink:

npm unlink -g brainiac

Configuration

All versions share the same configuration stored in ~/.brainiac/config.json:

{
  "provider": "anthropic",
  "apiUrl": "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages",
  "apiKey": "your-api-key",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "maxTokens": 4096
}

Configure via CLI:

brainiac config

Or edit the config file directly.

Troubleshooting

"Module not found" errors

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Electron build fails

npm install electron@latest electron-builder@latest --save-dev

CLI/TUI display issues

  • Ensure your terminal supports UTF-8
  • For TUI, use a terminal with 256-color support
  • On Windows, use PowerShell or Windows Terminal (not CMD)

Permission errors

# On Unix-like systems
chmod +x cli/index.js
chmod +x tui/index.js

Uninstallation

Remove npm global package

npm uninstall -g brainiac

Remove configuration and history

# Unix-like systems
rm -rf ~/.brainiac

# Windows
rmdir %USERPROFILE%\.brainiac

Remove cloned repository

rm -rf brainiac

Development

For development setup, see DEVELOPMENT.md.

Support

For issues or questions: