Install Zornov

Zornov is free, and every download is on zornov.com/download and on the latest GitHub release.

Before you start, check that your computer meets the system requirements.

Mac

Zornov runs on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 13 Ventura or later. It doesn't run on Intel Macs.

Install from the disk image

1. Download Zornov-0.1.2-macos-aarch64.dmg.
2. Open the downloaded file.
3. Drag Zornov onto the Applications folder in the window that opens.
4. Eject the disk image.
5. Open Zornov from your Applications folder.

Install with Homebrew

If you use Homebrew, run:

brew trust zornov/tap && brew install --cask zornov/tap/zornov

Homebrew puts Zornov in your Applications folder and adds the zornov command to your terminal.

First launch on a Mac

The Mac app is signed and notarised by Apple. The first time you open it, macOS may tell you that Zornov was downloaded from the internet and ask if you want to open it. Choose Open.

macOS asks for permission to use the microphone or camera the first time you record in Zornov.

Windows

Zornov runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11 with a graphics card that supports DirectX 12. There are two downloads: an installer and a portable zip.

Install with the installer

1. Download Zornov-0.1.2-windows-x64.msi.
2. Open the downloaded file and follow the installer.
3. Open Zornov from the Start menu.

The installer puts Zornov in C:\Program Files\Zornov for everyone on the computer. A later installer upgrades the version you have.

Use the portable zip

The portable zip needs no installation, so it suits a computer where you can't install programs.

1. Download zornov-windows-x64.zip.
2. Right-click the file and choose Extract All, then pick a folder you can write to.
3. Open the extracted folder and double-click zornov.exe.

Keep every file in the folder together. zornov.exe needs the files beside it, including the DirectX shader compiler (dxcompiler.dll and dxil.dll).

First launch on Windows

If Windows SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC", choose More info, then Run anyway.

The Windows download has two programs:

Neither folder is added to your PATH. To type zornov-cli in a terminal from any folder, add the Zornov folder to your user PATH. See Command line.

Linux

Zornov runs on 64-bit Intel and AMD (x86_64) Linux with glibc 2.39 or later: Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13, Fedora 40 and newer. There are three downloads: a .deb package, an AppImage and a portable archive.

Install the .deb package (Debian and Ubuntu)

1. Download zornov_0.1.2_amd64.deb.

2. In a terminal, go to the folder you downloaded it to and run:

   sudo apt install ./zornov_0.1.2_amd64.deb
   

3. Open Zornov from your applications menu.

The package adds Zornov to your applications menu and puts the zornov command in /usr/bin. A .deb install doesn't update itself; see Update and uninstall.

Use the AppImage

1. Download Zornov-0.1.2-x86_64.AppImage.

2. Make it executable. In your file manager, open the file's properties and allow it to run as a program, or run:

   chmod +x Zornov-0.1.2-x86_64.AppImage
   

3. Double-click the AppImage to open Zornov.

Keep the AppImage in a folder you can write to, such as your home folder, so it can update itself.

Use the portable archive

1. Download zornov-linux-x86_64.tar.gz.

2. Extract it:

   tar -xzf zornov-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
   

3. Double-click zornov in the extracted zornov-linux-x86_64 folder.

Libraries Linux needs

Zornov needs the ALSA sound library and the SQLite library. Most desktop installs already have them. If Zornov doesn't start and a terminal shows an error about libasound.so.2 or libsqlite3.so.0, install them:

On Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo apt install libasound2t64 libsqlite3-0

On Fedora, install alsa-lib and sqlite-libs.

Zornov draws with Vulkan, so your graphics driver needs Vulkan support. The .deb package installs the Vulkan loader (libvulkan1) for you.

First launch on Linux

On Linux, one zornov program is both the editor and the command line. Started from your applications menu or by a double-click, it opens the editor window. Typed in a terminal, zornov gives you Zornov's prompt instead. To open the editor window from a terminal, run:

zornov app

For the AppImage or the archive, use the full path to the file, for example ./Zornov-0.1.2-x86_64.AppImage app.

After you install

The first time the editor opens, a short welcome tour points out the main parts of the window. Use the arrow keys or the buttons to move through it, or press Esc to skip it. You can replay it from the Help menu.

Next, make your first project.

To use Zornov from Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex or another AI assistant, see Use Zornov from Claude, Codex and other AI assistants.