Installation

Desktop download and installation, first launch, data locations, updates and backups, source code run

Desktop Version (Recommended)

For regular writing, use the desktop version. No need to install Node.js, pnpm, or manually start the server. Click the corresponding system below to download v0.8.1:

Windows Installer (Recommended)

Approx. 141 MB · Best for long-term use, supports in-app updates

Windows Portable

Approx. 141 MB · No installation, data follows the program directory

macOS (Apple Silicon)

Approx. 189 MB · M series chips

macOS (Intel)

Approx. 193 MB · Intel chips

Linux (AppImage)

Approx. 214 MB · x86_64, run directly after granting execute permission

All Versions and Release Notes

View latest and historical versions on GitHub Releases

Not sure which Mac chip you have: click the Apple menu in the top-left corner → About This Mac. If the “Chip” field shows Apple M1/M2/M3/M4, choose arm64. If it shows Intel, choose x64.

Installation Steps by Platform

Windows

Installer

1. Double-click setup-x64.exe and follow the wizard. You can customize the installation directory; desktop and Start menu shortcuts are created by default.
2. If a “Windows protected your PC” prompt appears, click More info → Run anyway.
3. The app will launch automatically after installation.

Portable

Place portable-x64.exe in a dedicated folder before running. Data will be saved in a <program-name>-data folder in the same directory; copy this folder along with the program when moving it.

macOS

1. Double-click the .dmg and drag Biz Novel Studio into “Applications”.
2. If blocked by the system on first open, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, find the blocked app at the bottom, and click Still Open.
3. If prompted “damaged, cannot open”, execute the following command in Terminal and reopen:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Biz Novel Studio.app"

The current Mac installer is not signed or notarized by Apple, so manual approval is required on first open.

Linux

chmod +x Biz-Novel-Studio-*-linux-x86_64.AppImage
./Biz-Novel-Studio-*-linux-x86_64.AppImage

Some distributions require FUSE to be installed first to run AppImage (for example, Ubuntu 22.04 and above install libfuse2).

First Launch

The desktop version starts a local service first, then enters the workbench. The launch screen shows “Starting local engine → Loading workspace → Ready”, usually taking a few seconds to a dozen seconds.

After entering the workbench, if no text model is available, Quick Setup will pop up automatically. Fill in the API Key, address, and model, and pass the test to start creating. For detailed steps, see Onboarding.

When the launch screen stops at “Startup blocked”, first click the log entry on the page to check the reason. Common causes are antivirus software blocking the local service, or the previous process not fully exiting. Fully quit the app and reopen; if it still fails, save the log bundle to Issues for feedback.

Where Data Is Saved

Novels, chapters, settings, task records, and the local database are all saved locally on your machine. They are not uploaded to the project’s servers (when calling models, related content is sent to your configured model provider).

Version	Default Data Directory
Windows Installer	%LOCALAPPDATA%\AI-Novel-Writing-Assistant-v2
Windows Portable	<program-name>-data in the program directory
macOS	~/Library/Application Support/AI-Novel-Writing-Assistant-v2
Linux	~/.AI-Novel-Writing-Assistant-v2

Logs are in the logs folder under the data directory. Uninstalling the Windows installer will not delete the data directory; data remains after reinstallation.

Updates

Version	How to Update
Windows Installer	Automatically checks for new versions on startup. Click the version number in the top bar to open “Version & Update”, where you can manually Check for updates, and click Restart to install after download
Windows Portable	Does not support in-app updates. Download the new portable package to replace the old program, keeping the -data folder
macOS	Does not support in-app updates. Download the new .dmg and overwrite the installation; data is unaffected

Backup and Migration

Long-form creation data is important; regular backups are recommended:

1. Fully quit the app (confirm no generation tasks are running).
2. Copy the entire data directory to a safe location.
3. For important works, additionally export a copy of the body text.

When migrating to a new computer, install the same or a newer version on the new computer, and place the backed-up data directory in the corresponding location before first launch.

Do not copy or replace the database while the app is running, and do not delete the data directory without a backup.

Mobile

There is currently no mobile app; you will not find an official installer in mobile app stores. If you want to use it on your phone, you can access your self-hosted Web interface in a browser from your computer or server. For serious writing, the desktop version is still recommended, with a better screen and controls.

Source Code Run (Developers)

Environment requirements:

Item	Requirement
Node.js	^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=24.0.0
pnpm	>=10.6.0 (repository declares using pnpm@10.6.0)
Text model	At least one available API configuration; can be filled in after startup
Database	Default local SQLite; PostgreSQL available via server configuration
Knowledge Base retrieval	Optional Qdrant and Embedding model; not a prerequisite for first-time writing

git clone https://github.com/ExplosiveCoderflome/AI-Novel-Writing-Assistant.git
cd AI-Novel-Writing-Assistant
pnpm install
cp server/.env.example server/.env   # Windows PowerShell use Copy-Item
pnpm dev

Frontend defaults to http://localhost:5173, server to http://localhost:3000. In server/.env, confirm DIRECTOR_NEXT_ENABLED=true (enables V2 selection); if Qdrant is not yet configured, set RAG_ENABLED=false to get creation running first. After startup, open System Settings, configure and test models (see Model Configuration).

Full variable descriptions at Environment Variables, directory structure and common commands at Architecture and Source.

Next Steps

Onboarding

Complete quick setup, from a spark of inspiration to the first chapter

FAQ

Handling installation, model, task pause, and other issues