Getting started / Install

BareNOC Desktop is a native console for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The packaged installers today are Windows MSI and Fedora RPM; macOS and other Linux distributions run from the same release tarball.

Install

Windows — download BareNOCDesktop-<version>.msi, run it, and follow the installer. It installs a start-menu shortcut and a system-tray app.
Fedora — download barenoc-desktop-<version>.x86_64.rpm and install with sudo dnf install ./barenoc-desktop-*.rpm. It registers a systemd --user service and a desktop launcher.
Other — unpack the release tarball and run ./barenoc-desktop from a terminal.

The download button on the product page points at the current release artifact.

First-run setup wizard

On first launch the console opens a short wizard:

Workspace — pick a name for this shop (your MSP, or your own name). This becomes the client directory root.
Identity — choose how this console reaches your clients (see Tailscale identity).
License — pick a plan (Lifetime, Yearly, or Monthly) or start a trial.
Finish — the wizard writes local config and drops you on the Devices screen.

Tailscale identity (or local-only)

Sign in / register — link an existing Tailscale account (or create one) so each client device joins your tailnet. Recommended for MSPs: one tailnet, every client reachable.
Local-only mode — skip Tailscale entirely. The console and adopted devices must be on the same LAN (or you bridge them yourself over your own VPN). Nothing phones home.

You can switch between these later in Settings → Identity.

UI overview

Devices — every adopted machine on your tailnet/LAN: status, health, and the actions you can run on each.
Onboarding — generate invites and the BareNOC Connect join link; track which clients have joined (see Onboarding clients).
Agent chat — the AI assistant. Ask it to run real checks against a device and it reports findings back in plain English.
Reports — custom customer reports and per-client session logs.