Install Herdr

Herdr ships stable binaries for Linux and macOS. Native Windows support is preview-only beta.

Install

On Linux or macOS, run:

curl -fsSL https://herdr.dev/install.sh | sh

On Windows preview beta, install the preview channel:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://herdr.dev/install.ps1 | iex"

The installer downloads the right release binary for your platform and places it on your PATH. The Windows installer defaults to preview, writes that channel to Herdr’s config, uses versioned install folders, and updates a current junction, so updates do not need to overwrite a running herdr.exe.

Install with Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew:

brew install herdr

Install with mise

If you already use mise:

mise use -g herdr

If mise reports herdr not found in mise tool registry, update mise and retry. Older mise versions predate the Herdr registry entry; mise use -g github:ogulcancelik/herdr works as a temporary fallback.

Install with Nix

If you already use Nix, Herdr provides a flake that builds Herdr from source:

nix run github:ogulcancelik/herdr/v0.x.y
nix build github:ogulcancelik/herdr/v0.x.y
nix profile install github:ogulcancelik/herdr/v0.x.y

Replace v0.x.y with the latest release tag. You can omit the tag to track master, but release tags are recommended for normal installs.

The flake also exposes a development shell:

nix develop github:ogulcancelik/herdr

Update through the same Nix workflow you used to install Herdr. For a profile install, list your profile entries and upgrade the Herdr entry:

nix profile list
nix profile upgrade <index-or-name>

If Herdr is an input in your own flake, update that input and rebuild your system, Home Manager, or development environment:

nix flake update herdr

Download manually

You can also download a binary from GitHub releases.

Choose the asset that matches your system:

System	Asset
Linux x86_64	`herdr-linux-x86_64`
Linux aarch64	`herdr-linux-aarch64`
macOS Intel	`herdr-macos-x86_64`
macOS Apple silicon	`herdr-macos-aarch64`

On Linux or macOS, make it executable and move it somewhere on your PATH.

chmod +x herdr-linux-x86_64
mv herdr-linux-x86_64 ~/.local/bin/herdr

Windows beta downloads

Windows binaries are published only on preview releases while native Windows support is in beta. Use the preview installer above for normal testing, or download the Windows asset from a preview GitHub prerelease:

System	Asset
Windows x86_64 beta	`herdr-windows-x86_64.exe`

Verify

Start Herdr:

herdr

If your shell cannot find herdr, restart the terminal or check that the install directory is on your PATH.

Update

Herdr checks for new releases and notifies you in the app. You can update manually:

herdr update

herdr update is for installs managed by Herdr’s own installer. Homebrew, mise, and Nix installs are updated through those package managers instead.

On Linux and macOS, Herdr uses the stable update channel by default. To opt into preview builds from master, set the channel:

herdr channel set preview

Switch Linux and macOS direct installs back to stable the same way:

herdr channel set stable

For direct installs, changing channels also checks that channel and installs its latest binary. If that update fails, run herdr update to retry from the configured channel.

Preview builds are GitHub prereleases published from the current development branch. They are useful when you want fixes before the next stable release, but they can regress. Homebrew, mise, and Nix installs do not use the preview channel.

Windows beta builds are preview-only for now. herdr channel set stable is rejected on Windows until stable Windows releases are available.

By default, herdr update installs the new binary and leaves compatible running sessions alone. If an update changes Herdr’s client/server protocol, Herdr asks whether to stop the old server after installing. Stop the old server to use the new version. Stopping exits pane processes. For the default session, run herdr server stop, then run herdr again. For a named session, run herdr session stop <name>, then run herdr session attach <name> again.

To opt into experimental live server handoff for supported running sessions, run:

herdr update --handoff

Live handoff does not apply to Homebrew, mise, or Nix package-manager updates. For those installs, update with the package manager, then restart that Herdr session when you are ready to use the new server. If a running session still uses the old server, stop it with herdr server stop or herdr session stop <name>, then run Herdr again.

Requirements

Stable Herdr releases support Linux and macOS. Native Windows builds are preview-only beta releases; see Windows beta for supported workflows and known limitations.