The apps¶

The desktop app is the same on every system: the board, terminals, History, Files and Settings. Download it from the latest release.

	Download	Needs
Mac	`Switchboard-<version>.dmg`	macOS 11 or later, Apple silicon or Intel
Windows	`Switchboard-Setup-<version>.exe`	64-bit Windows
Linux	`Switchboard-linux-x86_64.tar.gz`, or the plain `Switchboard-linux-x86_64` binary	x86_64, Vulkan, libxkbcommon, and X11 or Wayland

On first launch the app looks for your server on the local network. If it doesn't find one, type the server's address (http://<server>:8130), or let this computer be the server.

Mac¶

Open the disk image and double-click Install Switchboard. It copies the app to Applications, or to the Applications folder in your home folder when Applications needs an administrator password, and offers to open it at login and add it to the Dock. Nothing else is installed, and no password is asked for. Dragging the app to Applications works too.

The disk image and the app are signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.

Windows¶

Run Switchboard-Setup. It installs for you alone, with no administrator rights: the app goes in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Switchboard, with a Start menu shortcut and an entry in Settings, Apps. It offers to open Switchboard at login and to put a shortcut on the desktop.

Windows protected your PC

The installer isn't code signed yet, so SmartScreen may stop it the first time. Click More info, then Run anyway.

Uninstall it from Settings, Apps, like any other app.

Install from a script

Switchboard-Setup-<version>.exe --quiet installs without a window, one line per step. Add --open-at-login, --desktop-shortcut or --open for those choices; --uninstall --quiet removes it (--remove-data also removes its settings). Every flag

Linux¶

The .tar.gz holds the app, a .desktop file and icon for your launcher, the license notices, and the server kit, for running the server on that computer. The plain binary is just the app:

chmod +x Switchboard-linux-x86_64
./Switchboard-linux-x86_64

It needs a Vulkan driver (Mesa or your GPU vendor's), libxkbcommon, and X11 or Wayland, which most desktop installs already have. Without xdg-desktop-portal, a terminal's Attach has no file picker, so drag files in instead.

Updates¶

Each app checks for a new version once a day, through your server, and asks before it installs anything. How updates work

iPhone¶

There is an iPhone app, with the board, a terminal for every chat, History, Files, usage, and widgets for your week. It isn't on the App Store, and its source isn't in this repository yet.

iPhone notifications¶

When the iPhone app is set up, your server can send it notifications through Apple's push service: Held messages, Finished tasks, Chats not in use and Hard limit, each one switchable in Settings, Notifications.

The server needs an Apple Push Notification service key from your Apple Developer account, for the app's bundle ID:

Put the key file (AuthKey_<key id>.p8) in ~/.config/switchboard/apns/ on the server.
Write ~/.config/switchboard/apns.json:
```
{
  "key_id": "ABC123DEFG",
  "team": "YOUR_TEAM_ID",
  "topic": "the app's bundle ID",
  "sandbox": true
}
```
sandbox is true for a development build of the app (the default) and false for a release build. Add "key" to name a key file with a different name.
Restart the server (switchboard restart). Sending needs the Python cryptography package and a curl with HTTP/2 on the server; if anything is missing, the server log says push disabled and why.

Until then, Settings, Notifications says notifications are off. A notification carries chat names, computer names and a short status line. What leaves your network

Android¶

There is no Android app right now.