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Linux Install (x86_64)

Installing on a server?

If the machine has no desktop environment, skip the tarball: use the one-line headless install and register with a key. See Register a Device.

1. Download the tarball​

From Releases, download the Linux desktop .tar.gz and verify it against the release's checksums.txt:

sha256sum --check --ignore-missing checksums.txt

2. Extract and install​

Extract, then run the bundled installer:

tar -xzf locai-link-*.tar.gz
cd locai-link-*
./install.sh

install.sh runs unprivileged (no sudo needed):

  • Copies the Locai Link binary and runtime to ~/.local/share/locai/. As of 1.3.0 this is a single locai-link binary: the tray, the Preferences window, and the first-run setup are one app supervised by one background service.
  • Registers a single systemd --user unit (locai-link-companion.service).
  • Drops a .desktop entry under ~/.local/share/applications/ so Locai Link appears in your desktop environment's app launcher (GNOME Activities, KDE Menu, etc.).
  • Installs hicolor icons.
  • Puts the locai command on your PATH.
  • Starts the service and launches the first-run setup window automatically.
Custom install location

$LOCAI_INSTALL_ROOT overrides the install path if you want it somewhere other than ~/.local/share/locai.

3. First-run setup​

Identical to the macOS flow starting at step 3 of the macOS install: sign in, choose models, permissions, finish. The setup opens as a window of Locai Link itself — there is no separate Setup Assistant app.

The tray icon appears in your system tray (GNOME Shell, KDE Plasma, etc.). If your desktop environment doesn't have a system tray (some minimal window managers), Locai Link still runs and you can manage it with the locai command (locai status, locai restart, and so on).

Continue to Using the companion.