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Installation

Monolex is available for macOS, with Linux and Windows support coming soon.

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System Requirements

PlatformMinimumRecommended
macOS10.13 (High Sierra)13.0+ (Ventura)
ArchitectureApple Silicon or IntelApple Silicon
Memory4GB RAM8GB RAM
Storage150MB300MB

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Download

macOS (Apple Silicon)

For M1, M2, M3 Macs Recommended

macOS (Intel)

For Intel-based Macs

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Installation Steps

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macOS

  1. Download the DMG file from monolex.ai
  2. Open the DMG file
  3. Drag Monolex to your Applications folder
  4. Launch Monolex from Applications
On first launch, macOS may show a security warning. Right-click the app and select “Open” to bypass Gatekeeper.

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Verify Installation

After installation, verify the app is working: 
# Check if daemons are running
ps aux | grep -E "pty-daemon|niia-watcher"

# Check daemon logs
tail -f /tmp/pty-daemon.log

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Build Types

Monolex offers two build variants:

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Regular Build

  • Includes bundled Node.js runtime
  • ~200MB download
  • Works standalone
  • Recommended for most users

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Core Build

  • No bundled Node.js
  • ~50MB download
  • Requires system Node.js
  • For developers with Node.js installed

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Configuration

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Data Locations

DataPath
Application Support~/Library/Application Support/Monolex/
Databases~/Library/Application Support/Monolex/protocols/niia/database/
Logs/tmp/pty-daemon.log, /tmp/niia-watcher.log
Sockets/tmp/monolex-pty/

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Default Shell

Monolex uses your default shell:
  • Reads from $SHELL environment variable
  • Falls back to /bin/zsh on macOS
  • Falls back to /bin/bash on Linux
To change your default shell: 
# Set zsh as default
chsh -s /bin/zsh

# Set bash as default
chsh -s /bin/bash

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Troubleshooting

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App Won’t Launch

  1. Gatekeeper block: Right-click → Open
  2. Corrupted download: Re-download the DMG
  3. Old version conflict: Delete ~/Library/Application Support/Monolex/ and retry

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Terminal Not Working

# Kill existing daemon processes
pkill -f pty-daemon-rust

# Clean socket files
rm -rf /tmp/monolex-pty/

# Restart Monolex

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High CPU Usage

Usually caused by:
  • Many terminal tabs open
  • Large file being watched
  • Rapid file changes
Solutions:
  • Close unused tabs
  • Add directories to ignore list
  • Check watcher configuration

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Uninstallation

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Complete Removal

# 1. Quit Monolex

# 2. Remove application
rm -rf /Applications/Monolex.app

# 3. Remove data
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Monolex/

# 4. Remove logs and sockets
rm -rf /tmp/monolex-pty/
rm -f /tmp/pty-daemon.log
rm -f /tmp/niia-watcher.log

# 5. Kill any remaining processes
pkill -f Monolex
pkill -f pty-daemon-rust
pkill -f niia-watcher

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Updates

Monolex checks for updates automatically. When a new version is available:
  1. A notification will appear
  2. Click “Update” to download
  3. The app will restart with the new version
To manually check for updates:
  • Menu → Monolex → Check for Updates

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Next Steps

Quickstart

Get started with Monolex in 5 minutes.

Architecture

Learn how Monolex works under the hood.