How do I download Harpax?

Harpax Desktop is available as a free demo download for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The demo installs in a few minutes, runs entirely on your machine, and requires no account. A full general-availability release will be announced at a later date.

1. Pick your platform

Download the demo package for your operating system from the Cambric AI download page:

Platform	Architecture	Package
macOS	Apple Silicon (arm64)	HarpaxDesktop-macos-arm64.zip
Windows	Windows 10+ x64	HarpaxDesktop-windows-amd64.zip
Linux	x64 (AppImage)	HarpaxDesktop-linux-amd64.zip

2. Check the prerequisites

Before installing, make sure you have:

• Claude Code installed and authenticated. Harpax monitors Claude Code sessions, so you need a working Claude Code install first.
• Node.js 18+ (required by Claude Code itself).
• A supported OS: macOS 12+, Windows 10+, or a modern Linux distribution.

3. Install

The install flow is the same on every platform: unpack, launch, start the backend, install hooks. Pick your OS below.

macOS

# Unzip the download
cd ~/Downloads
unzip HarpaxDesktop-macos-arm64.zip

# Clear macOS quarantine flag (the app isn't notarized yet)
xattr -cr HarpaxDesktop.app

# Open the app
open HarpaxDesktop.app

Then symlink the bundled backend binary to your PATH and start it:

# Find the bundled binary inside the app
find ~/Downloads/HarpaxDesktop.app -name "harpax-darwin*"

# Symlink it to PATH (use the full path from above)
sudo ln -sf /full/path/from/above /usr/local/bin/harpax

# Start the backend
harpax serve

Windows

# Extract the zip
Expand-Archive -Path ~\Downloads\HarpaxDesktop-windows-amd64.zip -DestinationPath ~\Downloads\HarpaxDesktop

# Launch the app
~\Downloads\HarpaxDesktop\HarpaxDesktop.exe

Find and start the bundled backend:

# Find the backend binary
dir ~\Downloads\HarpaxDesktop\ /s /b | findstr harpax-win

# Start the backend
.\path\to\harpax-win-amd64.exe serve

Linux

# Unzip
cd ~/Downloads
unzip HarpaxDesktop-linux-amd64.zip

# Make the AppImage executable
chmod +x HarpaxDesktop.AppImage

# Launch
./HarpaxDesktop.AppImage

Symlink the bundled backend:

# Find the backend binary
find ~/Downloads/ -name "harpax-linux*"

# Symlink to PATH
sudo ln -sf /full/path/from/above /usr/local/bin/harpax

# Start the backend
harpax serve

4. Install Harpax's hooks into Claude Code

Harpax monitors Claude Code sessions through hook entries in your Claude config. The simplest way to install them: open Claude Code and tell it,

"Add Harpax hooks to my ~/.claude/settings.json"

Claude Code has filesystem access and will add the hook entries automatically. No CLI command needed.

5. Verify the install

You're set up correctly when all four of these are true:

• The Harpax Desktop app is open and shows a green "Connected" status.
• harpax serve is running in a terminal (or as a background service).
• Your ~/.claude/settings.json contains Harpax hook entries.
• The Launch page in the GUI shows all health checks passing.

Start a Claude Code session and you should see events streaming into the live monitor within seconds.

What about a full / production release?

Harpax is currently in demo phase. The publicly downloadable packages on cambric.ai are intended for evaluation and individual use. We are not yet offering a full general-availability release — that will be announced separately.

If you'd like to discuss a production deployment, custom packaging, an enterprise rollout, or pilot terms, please contact us via the Cambric support channels or email [email protected] directly.