> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/janhq/jan/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Complete installation guide for Jan on Windows, macOS, and Linux with GPU acceleration setup.

# Installation

Complete platform-specific installation instructions for Jan, including system requirements, GPU acceleration setup, and troubleshooting.

<Tabs items={["Windows", "macOS", "Linux"]}>
  <Tab>
    ## Windows Installation

    ### System Requirements

    **Operating System:**

    * Windows 10 or higher

    **CPU:**

    * Intel: Haswell (Q2 2013) or newer
    * Intel Celeron/Pentium: Tiger Lake (Q3 2020) or newer
    * AMD: Excavator (Q2 2015) or newer

    <Note>
      Processor must support **AVX2 or newer**. See [full list of supported processors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Vector_Extensions#CPUs_with_AVX2). Performance is significantly degraded on AVX-only processors.
    </Note>

    **Memory (RAM):**

    * 8GB → up to 3B parameter models (int4)
    * 16GB → up to 7B parameter models (int4)
    * 32GB → up to 13B parameter models (int4)

    <Info>
      Newer RAM generations (DDR4, DDR5) provide better performance.
    </Info>

    **GPU (Optional but Recommended):**

    * 6GB VRAM → up to 3B parameter models
    * 8GB VRAM → up to 7B parameter models
    * 12GB VRAM → up to 13B parameter models

    Supported GPUs:

    * NVIDIA (CUDA 11.7+)
    * AMD (Vulkan)
    * Intel Arc (Vulkan)

    **Storage:**

    * 10GB minimum free space for app and models

    ### Installation Steps

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download Jan">
        Choose your release channel:

        **Stable Release (Recommended):**

        * [Download jan.exe](https://app.jan.ai/download/latest/win-x64)
        * Official website: [jan.ai/download](https://jan.ai/download)
        * Microsoft Store: [Get Jan](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xpdcnfn5cpzlqb)

        **Beta Release:**

        * [Download Beta](https://app.jan.ai/download/beta/win-x64)
        * Contains newer features but may be unstable

        **Nightly Release:**

        * [Download Nightly](https://app.jan.ai/download/nightly/win-x64)
        * Development build with latest features (unstable)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install Jan">
        1. Run the downloaded `jan.exe` file
        2. Follow the installation wizard
        3. Wait for installation to complete
        4. Launch Jan from the Start menu or desktop shortcut
      </Step>

      <Step title="Configure GPU Acceleration (Optional)">
        For significantly better performance, enable GPU acceleration:

        **NVIDIA GPU Setup:**

        1. **Install NVIDIA Driver** (version 470.63.01 or higher)
           * Download from [NVIDIA Drivers](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/)
           * Verify installation:
             ```bash theme={null}
             nvidia-smi
             ```

        2. **Install CUDA Toolkit** (version 11.7 or higher)
           * Download from [CUDA Toolkit](https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-downloads)
           * Verify installation:
             ```bash theme={null}
             nvcc --version
             ```

        3. **Enable in Jan:**
           * Open Jan
           * Go to **Settings** → **Hardware** → **GPUs**
           * Toggle GPU acceleration **ON**

        **AMD or Intel Arc GPU Setup:**

        1. Ensure latest GPU drivers are installed
        2. Vulkan support is required (usually included with drivers)
        3. **Enable in Jan:**
           * Open Jan
           * Go to **Settings** → **Hardware** → **GPUs**
           * Toggle GPU acceleration **ON**
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Data Folder Location

    Jan stores all data in:

    ```
    C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Jan\data
    ```

    This includes:

    * Downloaded models
    * Chat history
    * Settings and preferences
    * Extensions and plugins

    <Card title="Jan Data Folder Guide" icon="folder" href="https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/data-folder">
      Complete folder structure and customization options.
    </Card>

    ### Uninstalling Jan

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Remove Application">
        1. Open **Control Panel**
        2. Go to **Programs** → **Uninstall a program**
        3. Find **Jan** in the list
        4. Right-click → **Uninstall**
        5. Confirm the uninstallation
      </Step>

      <Step title="Clean Up Data (Optional)">
        Remove all app data and settings:

        **Via File Explorer:**

        1. Press `Win + R`
        2. Type `%APPDATA%` and press Enter
        3. Delete the `Jan` folder

        **Via Command Line:**

        ```bash theme={null}
        cd %APPDATA%
        rmdir /S Jan
        ```

        <Warning>
          This permanently deletes all chat history, downloaded models, and settings. Back up important data first.
        </Warning>
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab>
    ## macOS Installation

    Jan runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel-based Macs.

    ### System Requirements

    **Operating System:**

    * macOS 13.6 (Ventura) or higher

    **Memory (RAM):**

    * 8GB → up to 3B parameter models
    * 16GB → up to 7B parameter models
    * 32GB → up to 13B parameter models

    **Storage:**

    * 10GB+ free space for app and models

    **Processor:**

    * **Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)**: Metal acceleration enabled by default (recommended)
    * **Intel-based Mac**: CPU processing only (slower)

    <Info>
      **Apple Silicon Macs** use Metal for GPU acceleration, making them significantly faster than Intel-based Macs which operate on CPU only.
    </Info>

    To check your Mac's processor:

    * Click Apple menu () → **About This Mac**
    * Look for "Chip" (Apple Silicon) or "Processor" (Intel)

    ### Installation Steps

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download Jan">
        Choose your release channel:

        **Stable Release (Recommended):**

        * [Download jan.dmg](https://app.jan.ai/download/latest/mac-universal)
        * Official website: [jan.ai/download](https://jan.ai/download)

        **Beta Release:**

        * [Download Beta](https://app.jan.ai/download/beta/mac-universal)
        * Contains newer features but may have bugs

        **Nightly Release:**

        * [Download Nightly](https://app.jan.ai/download/nightly/mac-universal)
        * Latest features, less stable

        <Note>
          The universal build works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
        </Note>
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install Jan">
        1. Open the downloaded `jan.dmg` file
        2. Drag the **Jan** icon to the **Applications** folder
        3. Wait for the copy to complete
        4. Open **Applications** and launch **Jan**

        <Tip>
          If macOS shows a security warning, go to **System Preferences** → **Security & Privacy** and click **Open Anyway**.
        </Tip>
      </Step>

      <Step title="GPU Acceleration">
        **Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3):**

        * Metal acceleration is automatic
        * No configuration needed
        * Significantly faster than CPU-only

        **Intel-based Mac:**

        * Runs on CPU only
        * No GPU acceleration available
        * Still works but slower for larger models
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Data Folder Location

    Jan stores all data in:

    ```bash theme={null}
    ~/Library/Application Support/Jan/data
    ```

    This includes:

    * Downloaded models
    * Chat history
    * Settings and preferences
    * Extensions and plugins

    <Card title="Jan Data Folder Guide" icon="folder" href="https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/data-folder">
      Complete folder structure and customization options.
    </Card>

    ### Uninstalling Jan

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Remove Application">
        1. Close Jan if it's running
        2. Open **Finder**
        3. Go to **Applications**
        4. Find **Jan**
        5. Choose one:
           * Drag to **Trash**
           * Right-click → **Move to Trash**
           * Select and press **Command-Delete**
        6. Empty the Trash
      </Step>

      <Step title="Clean Up Data (Optional)">
        Remove all app data and settings:

        ```bash theme={null}
        rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Jan
        ```

        <Warning>
          This permanently deletes all chat history, downloaded models, and settings. Back up important data first.
        </Warning>
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab>
    ## Linux Installation

    ### System Requirements

    **Supported Distributions:**

    **Debian-based** (supports `.deb` and `AppImage`):

    * Ubuntu Desktop LTS
    * Linux Mint
    * Pop!\_OS
    * Debian
    * Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu

    **RHEL-based** (supports `.rpm` and `AppImage`):

    * Fedora
    * RHEL (server only)

    **Arch-based**:

    * Arch Linux
    * SteamOS

    **Independent**:

    * openSUSE

    **CPU:**

    * Intel Haswell (Q2 2013) or newer
    * Intel Celeron/Pentium: Tiger Lake (Q3 2020) or newer
    * AMD Excavator (Q2 2015) or newer

    <Note>
      CPU must support **AVX2**. See [supported processors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Vector_Extensions#CPUs_with_AVX2).
    </Note>

    **Memory (RAM):**

    * 8GB → up to 3B parameter models (int4)
    * 16GB → up to 7B parameter models (int4)
    * 32GB → up to 13B parameter models (int4)

    **GPU (Optional):**

    * 6GB VRAM → up to 3B parameter models
    * 8GB VRAM → up to 7B parameter models
    * 12GB VRAM → up to 13B parameter models

    Supported:

    * NVIDIA (CUDA 11.7+)
    * AMD (Vulkan)
    * Intel Arc (Vulkan)

    **Storage:**

    * 10GB+ free disk space

    ### Installation Steps

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download Jan">
        Choose your distribution and release channel:

        **Stable Release (Recommended):**

        Ubuntu/Debian:

        ```bash theme={null}
        wget https://app.jan.ai/download/latest/linux-amd64-deb -O jan.deb
        ```

        Other distributions (AppImage):

        ```bash theme={null}
        wget https://app.jan.ai/download/latest/linux-amd64-appimage -O jan.AppImage
        ```

        Flathub:

        ```bash theme={null}
        flatpak install flathub ai.jan.Jan
        ```

        **Beta Release:**

        * Ubuntu/Debian: [jan.deb](https://app.jan.ai/download/beta/linux-amd64-deb)
        * Others: [Jan.AppImage](https://app.jan.ai/download/beta/linux-amd64-appimage)

        **Nightly Release:**

        * Ubuntu/Debian: [jan.deb](https://app.jan.ai/download/nightly/linux-amd64-deb)
        * Others: [Jan.AppImage](https://app.jan.ai/download/nightly/linux-amd64-appimage)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install Jan">
        **Ubuntu/Debian (.deb):**

        Using dpkg:

        ```bash theme={null}
        sudo dpkg -i jan.deb
        ```

        Using apt-get (recommended - handles dependencies):

        ```bash theme={null}
        sudo apt-get install ./jan.deb
        ```

        Launch:

        ```bash theme={null}
        jan
        ```

        **Other Distributions (AppImage):**

        ```bash theme={null}
        # Make executable
        chmod +x jan.AppImage

        # Run
        ./jan.AppImage
        ```

        **Flathub:**

        ```bash theme={null}
        flatpak run ai.jan.Jan
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Configure GPU Acceleration (Optional)">
        **NVIDIA GPU Setup:**

        1. **Check GPU Detection:**
           ```bash theme={null}
           lspci | grep -i nvidia
           ```

        2. **Install NVIDIA Driver:**

           ```bash theme={null}
           # Ubuntu/Debian
           sudo apt update
           sudo apt install nvidia-driver-XXX

           # Fedora
           sudo dnf install akmod-nvidia

           # Arch
           sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils
           ```

           Verify:

           ```bash theme={null}
           nvidia-smi
           ```

        3. **Install CUDA Toolkit** (11.7 or higher):
           ```bash theme={null}
           # Ubuntu/Debian
           sudo apt install nvidia-cuda-toolkit

           # Verify
           nvcc --version
           ```

        4. **Install Additional Dependencies:**
           ```bash theme={null}
           sudo apt install gcc-11 g++-11 cpp-11
           export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/cuda/lib64
           ```

        5. **Enable in Jan:**
           * Open Jan
           * Go to **Settings** → **Local Engine** → **Llama.cpp**
           * Select **CUDA** backend (better performance than Vulkan)

        <Info>
          CUDA offers significantly better performance than Vulkan for NVIDIA GPUs.
        </Info>

        **AMD or Intel Arc GPU Setup:**

        1. Ensure latest GPU drivers are installed

        2. Verify Vulkan support:
           ```bash theme={null}
           vulkaninfo | grep "GPU"
           ```

        3. **Enable in Jan:**
           * Open Jan
           * Go to **Settings** → **Hardware** → **GPUs**
           * Toggle GPU acceleration **ON**
           * Select **Vulkan** backend in **Settings** → **Local Engine** → **Llama.cpp**
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Data Folder Location

    Jan stores all data in:

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Default location
    ~/.config/Jan/data

    # Or if XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set
    $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/Jan/data
    ```

    This includes:

    * Downloaded models
    * Chat history
    * Settings and preferences
    * Extensions and plugins

    <Card title="Jan Data Folder Guide" icon="folder" href="https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/data-folder">
      Complete folder structure and customization options.
    </Card>

    ### Uninstalling Jan

    **Ubuntu/Debian (.deb):**

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Remove application
    sudo apt-get remove jan

    # Remove all data
    rm -rf ~/.config/Jan
    ```

    **AppImage:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Remove application
    rm jan.AppImage

    # Remove all data
    rm -rf ~/.config/Jan
    ```

    **Flathub:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Remove application
    flatpak uninstall ai.jan.Jan

    # Remove all data
    rm -rf ~/.var/app/ai.jan.Jan
    ```

    <Warning>
      These commands permanently delete all chat history, downloaded models, and settings. Back up important data first.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Building from Source

For developers who want to build Jan from source:

### Prerequisites

* **Node.js** ≥ 20.0.0
* **Yarn** ≥ 1.22.0
* **Make** ≥ 3.81
* **Rust** (for Tauri)

### Quick Build with Make

```bash theme={null}
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/janhq/jan
cd jan

# Full development setup and launch
make dev
```

This handles everything: installs dependencies, builds core components, and launches the app.

**Available Make Targets:**

* `make dev` - Full development setup and launch
* `make build` - Production build
* `make test` - Run tests and linting
* `make clean` - Delete everything and start fresh

### Manual Build Commands

If you prefer manual control:

```bash theme={null}
# Install dependencies
yarn install

# Build Tauri plugin API
yarn build:tauri:plugin:api

# Build core components
yarn build:core

# Build extensions
yarn build:extensions

# Launch development server
yarn dev
```

### Platform-Specific Builds

**Windows:**

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:win32
```

**macOS:**

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:darwin
```

**Linux:**

```bash theme={null}
yarn build:tauri:linux
```

<Card title="Contributing Guide" icon="code-branch" href="https://github.com/janhq/jan/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md">
  Complete guide for contributing to Jan's development.
</Card>

## Troubleshooting

### GPU Not Detected

**NVIDIA:**

* Verify driver installation: `nvidia-smi`
* Check CUDA installation: `nvcc --version`
* Ensure CUDA 11.7 or higher is installed
* Restart Jan after installing drivers

**AMD/Intel:**

* Verify Vulkan support: `vulkaninfo`
* Update GPU drivers to the latest version
* Enable Vulkan backend in Settings

**Apple Silicon:**

* Metal acceleration is automatic
* No configuration needed
* If issues persist, try reinstalling Jan

### Installation Fails

**Windows:**

* Run installer as Administrator
* Disable antivirus temporarily
* Check Windows Defender exclusions

**macOS:**

* Allow app in Security & Privacy settings
* Right-click Jan → Open (first launch)
* Check that macOS version is 13.6+

**Linux:**

* Install missing dependencies:
  ```bash theme={null}
  sudo apt install libfuse2  # For AppImage
  ```
* Check file permissions:
  ```bash theme={null}
  chmod +x jan.AppImage
  ```

### Performance Issues

1. **Enable GPU acceleration** (Settings → Hardware)
2. **Use smaller models** (3B-7B instead of 13B+)
3. **Lower quantization** (Q4 instead of Q8)
4. **Close other applications** to free up RAM/VRAM
5. **Check system resources** (Task Manager / Activity Monitor)

### App Won't Launch

**Windows:**

```bash theme={null}
# Check if process is running
tasklist | findstr jan

# Kill stuck process
taskkill /F /IM jan.exe
```

**macOS/Linux:**

```bash theme={null}
# Check if process is running
ps aux | grep jan

# Kill stuck process
killall jan
```

### Data Folder Issues

If you need to move or reset your data folder:

1. Close Jan
2. Back up existing data folder
3. Delete the folder (see locations above)
4. Restart Jan (creates fresh folder)
5. Restore backed-up models/chats if needed

<Card title="Full Troubleshooting Guide" icon="life-ring" href="https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/troubleshooting">
  Comprehensive troubleshooting documentation for all platforms.
</Card>

## Getting Help

If you encounter issues during installation:

1. **Check Troubleshooting Docs**: [jan.ai/docs/desktop/troubleshooting](https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/troubleshooting)
2. **Search GitHub Issues**: [github.com/janhq/jan/issues](https://github.com/janhq/jan/issues)
3. **Ask in Discord**: [Join #🆘|jan-help](https://discord.gg/FTk2MvZwJH) channel
4. **Report Bugs**: [Create new issue](https://github.com/janhq/jan/issues/new)

When reporting issues, include:

* Operating system and version
* Jan version (Help → About)
* Hardware specs (CPU, RAM, GPU)
* Complete error messages
* Steps to reproduce

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart Guide" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Get from installation to your first chat in minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Model Parameters" icon="sliders" href="https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/model-parameters">
    Learn how to fine-tune model behavior.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP Integration" icon="puzzle" href="https://jan.ai/docs/desktop/mcp">
    Enable agentic capabilities with tools and integrations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="https://jan.ai/api-reference">
    Build integrations with Jan's OpenAI-compatible API.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>