// RUNNING KAPTAIN

Run Kaptain on Windows

Windows SmartScreen warns about programs it has not seen before. Kaptain is not yet code-signed, so you will get that warning on first run.

You will see: “Windows protected your PC.” SmartScreen shows this for any new publisher, based on how many times the file has been downloaded — not on anything found inside it.

Allow it to run

  1. Double-click kaptain-windows-x64.exe.
  2. On the blue SmartScreen dialog, click More info.
  3. Click Run anyway.

Kaptain starts and opens your browser. Windows remembers the choice, so you only do this once.

From the terminal

In PowerShell, from the folder you downloaded to:

.\kaptain-windows-x64.exe start

To run it from anywhere, move the file into a folder on your PATH, or add its folder to PATH under Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables.

Double-clicking the .exe just works: Windows gives it a fresh console and Kaptain treats that launch as start — the server backgrounds itself and your browser opens. Only from an existing PowerShell or cmd window does the bare executable print its command list; add start there.

What happens on first run

  1. Kaptain opens at localhost:8810 in your browser.
  2. The setup wizard walks seven steps: account, plan, models, install, project, network, done. First: create your CHYNJ account or sign in — a verification email follows (the account works right away, but the free trial waits for the verified address).
  3. On the plan step, start the free 3-day trial (no card — the clock starts only when you press it) or paste a licence key.
  4. Pick a model runtime. Kaptain detects Ollama, llama.cpp, and the Claude and Codex CLIs; for Ollama and llama.cpp it shows the exact install command for your machine, while the CLIs simply show whether they are present.
  5. Choose your project folder (the boundary Kaptain works inside), then pick network access: Local only (the default and most secure) or Tailscale for your other devices. The done screen shows your access code once — save it.

The trial is tied to this device, so reinstalling does not start a new one. Subscribing later keeps everything you set up here.

Stuck? [email protected].

The full picture: the Kaptain Setup Guide covers which build to pick for your machine, what each model runtime needs, and the whole first-run wizard.

// OTHER PLATFORMS

macOSLinuxTerminal install