Installation

Anvil comes as a desktop app, which includes the anvil CLI, or as the CLI alone. Both share the settings in ~/.anvil.

PlatformsCopy Anchor Link

On Linux the core builds and passes its tests, but setup (local domains, ports 80 and 443, the trusted certificate) is macOS-only today.

macOSCopy Anchor Link

The desktop appCopy Anchor Link

Being prepared for the first release, from the Download page and Homebrew. Until then, build it from source.

The CLI aloneCopy Anchor Link

Being prepared for the first release, through Homebrew. Until then, build it from source.

Build from sourceCopy Anchor Link

Steps 1 to 3 give you the CLI; step 4 adds the desktop app.

1. Install the toolsCopy Anchor Link

Xcode command line tools (git, the C toolchain, and what Anvil uses to build Redis):

xcode-select --install

Rust 1.90 or newer:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

In a new shell:

rustc --version

For the desktop app, Node.js and pnpm:

brew install node pnpm

2. Get the sourceCopy Anchor Link

git clone https://github.com/n1crack/anvil
cd anvil

3. Build and install the CLICopy Anchor Link

cargo install --path . --locked
anvil --version

This installs anvil into ~/.cargo/bin.

4. Build the desktop appCopy Anchor Link

After anvil setup, node in your terminal is Anvil's, so the build needs a Node.js installed in Anvil: run anvil runtime install node 24 first if there is none.

pnpm --dir app/ui install
cargo install tauri-cli --version '^2' --locked
cd app && cargo tauri build --config tauri.cli.conf.json

--config tauri.cli.conf.json bundles the anvil CLI inside the app, as a release does. Without it, the app uses the CLI from step 3 in ~/.cargo/bin.

Move the app to /Applications, where the login item and anvil uninstall look for it:

mv ../target/release/bundle/macos/Anvil.app /Applications/
open /Applications/Anvil.app

The UI uses Vite+; cargo tauri dev runs the app with live UI reload. See CONTRIBUTING.md for tests and checks.

Update a buildCopy Anchor Link

git pull
cargo install --path . --locked --force

For the desktop app, quit it, then rebuild (needs a Node.js installed in Anvil once anvil setup has run) and replace the copy in /Applications:

pnpm --dir app/ui install
cd app && cargo tauri build --config tauri.cli.conf.json
rm -rf /Applications/Anvil.app
mv ../target/release/bundle/macos/Anvil.app /Applications/

NextCopy Anchor Link

Getting started: the first run and your first project.