Installation¶
Get Baboon running on your system in no time! Choose the installation method that works best for you.
Support Baboon Development
Baboon is free, but not free to make! If you find it useful, please consider a small donation of €10 / $10 to support ongoing development.
Pre-built Binaries¶
The easiest way to get started is to download a pre-built binary from our GitHub Releases page.
| Platform | File | Architecture |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | baboon-linux-amd64 |
x86_64 |
| Linux | baboon-linux-arm64 |
ARM64 |
| macOS | baboon-darwin-amd64 |
Intel |
| macOS | baboon-darwin-arm64 |
Apple Silicon |
| Windows | baboon-windows-amd64.exe |
x86_64 |
Linux Packages¶
For Debian/Ubuntu users:
# Download the .deb package
wget https://github.com/timlinux/baboon/releases/latest/download/baboon_1.0.0_amd64.deb
# Install it
sudo dpkg -i baboon_1.0.0_amd64.deb
# Run!
baboon
For Fedora/RHEL users:
# Download the .rpm package
wget https://github.com/timlinux/baboon/releases/latest/download/baboon-1.0.0-1.x86_64.rpm
# Install it
sudo rpm -i baboon-1.0.0-1.x86_64.rpm
# Run!
baboon
Using Nix Flakes¶
Recommended for Nix users
Nix provides the most reproducible and cleanest installation experience.
Run Directly (No Installation)¶
That's it! Nix will fetch, build (if needed), and run Baboon.
Install to Your Profile¶
Now you can run baboon from anywhere.
Add to NixOS Configuration¶
{
inputs.baboon.url = "github:timlinux/baboon";
# In your configuration.nix
environment.systemPackages = [
inputs.baboon.packages.${system}.default
];
}
Development Shell¶
Want to hack on Baboon? Enter the development environment:
Building from Source¶
Prerequisites¶
- Go 1.21 or later
- Git
Build Steps¶
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/timlinux/baboon.git
cd baboon
# Build the binary
go build -o baboon .
# Run it!
./baboon
Running Tests¶
macOS: Running Unsigned Binaries¶
macOS Security Notice
The macOS binaries are not signed with an Apple Developer certificate. You'll need to allow the app to run.
Option 1: Remove Quarantine (Recommended)¶
# After downloading, remove the quarantine flag
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine baboon-darwin-amd64
# Make it executable and run
chmod +x baboon-darwin-amd64
./baboon-darwin-amd64
Option 2: Allow via System Settings¶
- Try to run the binary - it will be blocked
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
- Scroll down to find the blocked app message
- Click "Allow Anyway"
- Run the binary again and click "Open" when prompted
Option 3: Right-click to Open¶
- Right-click (or Control-click) the binary in Finder
- Select "Open" from the context menu
- Click "Open" in the dialog that appears
Note
These steps are only needed once. After allowing the app, it will run normally.
Web Interface¶
The web interface requires Node.js to run the development server:
# Start the backend server
./baboon -server &
# Install web dependencies (first time only)
cd web
npm install
# Start the web frontend
npm start
Then open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.
Verify Installation¶
Test that Baboon is working:
You should see the help output with available options:
Baboon - Typing Practice Application
Usage:
baboon [flags]
Flags:
-p Enable punctuation mode
-port int Server port (default 8787)
-server Run in server-only mode
-client Run in client-only mode
Next Steps¶
Ready to start typing? Head over to the Quick Start guide!
Support the Developer¶
Enjoying Baboon? Show your appreciation!¶
You've just downloaded software that took hundreds of hours to build. It's yours to use forever, completely free.
But if Baboon helps you become a faster typist, saves you time, or just brings a smile to your face - consider giving back.
A suggested donation of €10 / $10:
- Buys the developer a nice lunch
- Keeps the project maintained and updated
- Helps fund new features you'll love
- Shows that open source work is valued
Every donation, no matter the size, is genuinely appreciated!