---
title: Downloads
nav: Downloads
output: downloads/index.html
description: Download the Varsto alpha for Linux, macOS, Windows and Android, or the source, and verify the checksums.
---
    <h1>Downloads</h1>
    <p class="note">See the <a href="../screenshots/">screenshots</a> for what the alpha looks like.</p>
    <p class="lead">One package per platform with the background service, the interface and the same command line inside; on Linux and macOS the service starts at login (a systemd user unit or a launch agent), on Windows the tray app runs it. On Linux and Windows the interface opens in your browser; on macOS the native app has its own window. Alpha: use it with test data only and keep your own backups.</p>
    {{DOWNLOADS}}
    <h2>Install and verify</h2>
    <pre><code>curl -O https://varsto.net/downloads/SHA256SUMS
curl -O https://varsto.net/downloads/varsto-0.0.1-alpha.11-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing
tar xzf varsto-0.0.1-alpha.6-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz
cd varsto-0.0.1-alpha.6-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
./varsto desktop        # opens the desktop interface in your browser
./varsto --help         # command line</code></pre>
    <h2>Build from source</h2>
    <p>The source lives at <a href="https://github.com/janttsu/varsto" rel="noopener">github.com/janttsu/varsto</a>; every release is a tag there with the same files attached to its <a href="https://github.com/janttsu/varsto/releases" rel="noopener">GitHub release</a>, and the source archive below matches it. With a stable Rust toolchain (1.85 or newer): <code>git clone https://github.com/janttsu/varsto.git</code> or unpack the archive, then <code>cargo build --release</code>; the binary is <code>target/release/varsto</code>. <code>cargo test --workspace</code> runs the test suite, including the two-device scenarios.</p>
    <h2>Desktop interface</h2>
    <p>On Linux and Windows the default is <code>varsto tray</code>: a tray icon with open and pause, and an install item when a newer version exists; the background service syncs changes within seconds on its own. <code>varsto desktop</code> starts a small web server bound to 127.0.0.1 on a random port, prints a one-time link with a session token and opens it in your default browser. Only programs on this computer can reach it; the page refuses requests without the token and requests whose Host header is not the local address. From the interface you can create or join a vault, add storages and folders, share, set policies and list duplicates; sync, verification and repair run on their own. The app bundle and <code>Varsto Desktop.cmd</code> do exactly this.</p>
    <h2>Quick start (command line)</h2>
    <pre><code>export VARSTO_PASSPHRASE='a long passphrase'
varsto --home ~/.varsto-laptop init --name laptop            # prints the vault key once; keep it offline
varsto --home ~/.varsto-laptop storage add-local box /mnt/box
varsto --home ~/.varsto-laptop folder add docs ~/Documents/synced
varsto --home ~/.varsto-laptop sync

# another device that can reach the same storage
varsto --home ~/.varsto-desk join --name desk --vault-key &lt;hex&gt; --storage-path /mnt/box
varsto --home ~/.varsto-desk folder attach docs ~/synced
varsto --home ~/.varsto-desk sync
varsto --home ~/.varsto-desk status --json
varsto --home ~/.varsto-desk fsck --verify</code></pre>
    <p class="note">The vault key is the master key in hex. Losing it and every device means losing the data: there is no account and no escrow.</p>