Security & safe installation
These installers are not code-signed. Kirra is free, and a
code-signing certificate is a recurring yearly cost that isn't justified for a
free, frequently-updated tool. Because the installer is unsigned, Windows and
macOS will warn you the first time you run it. This means "unknown publisher,"
not "malware." Safe install steps are below.
What protects you
- No data leaves your machine. Kirra makes no outbound
network connections — no telemetry, tracking, or "phone-home." You can
confirm this yourself with any network monitor.
- Your work stays local. All projects and files are stored
on your own computer; nothing is uploaded to a server.
- No auto-updater. Kirra never downloads or runs code in the
background. You decide when to update by downloading a new installer here.
- Limited system access. The desktop app's native
permissions are restricted to reading and writing the files you open and save.
- Scannable before you install. You're welcome to run the
installer through your antivirus or a service like VirusTotal first.
- Verifiable downloads. Each release publishes SHA-256
checksums (below and in
SHA256SUMS.txt) so you can confirm a
download hasn't been altered in transit.
Good to know
- Like all software, Kirra uses third-party open-source libraries. We monitor
them for security advisories and update them over time.
Verifying your download (SHA-256)
Compare the checksum shown under each download with the value you compute
locally — they must match exactly. The full list is also in
SHA256SUMS.txt.
How to compute a checksum
Windows (PowerShell):
Get-FileHash .\Windows-Kirra-*.exe -Algorithm SHA256
macOS: shasum -a 256 Mac-Universal-Kirra-*.dmg
Linux: sha256sum Linux-Kirra-*.deb
Installing safely
Windows 10 / 11
When you run the .exe, SmartScreen may say "Windows protected
your PC." Click More info, then Run anyway.
If your browser flags the download, choose Keep.
macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
If macOS says the app "cannot be opened" or is from an "unidentified
developer," right-click (or Control-click) the app and choose
Open, then confirm. You only need to do this once. If it reports the
app is "damaged," open Terminal and run
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Kirra.app.
Linux (Debian / Ubuntu)
Install the .deb with
sudo dpkg -i Linux-Kirra-*.deb (then run
sudo apt-get install -f if any dependencies are missing).
Prefer not to install? Kirra runs fully
in your browser at
kirra-design.com —
no installation required.