OPEN BETA Actively developed — feedback welcome.
CIPHER-MUX
Get started

Download DMG, run wizard,
start prompting.

You need macOS, an Anthropic account, and a few terminal commands. This guide walks you through it.

PHASE 01
Installation
~10 min
PHASE 02
First Launch
~5 min
PHASE 03
Next Steps
whenever
↓ Download DMG macOS · Apple Silicon · SHA-256 verified
Requirements

macOS 12 Monterey or later (Apple Silicon or Intel) · Anthropic account with Claude Max or API Key · approx. 1 GB free space (App ~140 MB, Voice Models optional ~530 MB)

01 · Installation ~5 min · one-time

Setup. Step by step.

Install the app, run the setup wizard, log in to Claude Code. The wizard detects what's missing.

A

Install the App

Standard DMG flow — download, open, drag to Applications.

  1. 1
    Download DMG
    GitHub Releases →
  2. 2
    Open DMG
    Double-click → drag cipher-mux.app to Applications
  3. 3
    Remove macOS quarantine
    One-time in Terminal:xattr -cr /Applications/cipher-mux.app
  4. 4
    Launch
    Spotlight → cipher-mux → Enter
cipher-mux-0.9.99
CIPHER-MUX
→
A
⚠ Why xattr?
  • cipher-mux is open source but not yet signed with an Apple certificate. macOS blocks unsigned apps by default — standard security behavior.
  • The xattr -cr command removes the quarantine flag. The app itself is not modified. One-time only.
B

Setup Wizard

On first launch, the app detects what's missing on your system. You decide what gets installed — one click on “Start Setup”, the rest runs automatically.

What the Wizard installs
Homebrew Required · ~200 MB

The standard macOS package manager. Skipped if already present. A Terminal window opens automatically — enter your macOS password there.

tmux Required · ~2 MB

Terminal multiplexer — the invisible infrastructure cipher-mux is built on. Every Claude session runs in its own tmux session. Without tmux, no sessions can start.

Node.js Recommended · ~30 MB

JavaScript runtime for Claude Code CLI and the TTS engine. Detected automatically if installed via NVM, Volta, or Homebrew.

Claude Code CLI Recommended · ~50 MB

Anthropic's AI coding assistant — the core engine behind cipher-mux. Installed via npm. Requires a one-time claude login in Terminal afterwards.

Whisper Model Optional · ~500 MB

Local speech-to-text. Voice control without cloud. Fully offline. Can be installed later at any time.

Piper TTS Optional · ~30 MB

Local text-to-speech. Summaries, status updates, milestones — spoken, not just written.

ℹ Note
  • Voice is an upgrade, not a requirement. Without Whisper and Piper, cipher-mux works fully — chat, sessions, all entities, the entire workflow.
  • The wizard shows you what's being installed in real time. After completion, the app starts automatically.
  • If Homebrew and tmux are already installed, a “Skip” link appears — the wizard becomes optional.
C

Set up your Hub

On the very first launch, an overlay appears: cipher-mux needs a project folder. One click, then you're in.

Set up Hub
cipher-mux needs a folder for your projects.
/Users/max/cipher-mux/ Browse…
Create
  1. 1
    App starts → overlay appears
    The normal grid is blocked — choose a Hub first, then continue.
  2. 2
    Confirm or change the path
    Default: ~/cipher-mux/. Use “Browse…” to pick any location.
  3. 3
    Click “Create”
    cipher-mux creates the folder (incl. projects/ subfolder), saves the path, overlay disappears.
ℹ Good to know
  • The Hub is a regular folder — no Git repo, no hidden files. Projects inside can be independent Git repos.
  • The old Project Scanner has been removed. Instead of scanning directories automatically, you now pick projects directly via a folder picker.
  • Existing users: On first launch after the update, the dialog appears once. Choose your existing project folder — the prompt won't come back.
D

Log in to Claude Code

The Setup Wizard installs Claude Code CLI automatically. Then log in once in Terminal:

Terminal
$ claude login
→ Browser opens, log in, done.
⚠ Note
  • You need an Anthropic account with Claude Code access. Which plan includes it: anthropic.com
02 · First Launch ~5 min

The Companion gets to know you.

On first launch, the Companion asks about your background. Three quick questions, then the system adapts to your level.

● companion · cell 1/1
companion ▶
Hey! Type /startup — then we'll set everything up together.
> /startup
Got it. A few quick questions, then everything adapts.
How much coding experience do you have?
Some — I can read and modify scripts_
Have you worked with AI coding tools before?
Yes, Claude Code for a few weeks_
What do you want to build first?
Just exploring — maybe some notes tools_
✓ user-profile.json created
How it works
  1. 1
    App opens → empty grid
    A 1×1 layout to start. The Companion takes the first cell.
  2. 2
    Type /startup
    The Companion asks about your background, your AI experience, and your goals. No multiple choice — just answer.
  3. 3
    Profile gets created
    Your answers are saved as user-profile.json. All entities adapt their detail level to your skill from now on.
  4. 4
    Create a workspace
    Pick a name, assign your project folder — done. Every session in the workspace now knows what you're working on.
03 · Next Steps whenever

Continue at your own pace. The Companion has your back.

Three guides for targeted deep-dives — from first contact to LLM fundamentals.

Guide 01
First Contact

First Steps

What is cipher-mux, how do you start, first session. The entry point.

Guide 02
Daily Use

Daily Workflow

Create sessions, distribute tasks, use notes, configure the grid.

Guide 04
LLM Basics

Prompting Fundamentals

Understand context, write prompts, avoid common mistakes.

Ready? Download it.

macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon or Intel. Linux & Windows: coming.

↓ Download DMG github / cipher-mux ↗ docs ↗