Installation

C5 is a single program file. Pick the way you like to install it below.

macOS and Linux #

Open your terminal and run:

curl -fsSL https://growther.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows #

Open PowerShell and run:

irm https://growther.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Homebrew (macOS and Linux) #

If you already use Homebrew, you can install C5 this way instead:

brew install growtherai/tap/growther-c5

What the installer does #

The installer takes care of a few things for you:

1. It looks at your computer and picks the right version of C5.
2. It downloads that version.
3. It checks the download against a known fingerprint, called a SHA‑256. If even one byte is wrong, the install stops. This makes sure you got the real file.
4. It puts the growther command on your PATH, so you can run it from any folder.
5. It creates your data folder at ~/.growther.

Check that it worked #

Run this to see the help screen:

growther --help

If you see a list of commands, C5 is installed.

Now turn it on and set it up for the first time:

growther activate

This pairs your computer with your license. C5 will show you a code and open a page where you confirm it. This only happens once per computer.

You need a license first — get one from growther.ai. If you do not have one yet, do that before running this step. Someone sent you a referral link or a discount code? See Referrals and discount codes.

Start C5 #

Run the command by itself to start C5:

growther

C5 starts and prints the address it is running on:

C5 API running on http://localhost:4299

Open that address in your browser to use the app.

Start C5 without using the terminal #

You do not have to type anything to start C5. Installing it also adds an icon named Growther.ai C5, and double-clicking that opens a window showing C5 starting up, the same as the command does.

The icon and the growther command start the same C5 — there is only ever one copy of the program on your computer, and updates reach both. The icon is only a pointer to it.

A window opens with C5's log in it, which is the same information the command shows. C5 is running for as long as that window is open, so closing the window stops C5. If you would rather it kept running in the background, use "Keep growther running" in Settings.

No icon? It is created the first time C5 runs, so start it once from the terminal with growther and it will appear. On Linux it also needs a desktop environment with an applications menu and a terminal program installed; on a server without one, use the command.

Start directly from your browser #

If C5 was stopped while your browser tab is still open, you do not even need to find the icon or open a terminal. The page displays a green Start C5 button in the sidebar menu and in Settings → System. Clicking it triggers your operating system's built-in growther://start link, launching C5 and reconnecting the page automatically.

Supported platforms #

If your system is older than this, C5 will not start on it. growther update checks first, and it will not install a version your system cannot run. It keeps the one you have.

If the command is not found #

If your terminal says growther: command not found, your shell probably has not picked up the new PATH yet. Close the terminal window and open a new one, then try again.

Still stuck? Run the built-in checkup:

growther doctor

It looks at your install, your license, and your files, and tells you what is wrong. See Common issues for more help.

Next steps #

• Quickstart — run your first task.
• Updating C5 — keep C5 current.
• Deploying across an organisation — for IT, the Windows and macOS installer packages.