Nerva

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Get Nerva for your platform.

Version 0.1.0, released May 10, 2026. One month of every Pro feature, no card, no account.

  • Windows

    Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.

    Download for Windows
    File
    Nerva_0.1.0_x64-setup.exe
    Size
    5.8 MB
    Architecture
    x86_64
    Windows will warn about "Unknown publisher". Here's why and what to do.
    1. After the download, double-click the .exe. Windows shows a blue dialog: "Windows protected your PC".
    2. Click the small "More info" link in the dialog. It's not obvious, it sits right under the title.
    3. A new button appears at the bottom: "Run anyway". Click it.
    4. The standard UAC elevation prompt comes next. Approve it and the installer continues normally.

    The warning shows because Nerva isn't code-signed with an Authenticode certificate yet. I'm working on it. Until then, SmartScreen reputation has to be earned one install at a time. The installer itself doesn't change after this step.

  • macOS

    macOS 12 Monterey or newer. Apple Silicon for now.

    Download for macOS
    File
    Nerva_0.1.0_aarch64.dmg
    Size
    8.5 MB
    Architecture
    aarch64 (Apple Silicon)

    On an Intel Mac? An Intel build isn't published yet. Email me and I'll prioritize it.

    macOS will say "Nerva can't be opened". Here's the bypass.
    1. Open the .dmg, drag Nerva to Applications.
    2. In Finder, open the Applications folder. Right-click (or Control-click) Nerva → Open. Don't double-click the first time.
    3. A dialog says "macOS cannot verify the developer". Click Open. This dialog has the Open button; the normal one doesn't.
    4. Done. Nerva is now whitelisted on this machine, and future launches don't ask again.

    The dialog shows because the build isn't notarized with Apple yet. I'm working on the developer account. Once notarized, this whole flow goes away.

  • Linux

    Any modern x86_64 distro. AppImage runs everywhere; .deb for Debian/Ubuntu.

    Download AppImage
    File
    Nerva_0.1.0_amd64.AppImage
    Size
    100 MB
    Architecture
    x86_64

    Prefer Debian/Ubuntu packaging? Download .deb (10.5 MB)

    AppImage: one chmod, one double-click.
    1. Move the file somewhere durable (e.g. ~/Applications/). It's a single self-contained binary, no install step.
    2. Make it executable: chmod +x Nerva_0.1.0_amd64.AppImage
    3. Double-click in your file manager, or run it from a terminal. The first launch may take a few seconds while the bundled WebKit warms up.

    No SmartScreen-style warning on Linux. Your kernel just wants the executable bit. Debian/Ubuntu users can grab the .deb and use sudo apt install ./Nerva_*.deb for a normal system install with desktop entry.

Why the warnings

Honest answer: the MVP isn't signed yet.

Windows expects an Authenticode certificate. macOS expects a notarized build from an Apple Developer account. Both cost money and time I'm getting in motion. The app itself is the same one I'll ship signed, and the install flow above is a one-time click-through per platform. Nothing about Nerva runs as admin once installed; the elevation prompt is the standard installer flow only.

SHA-256 checksums under each Windows download will land with the next release so you can verify the file you got matches the one I published.

FAQ

Install questions.

Is the SmartScreen warning a real virus alert?

No. SmartScreen flags any file from a publisher it hasn't seen before. It's reputation-based, not antivirus. Once enough people install Nerva, the warning disappears for everyone.

When will the app be signed?

Windows Authenticode signing is in progress through Azure Trusted Signing (waiting on Microsoft account validation). macOS notarization follows once the Apple Developer subscription clears. The auto-updater already verifies a separate minisign signature, so updates are tamper-proof even in the unsigned MVP phase.

Does Nerva phone home or upload my heart rate anywhere?

BPM never leaves your machine. Anonymous product telemetry (no identifiers, no rate data) is on by default and toggleable during onboarding. The exhaustive list of events is on the privacy page.

What's in the AppImage, and why is it 100 MB?

AppImage bundles every dependency (WebKit, GTK, libssl, the full runtime), so it works on any modern distro without apt or dnf resolving anything. The .deb is smaller because it links against your system's libraries.

Can I get an older version?

Email [email protected] with the version you need. I keep prior releases archived but don't list them publicly so people default to the latest secure build.