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Native Installation

Pulsarr provides native builds for Linux, macOS, and Windows. No Docker or runtime installation required. Each platform has an easy installer method (recommended) and a manual option for advanced users.

Linux​

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamcalli/Pulsarr/master/scripts/installers/linux/install.sh | sudo bash

This script:

  • Detects your architecture (x64 or arm64)
  • Downloads the latest release from GitHub
  • Installs to /opt/pulsarr/
  • Creates a pulsarr system user
  • Sets up a systemd service with security hardening
  • Starts Pulsarr automatically

Requirements: curl, unzip, systemd

Non-systemd Systems

For systems without systemd (Alpine, older distros), use Docker instead.

Managing the Service​

# Check status
sudo systemctl status pulsarr

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u pulsarr -f

# Stop/start/restart
sudo systemctl stop pulsarr
sudo systemctl start pulsarr
sudo systemctl restart pulsarr

Updating​

Re-run the install script. It preserves your .env and data/ directory:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamcalli/Pulsarr/master/scripts/installers/linux/install.sh | sudo bash

Uninstalling​

# Uninstall but keep data
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamcalli/Pulsarr/master/scripts/installers/linux/install.sh | sudo bash -s -- --uninstall

# Uninstall and delete all data
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamcalli/Pulsarr/master/scripts/installers/linux/install.sh | sudo bash -s -- --purge

Data Locations​

ItemLocation
Application/opt/pulsarr/
Configuration/opt/pulsarr/.env
Database/opt/pulsarr/data/db/
Logs/opt/pulsarr/data/logs/

Windows​

  1. Download the installer from the latest release:

    • Most systems: pulsarr-vX.X.X-windows-x64-setup.exe
    • Older CPUs without AVX2: pulsarr-vX.X.X-windows-x64-baseline-setup.exe (pre-Haswell Intel or pre-Excavator AMD)

  2. Run the installer

    SmartScreen Warning

    Windows may show a SmartScreen warning since the installer isn't code-signed. Click "More info" then "Run anyway" to proceed.

  3. Choose your installation options:

    • Install as Windows Service (recommended) - runs in background without login
    • Create desktop shortcut - optional

  4. Open http://localhost:3003 to complete setup

Managing the Service​

Use the Windows Services app (services.msc) or command line:

:: Using the service wrapper
pulsarr-service.exe stop
pulsarr-service.exe start
pulsarr-service.exe restart

:: Or use net commands
net stop pulsarr
net start pulsarr

Updating​

  1. Download and run the new installer
  2. It will stop the service, update files, and restart automatically
  3. Your configuration and data are preserved

Uninstalling​

Use Add or Remove Programs in Windows Settings, or run the uninstaller from the Start Menu. You'll be prompted to keep or delete your data.

Data Locations​

ItemLocation
ApplicationC:\ProgramData\Pulsarr\
ConfigurationC:\ProgramData\Pulsarr\.env
DatabaseC:\ProgramData\Pulsarr\data\db\
LogsC:\ProgramData\Pulsarr\data\logs\

macOS​

  1. Download pulsarr-vX.X.X-macos-{arch}.dmg from the latest release

    • Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): macos-arm64
    • Intel Macs: macos-x64

  2. Open the DMG and drag Pulsarr.app to the Applications folder

  3. Open Terminal and run this command to allow the app to run:

    xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Pulsarr.app
    Why is this needed?

    macOS applies a quarantine flag to downloaded files. This command removes it so the app can launch normally.

  4. Open Pulsarr from Applications (or Spotlight). Pulsarr runs as a background service and won't appear in the Dock or App Switcher. Access it via your browser.

  5. Open http://localhost:3003 to complete setup

Requirements: macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later

Auto-Start on Login (Optional)​

Create a LaunchAgent to start Pulsarr automatically:

cat > ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.pulsarr.plist << 'EOF'
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.pulsarr</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/Applications/Pulsarr.app/Contents/MacOS/pulsarr</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>KeepAlive</key>
    <true/>
</dict>
</plist>
EOF

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.pulsarr.plist

Manage with:

launchctl stop com.pulsarr
launchctl start com.pulsarr
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.pulsarr.plist  # disable auto-start

Stopping Pulsarr​

Since Pulsarr runs as a background process, use one of these methods to stop it:

# If using LaunchAgent:
launchctl stop com.pulsarr

# If launched manually:
pkill -f Pulsarr.app

Alternatively, use Activity Monitor to find and quit the pulsarr process.

Updating​

  1. Stop Pulsarr (see above) or stop the LaunchAgent
  2. Download the new version and drag to Applications (replace existing)
  3. Re-run the quarantine removal command
  4. Reopen Pulsarr. Your data is preserved

Data Locations​

ItemLocation
Application/Applications/Pulsarr.app
Configuration~/.config/Pulsarr/.env
Database~/.config/Pulsarr/db/
Logs~/.config/Pulsarr/logs/

Manual Installation (Advanced)​

For users who prefer full control, standalone zip files are available for each platform. These contain all necessary files to run Pulsarr without an installer.

  1. Download the zip for your platform from the latest release:

    • pulsarr-vX.X.X-linux-x64.zip
    • pulsarr-vX.X.X-linux-arm64.zip
    • pulsarr-vX.X.X-macos-x64.zip
    • pulsarr-vX.X.X-macos-arm64.zip
    • pulsarr-vX.X.X-windows-x64.zip
    • pulsarr-vX.X.X-windows-x64-baseline.zip (older CPUs without AVX2)

  2. Extract the zip to your desired location

  3. Copy .env.example to .env and edit your settings

  4. Run:

    • Linux/macOS: ./start.sh
    • Windows: start.bat

  5. Open http://localhost:3003 to complete setup

Each zip includes a README.txt with platform-specific instructions for running as a service.