How do I install?

Download for Windows, or run one command for Linux/Mac. Follow the prompts. Done.

TL;DR

Windows

Download the installer and double-click to run.

Download GlanceRF for Windows

Linux

Open a terminal and run this command:

curl -sSL https://glancerf.zl4st.com/installers/GlanceRF-install-Linux.sh | bash

Or copy and paste the link into your browser to download the script, then run it.

macOS

Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities) and run this command:

curl -sSL https://glancerf.zl4st.com/installers/GlanceRF-install-Mac.sh | bash

Or copy and paste the link into your browser to download the script, then run it.

Docker

Run the image from Docker Hub:

docker run -p 8080:8080 pomtom44/glancerf

Then open http://localhost:8080. See DOCKER.md for options.

Follow the installer prompts. When it's done, you'll see a message with a link to open GlanceRF in your browser. Press M anytime to open the menu.

Full guide

There are four ways to install GlanceRF. Choose the one that works best for you.

Method 1: Core installer (easiest)

Download a small installer from the website. It fetches the latest GlanceRF code and runs the full installer. No need to download the full GitHub repo.

  • Windows: Download GlanceRF-Install-Windows.exe and double-click to run.
  • Linux: Run curl -sSL https://glancerf.zl4st.com/installers/GlanceRF-install-Linux.sh | bash in a terminal.
  • macOS: Run curl -sSL https://glancerf.zl4st.com/installers/GlanceRF-install-Mac.sh | bash in a terminal.

Method 2: GitHub + installer

Download the project from GitHub, extract it, then run the installer from the Project/installers folder.

Download latest (ZIP)

Extract the ZIP, then run the installer for your OS:

  • Windows: Double-click installers\install-windows.bat.
  • Linux: Open a terminal in the Project folder, run chmod +x installers/install-linux.sh then ./installers/install-linux.sh. The script detects desktop vs server (display vs SSH), your distro (Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, etc.), and uses the right package manager for Python if needed.
  • macOS: Open a terminal in the Project folder, run chmod +x installers/install-mac.sh then ./installers/install-mac.sh.

The installer checks Python (and can install it if needed), installs dependencies, and asks how to run GlanceRF. Windows: choose Desktop app, Browser+Terminal, Terminal only, or Service. Linux/macOS: on desktop it offers Terminal+Browser, Terminal only, or Service; on server (SSH) it asks only whether to install as a service.

Method 3: Docker

Run GlanceRF in a container from Docker Hub. One command, no Python setup:

docker run -p 8080:8080 pomtom44/glancerf

Then open http://localhost:8080. Runs headless (server only). For config persistence, port mapping, and other options, see DOCKER.md.

Method 4: Manual (no installer)

Download from GitHub, extract, then install dependencies and run GlanceRF yourself. See the manual process below.

Configure your dashboard

Set up your dashboard using the Setup page (aspect ratio, grid size) and the Layout editor (which modules go where):

  • Desktop / Browser / Terminal – A window may open, or the server runs in the terminal. Go through Setup (grid size), then Layout to pick modules (clocks, map, weather, countdown, etc.) and resize or expand cells. Modules resize to fit; no scrollbars.
  • Headless (Service) – No window. Open a browser and go to http://localhost:8080 (or http://<this-machine-IP>:8080 from another device). The installer shows your local IP at the end. Use the same Setup and Layout pages there.

Press M anytime to open the menu (Setup, Layout editor, Modules, Updates).

Manual process (Method 4)

If you prefer not to use the installer, or the installer did not work, follow these steps from the Project folder.

  1. Install Python 3.8 or higher if needed — from python.org (Windows: tick "Add Python to PATH") or your system package manager (Linux/Mac). Check with python --version or py -3 --version on Windows.
  2. Decide desktop or headless — Desktop (Windows): use requirements-windows-desktop.txt; GlanceRF opens in its own window. Headless: use requirements-windows.txt (Windows), requirements-linux.txt (Linux), or requirements-mac.txt (macOS); no window; use a browser. For headless, edit glancerf_config.json and set "desktop_mode": "headless" or "browser".
  3. Install dependencies — pip install -r requirements/requirements-linux.txt (Linux), requirements-mac.txt (macOS), or requirements-windows.txt / requirements-windows-desktop.txt (Windows).
  4. Run GlanceRF — python run.py (or py -3 run.py on Windows). Then configure as in step 4 above (Setup, Layout, press M for menu).

Menu

Press M to open the menu (on the main dashboard or on Setup, Layout, Modules, or Updates pages). From the menu you can go to Setup, Layout editor, Modules, or Updates (check for app updates).

More help

Full documentation is in the project repo:

  • User guide – Setup, layout, menu (M), run at logon, logging, config.
  • Installation – Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker.
  • Docker Hub – Run with docker run -p 8080:8080 pomtom44/glancerf.
  • Modules – Available modules and how they work.
  • Debugging – Log levels, APRS debug, troubleshooting.
  • Telemetry – What is collected and how to opt out.

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