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Installation Guide

How to install and set up DevEx on your system

Installation Guide

DevEx provides multiple installation methods to suit different needs and preferences.

The fastest way to get started with DevEx is using our one-line installer:

Security Notice: Before running any script with elevated privileges, review our Security Best Practices guide. You can inspect the installer script first:

# Download and review the installer before execution
curl -fsSL https://devex.sh/install -o devex-install.sh
less devex-install.sh  # Review the script contents
# Using wget (most common) - v1.0.0
wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash

# Or using curl - v1.0.0
curl -fsSL https://devex.sh/install | bash

The installer automatically detects which tool you have available and will install missing dependencies if needed.

This installer will:

  1. Download the latest DevEx release for your platform
  2. Verify checksums for security
  3. Install to ~/.local/share/devex/
  4. Update your PATH in ~/.bashrc
  5. Run the setup with default configurations

What Gets Installed

The quick installer automatically installs all applications marked with default: true in the configuration files:

  • Development tools: Git, GitHub CLI, Neovim, fzf, ripgrep
  • Programming languages: Node.js LTS (via mise)
  • System utilities: curl, htop, tree
  • Desktop themes: Tokyo Night theme for GNOME
  • Shell configuration: Zsh with Oh My Zsh (if selected)

Manual Installation

For more control over the installation process:

1. Download the Binary

Visit the GitHub releases page and download the appropriate binary for your system:

# Example for Linux x86_64 - Pin to specific version for security
wget https://github.com/jameswlane/devex/releases/download/v1.0.0/devex_linux_amd64.tar.gz

# Verify checksum (recommended)
wget https://github.com/jameswlane/devex/releases/download/v1.0.0/checksums.txt
sha256sum -c checksums.txt

# Extract
tar -xzf devex_linux_amd64.tar.gz

# Make executable
chmod +x devex

# Move to PATH
sudo mv devex /usr/local/bin/

2. Initialize Configuration

# Create configuration directory
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/devex/config

# Download default configurations
devex config init

3. Run Setup

# Install with dry-run to preview changes
devex install --dry-run

# Install default applications
sudo devex install

# Or install specific categories
sudo devex install --category development

Platform-Specific Instructions

For detailed platform-specific configurations, see our Platform Guides. For automated deployment, check our Automation Guide.

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Prerequisites - Install required tools
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y wget curl ca-certificates

# Install DevEx (review security guide first)
wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash

Linux (Fedora/RHEL)

# Prerequisites - Install required tools
sudo dnf install -y wget curl ca-certificates

# Install DevEx (review security guide first)
wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash

Linux (Arch)

# Prerequisites - Install required tools
sudo pacman -S wget curl ca-certificates

# Install DevEx (review security guide first)
wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash

macOS

# Using Homebrew (recommended - most secure)
brew install jameswlane/tap/devex

# Or using the installer (review security guide first)
curl -fsSL https://devex.sh/install | bash

Windows

# Using winget
winget install jameswlane.devex

# Or download from releases page
# https://github.com/jameswlane/devex/releases

Docker Installation

For containerized environments:

# Run DevEx in a container
docker run --rm -it \
  -v $HOME/.devex:/root/.devex \
  -v $HOME/.local/share/devex:/root/.local/share/devex \
  jameswlane/devex:latest

# Or build from source
git clone https://github.com/jameswlane/devex.git
cd devex
docker build -t devex .

CI/CD Integration

For comprehensive CI/CD integration examples and advanced automation patterns, see our detailed Automation Guide.

GitHub Actions

name: Setup Development Environment
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  setup:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
      - name: Install DevEx
        run: |
          # Pin to specific version for CI reproducibility
          wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash
          echo "$HOME/.local/share/devex/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
      
      - name: Setup environment
        run: devex install --category development

GitLab CI

setup_environment:
  stage: setup
  image: ubuntu:22.04  # Pin to specific version
  before_script:
    - apt-get update && apt-get install -y wget curl sudo ca-certificates
  script:
    # Pin to specific version for CI reproducibility
    - wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash
    - export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/share/devex/bin"
    - devex install --dry-run

Verification

After installation, verify DevEx is working correctly:

# Check version
devex --version

# Validate configuration
devex config validate

# List available installers
devex install --list

# Check system compatibility
devex system info

Uninstallation

To completely remove DevEx:

# Remove installed applications (if desired)
devex uninstall --all

# Remove DevEx binary and data
rm -rf ~/.local/share/devex
rm -rf ~/.devex

# Remove from PATH (edit ~/.bashrc)
# Remove the line: export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/share/devex/bin"

Troubleshooting

For comprehensive troubleshooting guidance, see our Troubleshooting Guide. For configuration issues, check the Configuration Guide.

Permission Issues

If you encounter permission errors:

# Ensure proper ownership
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.local/share/devex
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/.devex

# Fix binary permissions
chmod +x ~/.local/share/devex/bin/devex

Network Issues

If downloads fail:

# Use curl instead of wget (with certificate verification)
curl -fsSL https://devex.sh/install | bash

# Or set proxy with security considerations
export https_proxy=http://your-proxy:port
export http_proxy=http://your-proxy:port
wget -qO- https://devex.sh/install | bash

Configuration Issues

If configuration loading fails:

# Reset to defaults
devex config reset

# Validate configuration
devex config validate

# Debug mode
devex --verbose install --dry-run

Next Steps

After installation:

  1. Review security practices - Read our Security Guide
  2. Review the configuration - Check ~/.local/share/devex/config/ files
  3. Customize settings - Copy files to ~/.devex/ and modify
  4. Add applications - Extend the configuration with your tools
  5. Set up themes - Configure desktop appearance
  6. Configure git - Set up your development identity

Security Guide

Essential security practices

Configuration Guide

Detailed configuration options

Usage Examples

Real-world setup examples

Customization

Advanced customization

DevEx Configuration Guide

Complete guide to configuring DevEx for your development environment

CLI Reference

Complete reference for all DevEx CLI commands, flags, and options

On this page

Installation GuideQuick Install (Recommended)What Gets InstalledManual Installation1. Download the Binary2. Initialize Configuration3. Run SetupPlatform-Specific InstructionsLinux (Ubuntu/Debian)Linux (Fedora/RHEL)Linux (Arch)macOSWindowsDocker InstallationCI/CD IntegrationGitHub ActionsGitLab CIVerificationUninstallationTroubleshootingPermission IssuesNetwork IssuesConfiguration IssuesNext Steps