Get started

Install the desktop IDE

Download and install Contral IDE: supported platforms, system requirements, first launch and automatic updates.

Contral IDE is a desktop code editor with Contral built in. It's based on Eclipse Theia, the same open-source foundation family as VS Code, and is in public beta. Download it from contral.ai/download.

Note

You don't need the desktop IDE to use Contral. The Contral extension gives you the same account, plan, Build agent and curriculum inside VS Code, Cursor and other editors.

Contral IDE platforms#

Platform	Status	Installer
macOS (Apple Silicon: M1, M2, M3, M4)	Available	`.dmg`
macOS (Intel)	Not supported	None
Windows (x64)	Available when a build is published	`.exe`
Linux (x64)	Available when a build is published	`.deb`, `.rpm`, `.pacman`

The download page always shows the platforms and the version currently available. If a platform says Coming soon, there's no build for it yet. There's no universal macOS binary, so Intel Macs can't run Contral IDE; use the extension in VS Code instead.

Contral IDE system requirements#

	macOS	Windows	Linux
Operating system	macOS 12 Monterey or later	Windows 10 (64-bit) or later	Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 36+, Arch Linux, or equivalent
Processor	Apple Silicon (M1–M4)	x64	x64
Memory	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended	4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
Disk space	500 MB	500 MB	500 MB

Install Contral IDE on macOS#

Go to contral.ai/download and click Download .dmg on the macOS card.
Open the downloaded .dmg file.
Drag Contral IDE into your Applications folder.
Open Contral IDE from Applications or Launchpad.

The macOS app is signed and notarized by Apple. If macOS still blocks it, see Desktop IDE install issues.

Install Contral IDE on Windows#

Go to contral.ai/download and click Download .exe.
Run the installer. You can choose the install folder.
If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. This happens because the installer isn't yet signed with an Extended Validation certificate. It only happens on the first install.

Install Contral IDE on Linux#

Download the package for your distribution from contral.ai/download, then install it.

Debian and Ubuntu:

bash

sudo apt install ./contral-ide*.deb

Fedora and RHEL:

bash

sudo dnf install ./contral-ide*.rpm

Arch Linux:

bash

sudo pacman -U ./contral-ide*.pacman

Use the actual file name you downloaded if it differs.

First launch of Contral IDE#

Contral IDE opens with a short onboarding: choose your experience level and the language you want to learn (Java is available today), then click Start Learning.
Sign in when prompted. Your browser opens contral.ai; sign in with Google, GitHub, or email and password, then allow the browser to open Contral IDE. See Sign in & connect your account.
A guided tour shows the Build, Learn and Codebase areas.

Useful desktop shortcuts (use Ctrl instead of Cmd on Windows and Linux):

Shortcut	Action
`Cmd+K`	Quick open a file
`Cmd+Shift+A`	Focus the agent input
`Cmd+Shift+N`	New chat session
`Cmd+Shift+E`	Explain the selection
`Cmd+Shift+L`	Explain the current line

Updating Contral IDE#

Contral IDE updates itself. It checks contral.ai for a new version shortly after launch and then about every four hours, downloads the update in the background, and installs it when it restarts. You don't need to download new versions by hand.

On macOS, update logs are written to ~/Library/Logs/Contral/update.log, which is useful if you need to contact support about an update problem.

Uninstalling Contral IDE#

macOS: quit Contral IDE and drag it from Applications to the Trash.
Windows: use Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
Linux: remove the package with your package manager (for example sudo apt remove contral-ide).

Your Contral account and plan aren't affected.

Still stuck? Ask the support assistant in the corner of this page, or open a support ticket.