I'm really struggling to figure out how to install binaries from GitHub. I've come across some amazing community-created software, but I have no idea how to actually use it. When I hit the green "Get Code" button, I feel lost! I've never worked with command line tools or Homebrew before, so I'm in need of a really straightforward step-by-step guide. I primarily use a Mac and have a PC available, but would prefer to get the Mac version running since it's my main machine. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
GitHub isn’t the destination for the final software; it's a repository mainly for developers. You should try to find where the actual software releases are made. Usually, the README file has useful installation instructions or a link to download the binaries directly. If you can share the software's link, I might be able to help more!
Just to clarify, if you hit the "Get Code" button, you're downloading the source code, which means you’ll need to compile it before you can run it. That's not really what you're looking for!
Make sure to check the right sidebar for a "Releases" link on the GitHub page. There are often pre-compiled binaries there that you can just download and use directly without any compiling required.
Have you thought about asking directly on the GitHub page for that software? There's usually a lot of helpful information there, though I get that it can be a bit overwhelming for new users.
I wanted to find answers here because GitHub can be confusing for newcomers, and I hoped for more step-by-step guidance.
I looked, but unfortunately, there aren't any binaries available for download.