What do you need before installing Tallos on a Mac?
You need a Mac running macOS 13 or later, on either Apple Silicon or Intel, and a Tallos account. Everything else can be added after the install. Tallos is a desktop agentic development environment (ADE): it runs AI coding agents that you already use, each in its own workspace, so the agent CLIs themselves are separate programs.
- macOS 13 or later. Check it in Apple menu → About This Mac.
- A Tallos account. Sign-up is free and takes under a minute at /signup.
- Git. Tallos workspaces are real git worktrees, so git must be installed. If
git --versionfails in Terminal, runxcode-select --installto get Apple's command line tools. - At least one agent CLI such as Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI. Optional at install time: you can install and sign in from Settings → Connections later.
- Node.js or Homebrew if you want one-click agent installs. Tallos runs each vendor's official install command, and those commands use npm or Homebrew.
Apple Silicon or Intel: which Tallos build do I need?
Pick the build that matches your Mac's chip. Macs with an M-series chip need the Apple Silicon build; older Macs with an Intel processor need the Intel build. The sign-up form lists both under Download for.
| What About This Mac shows | What `uname -m` prints in Terminal | Build to pick |
|---|---|---|
| Chip: Apple M1, M2, M3 or later | arm64 | macOS · Apple Silicon |
| Processor: Intel Core i5, i7, i9… | x86_64 | macOS · Intel |
How do I install Tallos on macOS, step by step?
- 1
Create your Tallos account
Go to /signup. Enter your full name and work email, then tell Tallos your role, team size and the agents you already use. Under Download for, choose macOS · Apple Silicon or macOS · Intel, accept the terms and click Create account & download.
- 2
Download the .dmg
The download page opens with your build ready. If the build for your system is not published yet, your account is still created and the download link is emailed to you as soon as it is.
- 3
Drag Tallos into Applications
Double-click the downloaded .dmg to mount it, then drag the Tallos icon into the Applications folder. Eject the disk image when the copy finishes.
- 4
Open Tallos and confirm the macOS prompt
Open Tallos from Applications or Spotlight. Because it was downloaded from the internet, macOS asks you to confirm the first time. Click Open. Release builds are signed and notarized, so this is a one-time check.
- 5
Pick your language and default agent
The welcome screen asks for your language and shows the agent CLIs Tallos found on your Mac under Which AI agent do you use? Pick one and click Continue. No agent detected? Continue anyway and add one later from Settings → Connections.
- 6
Open your first project
Click Choose a folder and select a folder with your code, or use Clone from a URL to clone a repository. You can also click Skip for now and add a project later.
Get the macOS build — create your account and download Tallos.
What happens the first time you open Tallos?
The first launch is a two-step welcome. Step one explains Tallos in one sentence, lets you change the interface language and asks which AI agent you use. Tallos looks for installed agent CLIs and shows the ones it finds as cards. Step two opens your first project.
After the welcome, three short tours appear automatically at the right moment: how to start a task, how to try a second agent on the same task, and how to review, then keep or discard the result. They are the core loop, and the first-task guide walks through it in detail.
macOS may also ask whether Tallos can access folders such as Documents, Desktop or Downloads when you open a project stored there. Allow it: agents and git need to read and write those files.
Why does macOS ask me to confirm before opening Tallos?
macOS shows a confirmation for every app downloaded from the internet, even signed ones. Gatekeeper checks that the app is signed by an identified developer and notarized by Apple, then asks you once. Tallos release builds are packaged signed and notarized, so clicking Open is all you need. If macOS says it cannot verify the developer, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section and click Open Anyway for Tallos, but only for a file you downloaded from your Tallos account.
If macOS instead says the app cannot be opened or is damaged, do not disable Gatekeeper. Delete the copy, download the build again from your account and make sure you picked the right chip. A partial download or a copy run straight from the mounted .dmg are the usual causes.
How do I add AI agents after installing Tallos?
Open Settings → Connections. It shows one card per official agent CLI: Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Grok CLI, Qwen Code and MiMo Code. Each card says whether the tool is installed and signed in, and offers Install, Sign in and, where the vendor supports it, Use API key.
On macOS the one-click install uses Homebrew or npm, depending on what the vendor documents. If Tallos says Needs Homebrew first or Needs Node.js first, install that tool and click Refresh. Tallos uses the subscriptions and API keys you already have; it does not resell model access. Full walkthrough: how to connect your agents.
Troubleshooting: what if Tallos does not install or start on my Mac?
- “This app is not supported on this Mac.” You probably downloaded the wrong build, or your macOS is older than 13. Check the chip and version, then download again.
- Tallos opens but finds no agents. The agent CLI is not installed or not on the PATH Tallos sees. Install it from Settings → Connections, or run the CLI once in Terminal to confirm it works.
- Workspace creation fails. Make sure the folder is a git repository and that git is installed. If the base branch is not fetched, run
git fetch originin the project and try again. - An agent will not start. Run its command (for example
claudeorcodex) in a terminal. If it fails there too, it is an install or sign-in problem in the CLI itself. - The `tallos` command is not found in an outside terminal. Register it under Settings → General → Tallos CLI, and make sure
~/.local/binis on your shell's PATH. - Download link never arrived. If your build was not published when you signed up, the link is emailed when it is. Check spam for the email you used at sign-up.
What should I do after installing Tallos?
Run one real task end to end: open a project, start a task in its own workspace, watch the agent and review the diff. The first-task guide takes about ten minutes. After that, try running agents in parallel or your first squad.
Try it on your own repo.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tallos run on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. Tallos ships a native Apple Silicon build and a separate Intel build. Pick the one that matches your chip on the sign-up form.
What is the minimum macOS version for Tallos?
Tallos needs macOS 13 or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel.
Do I need Claude Code or Codex installed before installing Tallos?
No. You can install Tallos first and add agents later from Settings → Connections, which runs each vendor's official install command and opens its sign-in.
Is Tallos signed and notarized on macOS?
Yes. Release builds for macOS are signed and notarized. macOS still asks you to confirm the first launch, which is normal for any app downloaded from the internet.
Does Tallos need admin rights on a Mac?
Copying an app into the Applications folder may ask for your password on managed Macs. Tallos itself runs as a normal user app.
How do I uninstall Tallos from a Mac?
Quit Tallos and drag it from Applications to the Trash. Your repositories are untouched; workspaces are ordinary git worktrees you can remove with git worktree remove.
