Installation

System requirements

	Minimum
OS	Windows 10+, macOS 13+, Linux (Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 38+, or equivalent)
RAM	4 GB (8 GB recommended)
Disk	250 MB
Display	1280 × 720
Network	Required for provider API calls. QARK itself runs offline.

Download

Grab the installer for your platform from the QARK homepage.

Run the installer and follow the prompts. QARK installs into your platform’s standard application directory.

Package manager installs are also available — check the homepage for the exact command for your OS.

Verify it works

1. Open QARK from your application launcher
2. Check the version number in the top-left corner
3. Open the command palette (Cmd+K / Ctrl+K) to confirm input handling

What gets installed

• Application binary — the native desktop runtime
• SQLite database — created on first launch, stores conversations, agents, and encrypted keys
• Config directory — preferences, agent definitions, AES-256 encrypted provider keys

No background services, no daemons, no cloud sync. QARK runs when you open it and stops when you close it.

Grant accessibility permission (macOS)

Sparks — the system-wide overlay — needs accessibility permission to capture selected text from other applications and paste results back. Without it, text capture and paste-based output actions silently fail.

To grant it:

1. Open Settings → Sparks & Flows
2. Find Accessibility permission — it shows either Granted (green) or a Grant Access button
3. Click Grant Access — macOS opens System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility with QARK pre-listed
4. Toggle QARK on

QARK polls for the permission after you click Grant Access, so the status updates automatically once you flip the switch — no restart needed.

What breaks without it

Feature	Without permission
Text capture	Overlay opens but selected text from other apps is not captured
Paste at Cursor	Output copies to clipboard but the paste keystroke is not simulated — you have to paste manually
Insert Before / Insert After	Same as above — clipboard has the result, but automatic paste fails
Copy to Clipboard	Works fine — no accessibility permission needed
Open in Chat	Works fine — opens the main window directly

On Windows and Linux, no accessibility permission is required. Keyboard simulation works through native platform APIs without extra grants.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
Installer won’t launch	Check your OS version against the requirements above
”Unidentified developer” warning	Approve the app in your OS security settings
Blank screen on launch	Update your graphics drivers — QARK uses hardware-accelerated rendering
Database lock error	Close duplicate QARK instances. Only one can access the database at a time.