> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kernelmedia.tv/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manual (Binary Zip)

> Run Kernel from a downloaded release archive on any platform

Kernel also ships as a plain zip for platforms without a package or container runtime.

<Tip>
  On macOS, [Homebrew](/install/homebrew) is usually easier: `brew install server` handles the service setup (`brew services start`) that you'd otherwise do by hand below.
</Tip>

## Download

Grab the archive for your platform from [kernelmedia.tv/download](https://kernelmedia.tv/download):

| Platform | Archive |
| - | - |
| Linux (x86\_64) | `kernel-<version>-linux-amd64.zip` |
| Linux (ARM64) | `kernel-<version>-linux-arm64.zip` |
| Linux (ARMv7) | `kernel-<version>-linux-arm.zip` |
| macOS (Intel) | `kernel-<version>-darwin-amd64.zip` |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | `kernel-<version>-darwin-arm64.zip` |
| Windows (x86\_64) | `kernel-<version>-windows-amd64.zip` |

Each archive bundles ffmpeg under `binaries/`, so there's nothing else to install.

<Note>
  Download links are generated on request and expire after a few minutes. If a link stops working, go back to the download page and request a fresh one.
</Note>

## Run it

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Linux / macOS theme={null}
  unzip kernel-<version>-<platform>.zip -d kernel
  cd kernel
  ./kernel-server
  ```

  ```powershell Windows theme={null}
  Expand-Archive kernel-<version>-windows-amd64.zip -DestinationPath kernel
  cd kernel
  .\kernel-server.exe
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The server creates `data/` (database + config) and `log/` next to the binary on first run, then listens on port `9014` by default. Open `http://localhost:9014` to run the [setup wizard](/setup/first-run).

## Updating

The in-app updater (Settings > Updates, or the admin `/api/admin/updates/*` endpoints) downloads the new binary, verifies its checksum, and swaps it in with automatic rollback on failure. This is the intended update path for a manual install. See [Updating](/updating#manual-binary).


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