Get Started

Installation & Setup

Install Flunkey from the Microsoft Store, the GitHub release installer, or a source build — then complete guided onboarding.

Requirements

Requirement	Details
OS	Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit
Hardware	Microphone (+ speakers for confirm sounds) — permission is granted during onboarding
Runtime	WebView2 (preinstalled on current Windows)
AI setup	Cloud-provider keys are optional. For a fully local workflow, use on-device Whisper and Ollama; each can also be selected for its own task.

Choose your install path

Three ways to get Flunkey, same app either way. Pick one — the onboarding and verification steps below apply to all of them.

Microsoft Store — recommended. One-click install with automatic updates.
GitHub release installer — direct .exe download, good when the Store is blocked.
Build from source — clone the repo and run the Tauri dev or release build.

Microsoft Store (recommended)

1
Open Flunkey in Microsoft Store
Use the Store badge on the Download page or search for Flunkey in Microsoft Store.
2
Install from the Store
Select Install. Windows handles installation and the Store delivers app updates automatically.

Store listing: Flunkey on Microsoft Store.

Prefer a direct download — or the Store is blocked on your machine (enterprise, LTSC, offline)? Grab the installer from the v1.0.0 GitHub release: download Flunkey_1.0.0_x64-setup.exe from the release assets and run it.

SmartScreen warning is expected

Releases aren't code-signed yet, so Windows flags the unknown publisher. On the blue “Windows protected your PC” dialog, click More info → Run anyway. The warning goes away once releases are signed.

Build from source

Want the latest code, or planning to contribute? Clone FlunkeyManager/flunkey and build it. You need Windows 10/11 64-bit, Node 22 LTS, Rust stable with MSVC plus the VS Build Tools C++ workload, and WebView2.

Clone and run

git clone https://github.com/FlunkeyManager/flunkey.git
cd flunkey
npm install
powershell -File scripts\fetch-whisper.ps1
npm run tauri dev

Release installer

npm run tauri build

Full toolchain, checks, and PR guidance live on the Contributing page.

First-run onboarding

Launching Flunkey the first time walks you through guided setup. On completion your name, keys, and provider choice are saved and onboardingDone is set.

1
Step 0 · Name
Enter a name or nickname — used for the Dashboard greeting.
2
Steps 1–3 · Hotkey tour
F8 / F9 / F10 explainers with banners. Skim them; the pattern is always hold → speak → release.
3
Step 4 · Microphone
Full-bleed permission screen. You must Allow — without mic access nothing records.
4
Step 5 · Providers
Add and test keys for any cloud providers you choose (Groq, OpenAI, Gemini, or OpenRouter), or use the local Whisper/Ollama options without a cloud key.
5
Step 6 · Autostart
Launch at login, default ON. Autostart launches minimized to the tray.
6
Step 7 · Terms
Legal banner — accept Privacy/Terms/About (Legal v1.0.0), then Launch.

To re-run setup later: Settings → Re-run setup (resets onboardingDone=false).

Verify the install

The Flunkey tray icon appears in the Windows taskbar tray
Opening Settings shows provider/model choices and hotkey remapping; cloud keys are optional when you use local models
Holding F8 in Notepad lights up the bottom pill and plays the start sound

Next: API Keys & Providers

Quick Start

API Keys & Providers