Install and connect

LedAlert needs Linux x86_64, a graphical session with session D-Bus, and working OpenGL/EGL. The supported desktop is KDE Plasma on Wayland; other Linux desktops are unverified, and Windows/macOS are not implemented. See Compatibility for current limits.

You do not need a strip to draw a room and try local rule demos. Lighting starts disabled on every launch; enabling output is an explicit, separate choice.

Install with Cargo

Download a binary with cargo-binstall

cargo-binstall downloads the official release binary instead of compiling. It reads LedAlert's release metadata and fetches only GitHub release assets — no third-party mirrors, no surprise compilation:

cargo binstall ledalert --strategies crate-meta-data
ledalert --version

Only the Linux x86_64 binary is published; other targets report a download error. Binary metadata ships with the crate starting with 0.2.1 and cannot serve older versions.

Compile with cargo install

Install Rust (1.95 or newer) and the native dependencies, then:

cargo install ledalert --locked
ledalert

If ledalert is not found, add ~/.cargo/bin to your PATH. To install from a local checkout instead, run cargo install --path . --locked from its root.

Download a release bundle

No compiler needed. From the latest release on GitHub Releases, download into a new directory:

• ledalert-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz — the prebuilt native application.
• SHA256SUMS — the release checksums.

The binary needs glibc 2.36 or newer. Check BUILD-INFO.json inside the bundle against your system if unsure.

Verify, extract and run

In the directory containing both downloads, run this chain. It checks the archive and launches only if verification and extraction succeed:

grep '  ledalert-.*-linux-x86_64\.tar\.gz$' SHA256SUMS | sha256sum --check --strict - &&
tar -xzf ledalert-*-linux-x86_64.tar.gz &&
cd ledalert-*-linux-x86_64 &&
./bin/ledalert

Expected result: ledalert-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz: OK, followed by the native room setup with lighting off.

If verification fails, download both files again from the same release and retry; do not bypass the check. Checksums detect changed bytes, not publisher identity — use a source you trust.

First launch: establish your base

1. Follow Room → Displays → Strip → Rules. Start with the room guide; measurements and advanced outlines are optional.
2. Try rules with on-screen demos while arranging the scene; no hardware needed. Try examples is always local-only.
3. To reach hardware, set the WLED address and connect. The initial 127.0.0.1 is a loopback target, not a discovered device.
4. Select Finish when the setup is valid. It saves and opens the finished room view. A top tab returns to editing.

The setup guide remembers its step; skip it or replay it under Settings → Replay setup guide. Everyday controls covers the lighting decision when you get there.

If launch fails

Compare the bundle's BUILD-INFO.json with your CPU and runtime, then see the application will not start. If the binary is incompatible, build from source. A source build does not add unsupported desktop integrations.

Optional desktop-menu installation

Running from the extracted directory needs no installation. For a user-local launcher, run from the extracted bundle:

install -Dm755 bin/ledalert ~/.local/bin/ledalert
install -Dm644 packaging/io.github.critx.LedAlert.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/io.github.critx.LedAlert.desktop
install -Dm644 packaging/io.github.critx.LedAlert.svg ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/io.github.critx.LedAlert.svg

For a source build, replace bin/ledalert with target/release/ledalert (adjust for CARGO_TARGET_DIR if set). Ensure ~/.local/bin is on the desktop session's PATH. Nothing installs a launcher or enables autostart automatically.

Build from source

Install Rust 1.95 or newer and the native dependencies. In an existing source checkout:

cargo build --release --locked
./target/release/ledalert

If you need a source archive, download ledalert-<version>-source.tar.gz and SHA256SUMS from the same release. Verify before extracting and building — expect ledalert-<version>-source.tar.gz: OK:

grep '  ledalert-.*-source\.tar\.gz$' SHA256SUMS | sha256sum --check --strict - &&
tar -xzf ledalert-*-source.tar.gz &&
cd ledalert-*-source &&
cargo build --release --locked &&
./target/release/ledalert

If CARGO_TARGET_DIR is set, the executable is in its release/ directory instead. Initial builds need Cargo dependency access unless cached.

Native dependencies

Compilation and runtime libraries for the Cargo and source-build routes. On Arch/CachyOS:

• base-devel
• wayland, libxkbcommon
• libx11, libxcursor, libxi, libxrandr
• mesa

KDE display discovery uses kscreen-doctor from libkscreen; without it, use Displays → Add manually. Other distributions use different package names. No root access or JavaScript toolchain is involved.

Release contents

The binary bundle includes bin/ledalert, the field manual, release notes, SECURITY.md, logo/font assets, an optional desktop launcher, BUILD-INFO.json, LICENSE-MIT, LICENSE-APACHE, THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt and licenses/.

LedAlert is MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your choice. Keep the license texts and third-party notices with redistributed bundles.

Next: Draw the room.