Install Ravelon and start for the first time

Platforms#

Ravelon Desktop runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.

• macOS: macOS 14 or newer. The app runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel.
• Windows: builds for x86_64 and ARM64.
• Linux: an AppImage, a .deb and an .rpm package, each for x86_64 and ARM64.

The AppImage and the Windows and macOS apps update themselves. If you installed the .deb or .rpm package, update by installing the newer package. Under Settings → General → Updates you choose whether updates install automatically, and Check for updates in the menu behind your avatar looks for a new version right away.

The first start#

Ravelon opens straight into the app. There is no lock screen and no password to invent: your encrypted vault is created automatically on this device. It holds your hosts, credentials, snippets and settings. How it is protected, and how to add a lock, is described in Vault and encryption.

A short introduction follows. In its setup step Ravelon looks through ~/.ssh/config for servers you already use and offers to import them. Choose Not now if you prefer to add hosts yourself. Afterwards Ravelon asks whether you want to help improve it with anonymous usage counts. You can look at exactly what would be sent before you answer, and change your choice at any time under Settings → Privacy.

Free and Pro#

Everything that runs on your computer is free: SSH, SFTP, tunnels, remote desktop, snippets and the local vault. Ravelon Pro adds end-to-end encrypted sync through Ravelon Cloud, so the same vault is available on your devices. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Under Settings → Account & sync you can start a free Pro trial without payment details. If you run your own sync server, no Pro purchase is needed. See Account and encrypted sync.

Next steps#

• A tour of the interface
• Add and organize hosts
• Connect via SSH