Prerequisites

What you need before installing Astrolock

Before installing Astrolock, you’ll need a few tools on your computer. Don’t worry if these are unfamiliar - we’ll explain each one.

Required Tools

Terminal / Command Line

You’ll run Astrolock commands in a terminal application:

Operating System	Application
macOS	Terminal (built-in) or iTerm2
Windows	Windows Terminal or PowerShell
Linux	Your distribution’s terminal

Tip

On macOS, press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, and press Enter to open it.

Docker

Docker runs Astrolock in an isolated environment, ensuring consistent behavior across all computers.

Install Docker Desktop:

Warning

After installing Docker Desktop, make sure it’s running before using Astrolock. You’ll see the Docker icon in your menu bar or system tray.

Text Editor

You’ll edit content files (Markdown) with a text editor. We recommend:

Visual Studio Code - Free, excellent Markdown support
Cursor - AI-powered coding assistant

Astrolock uses Markdown files (.md), which are plain text with simple formatting. Word processors add hidden formatting that breaks these files.

Text editors like VS Code show exactly what’s in the file and provide helpful features like:

Markdown preview
Syntax highlighting
File explorer sidebar

Optional Tools

Git (Recommended)

Git tracks changes to your site, letting you undo mistakes and collaborate with others.

Download Git

Info

If you’re using VS Code or Cursor, Git integration is built-in once Git is installed.

Checking Your Setup

Open your terminal and run these commands to verify everything is installed:

# Check Docker is running
docker --version

# Check Git (optional)
git --version

If you see version numbers, you’re ready to install Astrolock.