Installation

Keep Thy Heart Bible Reader runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Download the installer for your platform from the downloads page.

Platform	Download	Notes
Windows	.exe installer	64-bit (x64). Installs per-user; no administrator rights needed.
macOS	.dmg disk image	Drag to Applications.
Linux	.deb package or .AppImage	.deb for Debian, Ubuntu, and distributions based on them. The AppImage runs on any distribution without installation.

The installers contain the application only. Bibles and study content are downloaded after installation; see First launch.

Windows

Run the downloaded .exe. The installer lets you choose the installation directory and creates desktop and Start Menu shortcuts.

The installer is not yet code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn that the publisher is unrecognized. Choose More info, then Run anyway.

macOS

Open the .dmg and drag the app to your Applications folder.

If Gatekeeper blocks the app the first time you open it, right-click the app, choose Open, and confirm. This is only needed once.

Linux

There are two downloads for Linux: a .deb package and an AppImage.

Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives (.deb)

Install the package with apt, so that its dependencies are installed too:

sudo apt install ./<downloaded-file>.deb

The app is installed under /opt and appears in your applications menu.

Any distribution (AppImage)

Make the AppImage executable and run it:

chmod +x "Keep Thy Heart Bible Reader"-*.AppImage
./"Keep Thy Heart Bible Reader"-*.AppImage

The AppImage is self-contained. There is no installation step.

First launch

The first time you open the app, a setup dialog asks three questions:

1. Your language. The app is set to the language your computer uses. Choose Continue in English (or the language shown), or Choose a different language to pick from the full list. Languages other than English are marked Preview: they are machine-translated and not yet reviewed. You can change the language later in Preferences → General.
2. Download Bibles and study content? The app starts offline. Choose Go online to let it download modules and check for updates, or Stay offline. Go online shows a confirmation dialog first; see Web requests.
3. Suggested study content. If you went online, the app lists recommended modules for your language, with each item's license and size. Clear the check box of anything you don't want, then choose Install selected. If you stayed offline, you can go online from this step or choose Install from a file… to install a module file you already have.

Choose Not now to skip the last step, or Start reading once the modules are installed.

The app opens to John 3. If no Bible is installed, the Bible pane offers Install a Bible. A bar at the top of the window offers Take a tour. See Quick Start for a tour of the window, and Installing Modules to add commentaries, dictionaries, and translations.

Web requests

The app does not connect to the internet until you allow it. The switch is Privacy → Allow Web Requests in the menu bar, or Allow web requests in the Privacy section of Preferences. It is off on a new installation.

When you turn it on, the app asks Allow this program to go online? Choose Allow web requests to confirm. While it is on, the app can check for updates, browse and download modules, run online Ideas Search, and open links in your browser. Turning it off stops the app from starting those requests.

Updating

Choose Help → Check for Updates…. The dialog shows the server it will contact. Choose Check now to continue. Web requests must be allowed.

If a newer version is available:

• Windows: choose Download and install, then Restart and install. The app closes, runs the installer, and reopens.
• macOS: the in-app update installs only on signed and notarized builds. Otherwise, choose Open download page, download the new .dmg, and drag the app into Applications, replacing the old one.
• Linux (.deb): the app cannot update a .deb installation. Download the new .deb and install it with the same apt install command.
• Linux (AppImage): the in-app update replaces the AppImage if the file is in a folder you can write to. Otherwise, replace the old AppImage with the new one.

You can also download the latest installer from the downloads page and run it over your existing installation.

Your notes, highlights, bookmarks, settings, layout, and modules are stored separately from the application and are kept when you update. You may want to back them up before upgrading.

Uninstalling

To uninstall this Bible app:

• Windows: uninstall from Settings → Apps, or run the uninstaller in the installation directory.
• macOS: drag the app from Applications to the Trash.
• Linux (.deb): remove the package with apt or your software manager.
• Linux (AppImage): delete the AppImage.

Uninstalling does not remove your data. Highlights, bookmarks, modules, and settings are in the application data directory (varies by operating system), and notes are files in the notes folder you chose. To keep a copy, back them up first.

Need help?

Report a problem on the issue tracker, or email support@bible-study.example.com.