Admingen is distributed as a ready-to-run program. The package contains two files: admingen opens the visual editor in your browser, while admingen-cli works with the same model from a terminal. You do not need to build the generator from source.
Quick installation with curl
Open a terminal in any convenient folder and run:
curl -fsSL https://downloads.admingen.dev/install.sh -o install-admingen.sh
bash install-admingen.sh
The first command saves the installer as install-admingen.sh in the current folder. The second runs it: it detects your operating system and processor, downloads the latest release, checks its checksum and installs both programs in ~/.local/bin. No sudo is needed. Keep the installer for updates or delete it after installation.
Archives for the first release,
0.8.1, are published. The installer described here will become available with the next release. If downloadinginstall.shreturns 404, use the archive instructions below for now. Homebrew and APT packages are not available yet.
To install a specific release, replace the normal installer command with:
bash install-admingen.sh --version 0.8.1
To choose another directory, use bash install-admingen.sh --install-dir "$HOME/bin". The installer will also offer to add this directory to PATH. The --base-url option is only needed for another HTTPS mirror; leave it unset for a normal installation.
After installation, the installer offers to add the binary directory to PATH so you can run the commands from any folder. It shows the exact files and snippet before asking for confirmation. For zsh it updates .zshrc (respecting an exported ZDOTDIR); for Bash it updates .bashrc and the active login profile. The default answer is No: files change only with your permission. Reinstalling does not duplicate the same managed block.
If you agree, open a new terminal and run admingen --help. Your current terminal does not update automatically. If you decline or use an unsupported shell, the installer shows manual PATH instructions. For installation without prompts, explicitly allow configuration with bash install-admingen.sh --configure-path; --no-modify-path prevents shell file changes. Continue with “Create your first project” below.
Install from an archive
If you prefer manual installation, follow the three steps below.
1. Choose the archive for your computer
Download the release for your operating system and processor. Use the platform name in the archive filename:
| Your computer | Platform |
|---|---|
| macOS, Apple Silicon: M1, M2 and newer | darwin_arm64 |
| macOS, Intel | darwin_amd64 |
| Linux, 64-bit Intel or AMD | linux_amd64 |
| Linux, 64-bit ARM | linux_arm64 |
A Windows release is not currently announced. To check your processor, run uname -m in a terminal: arm64 or aarch64 means ARM; x86_64 means Intel/AMD.
2. Extract the files and check that they run
Extract the archive, then open a terminal in the extracted folder. It should contain both admingen and admingen-cli. Run:
chmod +x admingen admingen-cli
./admingen --help
./admingen-cli --help
The first command makes the files executable on macOS and Linux. The next two display help. If you see the help output, the programs run successfully.
If macOS blocks a downloaded application, check where the archive came from and allow it through the system's Privacy & Security settings. Do not disable system protection globally.
3. Make the commands available from your project folder
This lets you run admingen without specifying its full path. From the extracted folder, run:
mkdir -p "$HOME/.local/bin"
cp admingen admingen-cli "$HOME/.local/bin/"
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
admingen --help
The PATH setting above applies to the current terminal. To keep it for future sessions, add the following line to your shell configuration: usually ~/.zshrc for zsh on macOS, or ~/.bashrc for Bash on Linux.
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
Save the file and open a new terminal. Installing into your home directory does not require sudo.
Create your first project
The generator is installed. Continue with Your first project: from model to first record. It walks through creating a project directory, opening Generator UI and defining your first entity.
The generator runs locally and displays its interface in your browser. Keep the terminal running while you use the editor. Press Ctrl+C in that terminal to stop it.
The generator itself needs no Go, Node.js or Docker installation. Building and running the generated application requires Go, Node.js/npm, Make and Docker with Compose v2. See local development for setup.
Updating the generator
Stop the editor and run bash install-admingen.sh again to install the latest release. If you no longer have the installer, download it using the command at the top of this guide. For a manual installation, replace both files in ~/.local/bin with the files from the new archive. Run admingen --help to check that it starts.
Replacing the program does not change your projects or databases. You run file generation and database migrations separately.
Troubleshooting
command not found— check PATH, or run./admingenfrom the folder containing the file.Permission denied— runchmod +xfor both files.Exec format errororBad CPU type— choose the archive for your operating system and processor.- The browser does not open when starting the editor — open the address printed in the terminal manually.