Install
Why Terminal?
SORT installs with one line in Terminal on a Mac, or PowerShell on Windows. Here is why, what that line does, and how to install without it.
- SORT is not signed by Apple or Microsoft yet, so a normal download is blocked the first time you open it.
- The one line downloads SORT from this site, checks it is exactly the file we published, and installs it without that block.
- No password, no administrator rights, and you can read the whole script before you run it.
The reason: no Apple or Microsoft signature yet
Apple and Microsoft let app makers sign their apps with a paid certificate: about 99 $ a year with Apple, and a few hundred euros a year for a Windows code-signing certificate. SORT is made by a small independent maker and does not have these certificates yet.
Without them, the first time you open a downloaded copy:
- macOS says the app “cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified”.
- Windows shows “Windows protected your PC” and hides the Run button behind “More info”.
These warnings mean “not signed”, not “harmful”. They appear because a browser marks every downloaded file as coming from the internet, and the system then asks for a signature. A file fetched from Terminal or PowerShell is handled differently: on a Mac it never gets that mark, and on Windows the script removes it after checking the file.
What the line does
On a Mac, in Terminal
~ % curl -fsSL https://sort.cdav.io/install.sh | bash- Asks sort.cdav.io which version of SORT is the newest.
- Downloads SORT for your Mac, Apple chip or Intel.
- Checks its SHA-256 fingerprint against the one we published. If they differ, it stops and installs nothing.
- Puts SORT in Applications and opens it. An older SORT goes to the Trash, not deleted.
It uses only tools that come with macOS.
On Windows, in PowerShell
PS C:\Users\you> irm https://sort.cdav.io/install.ps1 | iex- Asks sort.cdav.io which version of SORT is the newest.
- Downloads the installer.
- Checks its SHA-256 fingerprint against the one we published. If they differ, it stops and installs nothing.
- Installs SORT for your user only and opens it.
Is it safe?
- Only our own files. The script and SORT come from this site, over an encrypted connection (HTTPS).
- Checked before installing. If the download is not exactly the published file, nothing is installed.
- No password, no administrator. It never asks for your password and installs only for you. If Applications cannot be written, it uses the Applications folder in your home folder instead.
- Read it first. Open install.sh or install.ps1 in your browser. Each is short and explained line by line.
A good habit for any command, ours included: only paste lines from sites you trust.
Prefer not to use Terminal?
Download the file from the download section and allow it once:
- Mac (.dmg): drag SORT to Applications. Open it once; when macOS blocks it, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and press Open Anyway.
- Windows (.exe): open it; when Windows says the publisher is unknown, choose More info, then Run anyway.
Both ways give you the same SORT. You only need to do this the first time; updates install from inside the app.
Will this change?
Yes. Once SORT is signed by Apple and Microsoft, a normal download will open without any warning, and this page will say so.