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Installing FlexVault

FlexVault is used through the fxv command line. Install the CLI for your platform below, then choose a next step to set up your first workspace and repository.

FlexVault is CLI-only today

FlexVault Desktop, a graphical application, is still in development. The installer below sets up the fxv command-line tool only.

Install the CLI

Most Windows users should use this option.

Download FlexVault for Windows

If your browser says FlexVaultSetup.exe isn't commonly downloaded

Browsers warn about executables that few people have downloaded yet, even when the file is signed. FlexVault is new, and browsers haven't gotten to know it yet. We promise it's safe! To keep the file:

  1. In the Downloads panel, hover over FlexVaultSetup.exe and select ... (More actions).
  2. Select Keep.

If Edge asks you to confirm, select Show more and then Keep anyway.

  1. In the downloads panel, select the FlexVaultSetup.exe entry.
  2. Select Download suspicious file.
  1. In the downloads panel, select the arrow next to FlexVaultSetup.exe.
  2. Select Allow download.

Run FlexVaultSetup.exe. The setup wizard installs FlexVault for your Windows user account without requiring administrator permissions. It installs the fxv CLI (core command-line engine, added to your PATH for terminal use).

If you see a "Windows protected your PC" warning

Windows SmartScreen may show this dialog the first time you run a new FlexVault release. The FlexVault installer and fxv.exe are signed, but SmartScreen also warns about signed files until they have been downloaded widely enough to build reputation.

Select More info and check that the dialog shows Publisher: FlexVault Inc, which confirms the file is an official FlexVault release. Then select Run anyway. If the publisher is missing or different, do not run the file.

To check the signature without running the file, right-click it in File Explorer, select Properties, and open the Digital Signatures tab. The signer should be FlexVault Inc.

Use this option if you prefer a scripted install, such as on a machine you are setting up remotely. For headless or terminal-only setups, run the install script:

irm https://fxv.dev/install.ps1 | iex

The script downloads the latest release, verifies its SHA-256 checksum, installs fxv.exe into %LOCALAPPDATA%\fxv\bin, and adds that directory to your user PATH. Open a new terminal window for the updated PATH to take effect.

If you see a "Windows protected your PC" warning

Windows SmartScreen may show this dialog the first time you run a new FlexVault release. The FlexVault installer and fxv.exe are signed, but SmartScreen also warns about signed files until they have been downloaded widely enough to build reputation.

Select More info and check that the dialog shows Publisher: FlexVault Inc, which confirms the file is an official FlexVault release. Then select Run anyway. If the publisher is missing or different, do not run the file.

To check the signature without running the file, right-click it in File Explorer, select Properties, and open the Digital Signatures tab. The signer should be FlexVault Inc.

Run the install script in your terminal:

curl -fsSL https://fxv.dev/install.sh | bash

The script installs fxv into ~/.local/bin and adds that directory to your shell configuration if needed.

macOS builds are planned but not published yet. Check fxv.dev/download for updates.

Confirm the installation

Open a new terminal and run:

fxv --help

To update fxv later, run fxv upgrade. Watch the announcements channel on the FlexVault Discord for new CLI and plugin release notices.

Next steps

If you are new to version control, continue to Learning Version Control Basics, which works with a repository on your own machine and needs no cloud account.

If you already use Git, Perforce, or another version control system, you can skip ahead to Setting up a Shared Repository to create a repository your team can share, connect a workspace to it, and publish your first change.