zKPnote Desktop

Install — 3 steps

1. 1

   Open the DMG

   Double-click the downloaded .dmg file. A small window pops up with the zKPnote icon and an Applications folder shortcut.
2. 2

   Drag to Applications

   Drag the zKPnote app icon onto the Applications folder in the same window. That copies it to your computer.
3. 3

   First open — right-click, not double-click

   Because this beta isn't code-signed yet, macOS will say something like “cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified” if you just double-click. That's Gatekeeper being cautious, not a real problem.

   Instead:

   1. Open Finder → Applications
   2. Right-click (or Control-click) the zKPnote app
   3. Choose Open
   4. A dialog appears. Click Open to confirm.

   After this first time, double-click works normally forever.

Seeing a “damaged and can't be opened” error?

macOS flags unsigned downloads as quarantined. Clear it with one command in Terminal (Applications → Utilities).

If the error hits when opening the DMG (before installing):

If the error hits after dragging to Applications(launching the app):

Clears the quarantine attribute macOS adds to downloaded files. Safe — just tells Gatekeeper to trust the file.

What to expect

• Create a vault with a name and passphrase.
• Optionally paste your 12-word recovery phrase to link with your zkpnote.com account for sync + on-chain proof of authorship.
• Everything stays encrypted on your Mac with XChaCha20-Poly1305 (key derived from your passphrase).
• No analytics, no telemetry, no network except the sync endpoint you configure.

Rough edges (public beta)

• Not yet code-signed.This guide exists because of that. We're working on Apple Developer ID + notarization — when it lands, install becomes a simple double-click.
• macOS only. Windows and Linux next.
• Some old notes with images saved before 2026-04-16 may show filenames as text instead of images (a CSP bug, now fixed). Re-add the image to those notes.
• Don't store the only copy of critical data in beta software. Use ⌘⇧P → Export vault to directory periodically.