ARES Launcher
The ARES Launcher is a utility designed to make installing, running, and managing self‑contained ARES instances simple and reliable.
Getting Started
Visit the Releases page or use the buttons below to download the latest launcher for your operating system.
After downloading, extract the zip to any folder. Inside, you will find the launcher executable.
Windows
Double‑click ARESLauncher.exe to start the launcher. Windows SmartScreen may display a warning-select More info → Run anyway to continue.
macOS (arm64)
Double click the downloaded .dmg file to mount the volume. Then drag the ARESLauncher application into the Applications directory.
Upon starting the launcher you will be greeted with a security exception. You will just need to follow these simple steps to start it. Running Unknown Apps
Linux
The launcher currently isn't packaged as a native .desktop bundle. After extracting, you can run it from a terminal:
./ARESLauncher
You may need to set executable permissions:
chmod +x ARESLauncher
Offline Use
To support users requiring a completely offline installation solution, we provide an additional Offline Launcher for all three major platforms. This version offers the same functionality as the standard launcher but comes pre-packaged with the latest version of ARES. It can be installed without an internet connection, making it ideal for air-gapped environments or locations with restricted network access. These can be found alongside the regular launcher release files.
Using the Launcher
Installation
On startup, the launcher displays a simple UI with two tabs and an Install button. Click Install and the launcher will:
- Download the correct ARES binaries for your system
- Create a local database
- Configure the instance automatically
During installation you may see a certificate prompt. Approve the certificate-it's required for ARES’s built‑in web servers and for secure communication between the ARES service and UI.
Running ARES
After installation, click Start. The launcher will:
- Start both the ARES service and UI
- Open your browser to the ARES UI URL
It may take several seconds for the server to finish booting, so the page may appear unavailable briefly.
You can safely close the launcher window-it continues running in the background and can be accessed from the system tray. To fully exit, right‑click the tray icon and choose Exit. Stopping the launcher does not stop ARES; stopping ARES must be done explicitly.
Launcher Updates
The launcher itself can check for updates to its own binary:
- When a newer launcher version is detected:
- A Launcher Update Available notification button appears on the Overview tab.
- Clicking this button:
- Downloads the new launcher binary.
- Stages it for use.
- Shuts down the current launcher and relaunches into the updated version.
This flow removes the need to manually browse GitHub Releases for launcher updates.
Handling Conflicts
If you launch the app while an ARES instance is already running, you’ll be prompted to choose how to resolve the conflict:
- Take Over – assign the running processes to the launcher
- Kill Processes – terminate the existing instance
- Ignore – leave the existing instance running
The process names used for detection are configurable but generally should not be touched unless you know what you're doing.
Contributing
If you are interested in contributing changes to the ARES Launcher, please refer to the ARES Contributing Guidelines Page for more information.