Installation and permissions

Before you start

Pathem requires macOS 15 or later. The website does not currently offer a public prebuilt download, and the source repository may require access. These guides describe the current application; they are not a claim that a public release is already available.

If you already have a trusted packaged build, use the steps below. If not, wait for an announced release or use an authorized source checkout. Do not download an unrelated app with the same name or disable macOS security protections to make an unknown copy run.

Install a trusted packaged build

1. Finish or pause file operations in any existing Pathem session. Save work before replacing an application.
2. If supplied in a disk image, open it and inspect the application and publisher information. Follow the instructions that accompany that specific build.
3. Place Pathem.app in Applications. Do not run a long-term installation from inside a mounted disk image.
4. Open Pathem from Applications. If macOS rejects the signature or warns that the app is damaged, stop and obtain a trusted build rather than removing quarantine or disabling Gatekeeper.
5. Open a normal folder in your home directory first. Confirm you can browse and preview a harmless test file before configuring broader access.

Grant Full Disk Access only when needed

1. If a protected folder reports an access error, open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Full Disk Access.
2. Add the installed Pathem.app and enable its entry if you want it to browse protected locations. This is a broad permission; grant it only to a build you trust.
3. Quit and reopen Pathem if macOS requests it. Return to the same folder and retry.
4. If access still fails, check that the entry points to the installed app, not a discarded source-build copy. Volume permissions, disconnected servers, and online-only cloud files are separate issues.

For developers with source access

Use the repository's build instructions and its selected Xcode toolchain. From an authorized checkout, make run builds and launches a development copy; make app assembles a local application bundle. A source build does not require a paid Apple Developer account.

The current make install workflow can stop running Pathem and helper processes while replacing the app. Finish transfers and save work before using it. Signing, notarization, and publication are separate distribution steps; do not assume a local build has those properties.