CodeWhale Prebuilt Binaries Supported Platforms: Complete OS and Architecture Guide

CodeWhale provides official prebuilt binaries for Linux (x64, ARM64, RISC-V64), macOS (x64, ARM64), and Windows (x64), with automated distribution via npm, manual downloads from GitHub Releases, and fallback compilation via cargo for unsupported targets.

CodeWhale ships matched pairs of prebuilt binaries—the dispatcher (codewhale) and the TUI runtime (codewhale-tui)—for major operating systems and CPU architectures. Understanding which platforms are supported by CodeWhale prebuilt binaries ensures you can install via package managers or direct downloads without compiling from source. The release assets are defined in .github/workflows/release.yml and published through scripts/release/publish-crates.sh.

Officially Supported Platforms

The project targets Tier 1 Rust platforms, with prebuilt assets available for the following OS and CPU combinations:

Linux Variants

Linux receives the broadest architecture support among all platforms:

• x64 (x86_64): codewhale-linux-x64 and codewhale-tui-linux-x64
• ARM64: codewhale-linux-arm64 and codewhale-tui-linux-arm64 (available from v0.8.8; earlier releases such as v0.8.7 do not provide these)
• RISC-V64: codewhale-linux-riscv64 and codewhale-tui-linux-riscv64

According to the source analysis, Linux ARM64 binaries were introduced in version 0.8.8, making earlier versions incompatible with ARM64 servers and modern cloud instances without compilation.

macOS Variants

CodeWhale supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs:

• x64: codewhale-macos-x64 and codewhale-tui-macos-x64
• ARM64 (M-series): codewhale-macos-arm64 and codewhale-tui-macos-arm64

Windows Support

Windows support is limited to 64-bit architectures:

• x64: codewhale-windows-x64.exe and codewhale-tui-windows-x64.exe

Binary Distribution Methods

The project provides three primary installation pathways, as documented in README.md#quickstart and docs/INSTALL.md#supported-platforms:

1. npm wrapper: The npm i -g codewhale command automatically downloads the correct binary pair from the matching GitHub release and verifies them against a SHA-256 manifest.
2. GitHub Releases: Direct downloads are available on the releases page, with asset names following the pattern codewhale-{os}-{arch} and codewhale-tui-{os}-{arch}.
3. cargo install: The Cargo.toml declares two crates (codewhale-cli and codewhale-tui) that compile into the binaries, enabling support for any Tier-1 Rust target not shipped as prebuilt assets.

Installation Examples by Platform

Automated Installation via npm

The recommended method uses the npm wrapper to handle platform detection:

npm install -g codewhale

# The post-install step pulls the right pre-built pair for your OS/arch.

Manual Download for Linux ARM64

For systems where npm is unavailable or for specific version pinning:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
curl -L -o ~/.local/bin/codewhale \
    https://github.com/Hmbown/CodeWhale/releases/latest/download/cewhale-linux-arm64
curl -L -o ~/.local/bin/cewhale-tui \
    https://github.com/Hmbown/CodeWhale/releases/latest/download/codewhale-tui-linux-arm64
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/codewhale ~/.local/bin/codewhale-tui
codewhale --version

Windows Installation via Scoop

Windows users can install via Scoop, which utilizes the prebuilt binaries:

scoop update
scoop install codewhale
codewhale --version

Source Compilation for Unsupported Platforms

Platforms not listed in the official release assets—such as musl-based Linux distributions or FreeBSD—require building from source. As noted in docs/INSTALL.md#supported-platforms, you must compile manually for these targets:

# Build dispatcher from source

cargo install codewhale-cli --locked

# Build TUI runtime from source  

cargo install codewhale-tui --locked

codewhale --version

The cargo install workflow compiles the crates defined in Cargo.toml for any Tier-1 Rust target, providing a fallback when prebuilt binaries are unavailable.

Summary

• CodeWhale prebuilt binaries support Linux (x64, ARM64, RISC-V64), macOS (x64, ARM64), and Windows (x64).
• Linux ARM64 support began with version 0.8.8; earlier versions require source compilation for ARM64.
• Distribution channels include npm (automatic), GitHub Releases (manual), and cargo (source compilation).
• Unsupported platforms such as musl Linux or FreeBSD must build from source using the crates defined in Cargo.toml.
• CI pipeline in .github/workflows/release.yml generates the official assets automated by scripts/release/publish-crates.sh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Linux architectures receive official prebuilt binaries?

CodeWhale provides prebuilt binaries for Linux x64 (x86_64), ARM64, and RISC-V64. However, ARM64 binaries were only introduced in version 0.8.8, meaning releases prior to v0.8.7 do not include ARM64 support and require manual compilation for those older versions.

Can I install CodeWhale on Apple Silicon Macs?

Yes. CodeWhale ships native ARM64 binaries for macOS specifically targeting Apple Silicon (M-series) chips. The asset names follow the pattern codewhale-macos-arm64 and codewhale-tui-macos-arm64, and these are available alongside traditional x64 builds for Intel-based Macs.

What should I do if my platform is not listed in the supported binaries?

If your platform—such as musl-based Linux or FreeBSD—is not covered by the official prebuilt assets, you must build from source using cargo install codewhale-cli --locked and cargo install codewhale-tui --locked. The Rust compiler supports any Tier-1 target, though you will compile locally rather than downloading prebuilt artifacts.

How does the npm package determine which binary to download?

The npm wrapper (codewhale) detects your operating system and CPU architecture during the post-install phase, then downloads the matching binary pair from the corresponding GitHub release. It verifies the downloaded files against a SHA-256 manifest before installation completes, ensuring integrity and platform compatibility.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}