Install Node Banana

You can install the desktop app or run the app from source in a browser. These guides describe develop, including features that are not yet in a release. In these guides, Settings means the Nb → Project settings dialog.

Choose how to install

Install the desktop app

The desktop app is a preview on develop and is not part of version 1.10.0. Windows builds are unsigned. Mac builds can be signed and notarized; default local packaging remains unsigned.

A ZIP is a compressed archive. Preview packages include the local server, so you do not need Node.js, npm, or the app repository.

Windows x64

Windows packages include an .exe installer and a ZIP. The preview is verified on Windows 11 x64.

1. Open the preview .exe installer.
2. Choose the installation folder, or keep the default.
3. Open Node Banana.
4. Enter provider keys during setup or in Settings → Providers.

The installer installs for your Windows account without administrator access. Its default folder is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Node Banana\. You can also extract the ZIP and open the app inside it. The unsigned installer can trigger a Windows SmartScreen warning.

macOS on Apple Silicon

A DMG is a macOS disk image.

1. Open the DMG and drag Node Banana into Applications.
2. Alternatively, extract the ZIP and move the app into Applications.
3. Open the installed app.
4. If macOS blocks a trusted unsigned preview, use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
5. Enter provider keys during setup or in Settings → Providers.

Available installers depend on the published release and its attached files. For updates and recovery, see Desktop App.

Install from source

Use Git, npm, and Node.js 22.12 or newer. This Node version also supports the desktop tooling.

1. Clone the app repository and select develop.

git clone --branch develop https://github.com/shrimbly/node-banana.git
cd node-banana

2. Install the dependencies from the lockfile.

npm ci

3. Start the browser app.

npm run dev

4. Open http://localhost:3000.

The browser app uses the custom server in server.js. If port 3000 is occupied, set PORT before the command.

# macOS or Linux
PORT=3001 npm run dev

# PowerShell
$env:PORT = "3001"
npm run dev

Add provider keys

An API key authorizes requests to a provider account. Generation sends the relevant prompts and media to the selected provider. Local files and a local editor do not make remote generation offline.

1. Complete the first-run welcome step.
2. Enter a key for each provider you plan to use.
3. Choose your default models.
4. Select Start tutorial, or select Skip to open the editor.

You can change keys later in Nb → Project settings → Providers.

You only need keys for the providers you use. The Agent uses Claude Code or Codex account sign-in separately from these keys. OpenAI supplies image and text models. See Models and pricing for the complete provider list. Providers lists each provider's environment variable. For the ComfyUI key and backends, see ComfyUI.

Use an environment file instead

1. Create .env.local in the app repository root.
2. Add only the variables for your selected providers.
3. Restart the app after you change the file.

GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_key
COMFY_API_KEY=your_comfy_key
COMFY_CLOUD_API_KEY=your_comfy_key
REPLICATE_API_KEY=your_replicate_key
FAL_API_KEY=your_fal_key
KIE_API_KEY=your_kie_key
WAVESPEED_API_KEY=your_wavespeed_key

These values are placeholders. Keep your real keys out of shared workflow notes and public repositories.

Next steps

Build your first workflow. For installation errors, see Troubleshooting.