Skip to content

Installation

Jump to bottom
CosmoCreeper edited this page Jun 10, 2025 · 15 revisions

Sine offers two installation methods: automatic (recommended for most users) and manual (for advanced users or specific needs). Below, we guide you through both options to help you get Sine up and running with your Zen Browser.

🤖 Automatic Installation (Recommended)

The automatic installer is the easiest way to set up both Sine and its required component, fx-autoconfig, with minimal effort. Starting with Sine version 1.1.1, installers are available for:

  • macOS (x64 and ARM)
  • Linux (x64 and ARM)
  • Windows (x64 only; no ARM support)

Steps for Automatic Installation

  1. Download the Installer: Grab the appropriate installer for your operating system from the Sine release page.
  2. Run the Installer: The installation method differs depending on the platform.
    • Windows: Execute the downloaded file. Note that the installer fetches the necessary files from the internet, so an active connection is required, also, you cannot install older versions using the automatic method. (ensure you run as administrator if you are on windows.)
    • Mac: For Mac, you have to unquarantine the file, give it binary permissions, and then execute it. To do so, open the terminal in the location of the installer and then run the following commands (replace sine-darwin-arm64 with sine-darwin-x64 if you use x64):

      xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ./sine-darwin-arm64
chmod +x ./sine-darwin-arm64
./sine-darwin-arm64
    • Linux: For Linux, you just have to give it binary permissions, and then execute it. To do so, open the terminal in the location of the installer and then run the following commands (replace sine-linux-x64 with sine-linux-arm64 if you use ARM):

      chmod +x ./sine-linux-x64
./sine-linux-x64
  3. Clear Zen’s Startup Cache:
    • Open the Zen Browser and navigate to about:support (type it into the address bar and press Enter).
    • In the top-right corner, click the Clear Startup Cache button.
  4. Restart Zen: Close and reopen the browser to complete the setup.

That’s it! Sine should now be installed and ready to use.

✋ Manual Installation

⚠️ Note: Manual installation requires installing fx-autoconfig, which makes the process more complex. We recommend the automatic method unless you have a specific reason to install manually (e.g., building from source or installing older versions).

Manual installation offers two approaches: building the installer from source or manually configuring the files. Below, we cover the second method, which involves setting up fx-autoconfig and Sine directly.

Steps for Manual Installation

  1. Locate Zen’s Installation Directory:

    • Find the folder where Zen Browser is installed on your system (e.g., C:\Program Files\Zen on Windows).

  2. Set Up fx-autoconfig:

  3. Configure Your Zen Profile:

    • Open Zen and go to about:support in the address bar.
    • In the table, find Profile Folder and click Open Folder to access your current profile directory.
    • Inside the profile folder, navigate to the chrome directory (create it if it doesn’t exist).
    • Copy all files and folders from this fx-autoconfig chrome directory into the chrome directory.
    • Now, inside of the JS folder, put this file.

  4. Clear Zen’s Startup Cache:

    • Return to about:support in Zen.
    • Click the Clear Startup Cache button in the top-right corner.

  5. Restart Zen: Close and reopen the browser to apply the changes.

Alternative: Build the Installer from Source

If you prefer to build the automatic installer yourself:

  • Clone the Sine repository and navigate to the auto-installers directory.
  • Run the .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) script to generate installers for each supported platform.
  • Use the generated installer as described in the Automatic Installation section.

Clone this wiki locally