v2.1.7: May or Shall is a hosted web app

May or Shall now runs at app.mayorshall.com. Sign in with your email address. There is no download, no database and no setup, and a sample matter is waiting in your account.

This release exists for the two companion clients. You do not need it to use the app.

Web Clipper (Chrome and Edge)

Install it from the Chrome Web Store, which works in Edge too, then sign in to the web app. Being signed in is the connection, so there is no token to copy and nothing to configure. may-or-shall-web-clipper.zip is here only for sideloading or review.

Word add in

Sideload may-or-shall-word-manifest-hosted.xml. The pane is served from app.mayorshall.com and signs in with a code emailed to you, because a task pane cannot share the browser session. may-or-shall-word-manifest.xml is the variant that points at your own server on localhost.

Running your own copy

May or Shall is free software under the GNU AGPL v3. It needs Node 20 or later and a PostgreSQL database. See the README and DEPLOY.md.

Note on earlier releases

v2.0.0 and everything before it shipped a desktop app, or a local server, that kept your data on your own machine. That approach is superseded. Those downloads are left in place for the record, but they will not work against the hosted app and are not maintained.

v2.0.0: Desktop app (superseded)

Superseded. Please do not install this.

May or Shall is now a hosted web app at app.mayorshall.com. Sign in with your email address; there is nothing to download. The installers below run a local server on your own machine and will not connect to it. They are left here for the record only, and are not maintained or supported.

For the current Web Clipper and Word add in, see the latest release.

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Original release notes from July 2026

May or Shall is now a desktop app. No terminal, no Docker, no database, no setup.

Get started

1. Download the installer for your computer:
   • macOS — Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3…) or Intel .dmg
   • Windows — May-or-Shall-Windows-Setup.exe
2. Install and open it. First launch shows an "unidentified developer / unknown publisher" notice because the app isn't code-signed yet:
   • macOS: right-click the app → Open → Open (once).
   • Windows: More info → Run anyway on the SmartScreen prompt (once).
3. Install the Chrome extension. It finds the running app automatically — nothing to configure. Clip from any page, and it lands in your matter.

Everything stays on your own computer — your case data never leaves the machine.

Windows note: the Windows build is cross-compiled and not yet tested on Windows hardware end-to-end. It's structurally identical to the macOS build (which is fully verified). Please report anything that misbehaves via Issues.

What changed

• Desktop app (macOS + Windows): runs the whole workspace in-process with its own single-file database and PDF storage under your app-data folder.
• Web Clipper v1.2.0: auto-detects the app over http or https, so a fresh install connects with zero configuration.
• SQLite everywhere: the app no longer needs PostgreSQL. Running from source is now just npm install && npx prisma migrate deploy && npm run dev. Existing Postgres users can migrate with scripts/migrate-pg-to-sqlite.mjs.

Word add-in

Unchanged from v1.1.x — sideload may-or-shall-word-manifest-hosted.xml (hosted pane) or may-or-shall-word-manifest.xml (local). See the README.

A code-signed build (no first-launch warning) and Linux builds are planned.

v1.1.3: friendly first run setup (superseded)

New installs of the Web Clipper now open to a short welcome that explains the two-step setup (run your own May or Shall app, then point the extension at it) instead of a connection error. Genuine connection failures on configured setups still show the full error with recovery actions.

v1.1.2: one click on and off switch (superseded)

Adds a toggle in the extension popup to switch clipping on or off with a single click. When off, selecting text no longer shows the popover; the change applies immediately to open tabs. Everything else is unchanged from v1.1.1.

v1.1.1: friendlier connection errors (superseded)

The web clipper now explains itself when it can't reach your May or Shall app: whether the app isn't running or your computer doesn't yet trust the local HTTPS certificate, with one-click Open-the-app and Retry actions in the popup and popover. The README gained a troubleshooting section for this, and the extension is now installable straight from the Chrome Web Store.

v1.1.0: Web Clipper and Word add in (superseded)

First public release of the May or Shall companion clients.

Web Clipper (Chrome/Edge): unzip may-or-shall-web-clipper.zip, then chrome://extensions → Developer mode → Load unpacked → the unzipped folder. Point it at your May or Shall app in its Options (app URL + API token from Settings), pick a matter, and select text on any page to save typed, source-linked cards. Includes inline matter creation and a rough-note composer in the toolbar popup.

Word add-in: sideload may-or-shall-word-manifest.xml (Mac: copy to ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Documents/wef/). Requires your app running over HTTPS at https://localhost:3000 (edit the manifest URLs for hosted deployments). The task pane plots cards into your draft as labelled, source-cited content controls.

The app itself (the hub both clients talk to) is this repository: Next.js + Postgres, docker compose up or see the README Quick start.