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Releases: rsjsoftwareltd/courier-beta
Release list
Courier v0.5.19 (beta)
Courier v0.5.19 (beta)
Courier v0.5.19 (beta)
A Beta build on top of 0.5.16: two-factor sign-in, notices to Active Directory groups and OUs, and the school's name and logo on the all clear.
New
- Two-factor sign-in. Each account can turn on sign-in with an authenticator app: scan the QR code, then enter a six-digit code at each sign-in. An administrator can reset another account's two-factor if the phone is lost, but not their own -- turning your own off needs your password and a code.
- Notices to Active Directory groups and OUs. Choose computer groups or OUs from your directory as a Devices audience, or user groups and OUs as a People audience. Nested groups are followed, and each computer or person is counted once. One notice can reach up to 2,000 computers.
- A warning for computers that share a name. Courier matches computers by name, so if two computers in a group or OU have the same name, Preview says so before you send.
Improved
- The all clear carries the school's name and logo, the same as the notice it clears, and names that notice in its heading: "All clear: <the notice's title>".
- This build includes RSJ Agent 0.8.44; Courier offers it to your computers.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
83A508DA2C020A95342620C51AAB222F0CA539A1B1A2E8E07449A05DFB781046 |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.16 (beta)
Courier v0.5.16 (beta)
A Beta build on top of 0.5.14: the all clear reaches everyone who saw a Priority notice.
Improved
- The all clear also reaches people who already acknowledged the Priority notice, while the notice is still live: it shows on the computer where they acknowledged it, as soon as they are there. Results says how many computers showed it.
- The all clear window has a green ALL CLEAR band, the counterpart of the Priority notice's red one.
- The formatting buttons explain themselves: hover over one to see the code it adds, for example "Bold: puts two asterisks each side of the words".
- This build includes RSJ Agent 0.8.40, which the all clear changes need; Courier offers it to your computers.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
1B5F2ECD5F22E2814BC9BEF7D73FB3A5DDB988FA85507EF01E7B5235CA2192D3 |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.14 (beta)
Courier v0.5.14 (beta)
A Beta build on top of 0.5.12: formatted notices, Priority notices, and Cancel / All clear.
New
- Formatted notices. Make words bold or italic, add a heading, bullet or numbered lists, or a highlighted line, and choose the text size and font. The preview shows exactly what the computers will show. Computers with an older RSJ Agent show the plain text.
- Priority notices, for something that must be seen soon. A red "PRIORITY NOTICE" band, an optional short sound, and the notice comes back to the front until it is acknowledged or expires. Administrators can always send one; an administrator chooses which senders may. Courier is an extra channel, never a replacement for your fire alarm, PA or bell, radios, or your lockdown procedure.
- Cancel or send an all clear for a Priority notice, from its Results page. Computers showing it are told to close it, and with an all clear they show your message.
- Your RSJ Agent stays up to date. Courier now offers your computers newer versions of the RSJ Agent, as Groundskeeper does. This build includes RSJ Agent 0.8.39, which the new notices need.
Fixed
- Results reads "Cancelled" or "All clear sent" as soon as a notice is withdrawn.
- A preview with no formatting shows your spacing exactly as it will be sent.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
0655B0360554DB9E3B7B08C98A13C9A5EFA864E4A2A4134B530D4D8C53C5A835 |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.12 (beta)
Courier v0.5.12 (beta)
The next Beta after 0.5.8: three new features, the school's name and logo on notices, and fixes.
New
- Templates with blanks. Add blanks to a template (text, date, time or a choice); a sender fills in a short form and sees the finished notice before sending.
- Find an Active Directory group by name, on New notice and in Audiences, with Count people to see how many it reaches. Courier only reads the directory.
- Limits for each sender: how many notices a day, and how many computers or people in one notice. Administrators are never limited.
- Your school's name and logo on the notice, set under General Settings → School. Each PC picks them up when its RSJ Agent updates to 0.8.38 or later.
Fixed
- Message Settings opens with the Audiences list filled in.
- A PC that couldn't take a new Courier module (for example, while someone was signed in) now tries again on its own.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
59C53F74172144BE1B94EB2617600B78E6AA07EC39E253B4F76B27EE73068D3F |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.8 (beta)
Courier v0.5.8 (beta)
A small Beta build on top of 0.5.7.
Fixed
- Download CSV on History and Results now works on a server whose certificate the browser has only accepted for the page.
Improved
- Deploying the agent from Agent Settings now asks only for the account and password, as in Groundskeeper; the server address comes from the Deploy tab.
- Downloads of History and Results as CSV are now recorded in Courier's log, so a download that fails can be traced. Nothing on screen changes.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
82A681E9AA58664CD615828BEE43DA36B58014D40EBCB7B1A8737A22CBC03413 |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.7 (beta)
Courier v0.5.7 (beta)
A new Courier beta: free, self-hosted, one-way messaging for schools. Write a notice, choose the computers or people it is for, and see how far it got. This is an early build and not an emergency system.
New in this beta
- Put the RSJ Agent on your computers from the console. Configuration > Agent Settings has three tabs, as in Groundskeeper. Deploy has the connection secret, the deploy script and Run AD discovery, which finds the computers in Active Directory. Devices lists them: Registered (computers with the RSJ Agent, who is signed in, the Courier module, last seen, with Send a notice beside each), Unregistered, Unreachable and Excluded. Deploy selected installs the RSJ Agent on the computers you tick, over WinRM, with an administrator account you type for that one batch; it is never saved or logged. Courier module switches notices on for the computers.
- A new menu, as in Groundskeeper: Message Settings (Audiences, Sending, Templates, Retention, Directory), Agent Settings and General Settings (Users, Access, Updates, Backup, Logs, School, Appearance, Activity, About). The Endpoints page is gone: its computers are under Agent Settings > Devices > Registered, and an old Endpoints link opens it.
- Each Devices tab loads on its own. If one list cannot be loaded, that tab says so and the others still work.
- Collect logs for support (General Settings > Logs) now saves the file, or says plainly why it could not, instead of leaving the page.
- Restoring a settings backup applies its console access list at once, not at the next restart.
- A People audience can hold up to 20 Active Directory groups, the most one notice can look up. Before, an audience of 21 to 50 groups could be saved but never sent.
- The RSJ Agent it carries is 0.8.36, and the Courier module it hands to computers is signed: an agent on 0.8.36 or later refuses an unsigned module.
- The console looks and works like Groundskeeper's. General Settings > Appearance shows the themes as picture cards, and your theme now follows your account to any computer you sign in on. Administrators can set a School colour, used as the accent across the console.
- Change your password is on the Users tab, where every account can find it.
- A Logs tab (General Settings > Logs) shows the latest log lines and downloads a support bundle for RSJ Software, with passwords, addresses and names taken out first. Check it before you send it.
- The version you are running shows under the Courier name in the side menu, and General Settings > About has links to the documentation and to help.
- Branding is now called School, as in Groundskeeper.
- Logs are kept one file a day for seven days, and passwords, tokens and sign-in details never reach them.
- The nightly backup and update check are not moved by the clocks changing: they cannot run twice, early or not at all on the night the clocks go back or forward.
- On a shared computer, the next person to sign in no longer gets the last person's theme.
What you can do
- Write, preview and send a notice. A title, a message and an expiry. The preview shows the notice as the computer will show it, who it reaches in words, when it expires, and a warning for a computer that is off, a computer without the Courier module, or a person no computer has reported signed in yet.
- Computers or people. Tick computers, or name people by username or by Active Directory group.
- Delivery reports that say only what is known. Waiting, Received, Displayed, Acknowledged, Expired, Failed. Displayed never means "read" and Expired never means "acknowledged". Download a notice's results, or the History list, as a CSV file.
- Notices expire, and are not handed out again after that. History is kept for the period you choose, then deleted.
- Senders and administrators. A sender can send only to the audiences an administrator gives them. Templates, your school's name and logo, and local Courier accounts that do not sign in to any other product.
- Free, with no limit on the number of computers.
The RSJ Agent comes with Courier
Courier shows notices through the RSJ Agent, the same small agent Groundskeeper and Caretaker use. You do not have to find and download it separately: the Courier installer carries it, and the console makes a script that installs the agent on a computer and enrols it. Courier adds one small module to the agent and changes nothing else it does. If a computer already has the agent from Groundskeeper or Caretaker, Courier uses it.
What you will notice
- Use the console from any computer on your network, with sign-in. Open
https://<your server's name or address>:8445in a browser and sign in; nobody has to remote-desktop to the server. The first administrator account is still made on the server itself. General Settings > Access can limit the console to certain addresses or ranges (the server itself can always open it). - Updates work out of the box on the beta. A new install checks the beta channel by itself, so Check for updates needs no token.
- Safer deploys of the RSJ Agent. The script the console makes will not put an older RSJ Agent over a newer one, and says plainly why if the agent's installer stops.
- Clearer wording when a notice may not have gone. If Courier cannot tell whether a send worked, it now says so ("Courier did not confirm whether the notice was sent. Open History to check before sending it again.") instead of inviting you to try again. After a send, Results opens with "Notice sent." Other buttons say what they do: Send a second copy now, Send rather than Send now.
- Plainer reports. History says "Not collected by any computer yet" or "No computer collected it before it expired". Results says Expired, not Closed. The computers list says Not installed where it used to say "Not reported".
- Shortening how long History is kept asks you first, because it deletes the older notices straight away.
- Update channels. General Settings > Updates > Update channel: Stable, Beta or Alpha. Beta offers betas like this one as well as every public release. Switching back to Stable never installs an older version. A reply Courier cannot read now shows as "could not check", never as "up to date".
- Backup and restore, General Settings > Backup. A nightly database backup (the newest seven kept), a restore that is checked first and applied the next time the service starts, and a password-protected settings file for moving to a new server.
- An update that stops half-way starts Courier again instead of leaving it stopped.
- A number of small problems with backups, restores and updates are fixed.
What has been seen working, and what has not
Please read this before you rely on Courier.
- Seen working on real computers (a lab server and PC, October 2026): a notice sent to a computer, shown on screen and acknowledged, with each step recorded in the console, including on a locked screen and a signed-out screen; the server and the computer restarting; upgrading, uninstalling and reinstalling with the data kept. On 28 October the installer for this very build was run over the previous private build (0.5.6) on the lab server: the service restarted once and came back as 0.5.7, and a notice sent from it reached the lab PC (RSJ Agent 0.8.36) and was on its screen within about four seconds. Nobody was at the PC to acknowledge it in this run.
- Not yet proven on real machines: Deploy selected (installing the RSJ Agent over WinRM) and Run AD discovery on a real school network; one person signed in on two computers; signing out and another person signing in; Active Directory groups on a real school domain; and automatic updates.
- Fixed since the last beta: a notice waiting for someone to sign in now appears when they do, with the RSJ Agent 0.8.35 or later (seen on the lab PC on 22 October); the agent this build installs is 0.8.36.
- The school name and logo do not show in the notice window on the computers yet, only in the console and the preview.
- Not for emergencies. There is no promise that a notice reaches or interrupts anyone in time. Do not rely on Courier for a lockdown, a fire alarm or anything where a missed message is dangerous.
Help and documentation
- Documentation: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com/docs/ (also on the wiki, https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki) -- start with Getting Started; Firewall and Network, Troubleshooting and Updates are there too.
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Terms of use: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/blob/main/TERMS.md and privacy notice: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com/privacy
- Website: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions, https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier
Getting started
- Download
CourierSetup.exebelow and run it on a Windows Server that stays on. - From the Start menu on that server choose Open Console and create the first administrator account.
- Put the RSJ Agent on your computers (Agent Settings > Deploy makes the script, or Devices > Deploy selected installs it for you), switch the Courier module on for them from the same page, and send a first notice to one of them.
Upgrading
Already on a private build? Run the new installer over it; your accounts, history and settings are kept. To be offered betas from then on, choose *...
Courier v0.5.4 (beta)
Courier v0.5.4 (beta)
Courier's first public beta: free, self-hosted, one-way messaging for schools. Write a notice, choose the computers or people it is for, and see how far it got. This is an early build and not an emergency system.
What you can do
- Write, preview and send a notice. A title, a message and an expiry. The preview shows the notice as the computer will show it, who it reaches in words, when it expires, and a warning for a computer that is off, a computer without the Courier module, or a person no computer has reported signed in yet.
- Computers or people. Tick computers, or name people by username or by Active Directory group.
- Delivery reports that say only what is known. Waiting, Received, Displayed, Acknowledged, Expired, Failed. Displayed never means "read" and Expired never means "acknowledged". Download a notice's results, or the History list, as a CSV file.
- Notices expire, and are not handed out again after that. History is kept for the period you choose, then deleted.
- Senders and administrators. A sender can send only to the audiences an administrator gives them. Templates, your school's name and logo, and local Courier accounts that do not sign in to any other product.
- Free, with no limit on the number of computers.
The RSJ Agent comes with Courier
Courier shows notices through the RSJ Agent, the same small agent Groundskeeper and Caretaker use. You do not have to find and download it separately: the Courier installer carries it, and the console makes a script that installs the agent on a computer and enrols it. Courier adds one small module to the agent and changes nothing else it does. If a computer already has the agent from Groundskeeper or Caretaker, Courier uses it.
What you will notice
- Use the console from any computer on your network, with sign-in. Open
https://<your server's name or address>:8445in a browser and sign in; nobody has to remote-desktop to the server. The first administrator account is still made on the server itself. Settings > Access can limit the console to certain addresses or ranges (the server itself can always open it). - Updates work out of the box on the beta. A new install checks the beta channel by itself, so Check for updates needs no token.
- Safer deploys of the RSJ Agent. The script the console makes will not put an older RSJ Agent over a newer one, and says plainly why if the agent's installer stops.
- Clearer wording when a notice may not have gone. If Courier cannot tell whether a send worked, it now says so ("Courier did not confirm whether the notice was sent. Open History to check before sending it again.") instead of inviting you to try again. After a send, Results opens with "Notice sent." Other buttons say what they do: Send a second copy now, Send rather than Send now.
- Plainer reports. History says "Not collected by any computer yet" or "No computer collected it before it expired". Results says Expired, not Closed. The computers list says Not installed where it used to say "Not reported".
- Shortening how long History is kept asks you first, because it deletes the older notices straight away.
- Update channels. Settings > Updates > Update channel: Stable, Beta or Alpha. Beta offers betas like this one as well as every public release. Switching back to Stable never installs an older version. A reply Courier cannot read now shows as "could not check", never as "up to date".
- Backup and restore, Settings > Backup. A nightly database backup (the newest seven kept), a restore that is checked first and applied the next time the service starts, and a password-protected settings file for moving to a new server.
- An update that stops half-way starts Courier again instead of leaving it stopped.
- A number of small problems with backups, restores and updates are fixed.
What has been seen working, and what has not
Please read this before you rely on Courier.
- Seen working on real computers (a lab server and PC, October 2026): a notice sent to a computer, shown on screen and acknowledged, with each step recorded in the console, including on a locked screen and a signed-out screen; the server and the computer restarting; upgrading, uninstalling and reinstalling with the data kept. On 25 October the installer for this very build was run over the previous private build on the lab server: the service restarted once, came back as 0.5.2, kept its accounts, History and enrolled computer and its update task, and a notice sent before and another sent after the upgrade were both shown on the lab PC. Nobody was at the PC to acknowledge them this time, so acknowledgement was not tested in that run. The in-app Update now button was then tried on the Beta channel from the previous private build: it found this release, installed it in about a minute, and the same checks passed.
- Not yet proven on real machines: one person signed in on two computers, signing out and another person signing in, Active Directory groups on a real school domain, and automatic updates.
- Known issue: a notice waiting for someone to sign in may not appear when they do. Send it again. This is being fixed in the RSJ Agent.
- The school name and logo do not show in the notice window on the computers yet, only in the console and the preview.
- Not for emergencies. There is no promise that a notice reaches or interrupts anyone in time. Do not rely on Courier for a lockdown, a fire alarm or anything where a missed message is dangerous.
Help and documentation
- Documentation (wiki): https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki -- start with Getting Started; Firewall and Network, Troubleshooting and Updates are there too.
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Terms of use: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/blob/main/TERMS.md and privacy notice: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com/privacy
- Website: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions, https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier
Getting started
- Download
CourierSetup.exebelow and run it on a Windows Server that stays on. - From the Start menu on that server choose Open Console and create the first administrator account.
- Put the RSJ Agent on your computers (the console's Deploy the RSJ Agent card makes the script), switch the Courier module on for them from the same page, and send a first notice to one of them.
Upgrading
Already on a private build? Run the new installer over it; your accounts, history and settings are kept. To be offered betas from then on, choose Beta under Settings > Updates > Update channel.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
33FF42CFC1DEE024411789418B7C1B60A0F188F2BE37BFC68C64B29DF8B04C7B |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.3 (beta)
Courier v0.5.3 (beta)
Courier 0.5.3 beta: the console can now be used from other computers on your network, with sign-in. A head or an office can send a notice from their own desk; nobody has to remote-desktop to the server any more.
What's new
- Use the console from any computer on your network. Open
https://<your server's name or address>:8445in a browser and sign in. The first administrator account is still made on the server itself. - Optional: allow the console only from certain addresses. Settings > Access takes a list of addresses or ranges (such as
192.168.1.0/24). Leave it empty and any computer on your network can reach the sign-in page. The server itself can always open the console, so a mistake in the list cannot lock you out. - Updates now work out of the box on the beta. A new install checks the beta channel by itself, so Check for updates works without any token. (Alpha, the private development channel, is still a deliberate choice.)
- Five wrong passwords lock that computer out of signing in for a minute, as before, now from any computer.
The computers running the RSJ Agent are not affected by any of this.
What has been seen working, and what has not
- Seen working before this build (a lab server and PC, October 2026): sending a notice to a computer, having it shown and acknowledged, restarts, and upgrading with data kept (see the 0.5.2 notes).
- Not yet proven on real machines: one person signed in on two computers, signing out and another person signing in, Active Directory groups on a real school domain, and automatic updates.
- Known issue: a notice waiting for someone to sign in may not appear when they do. Send it again. This is being fixed in the RSJ Agent.
- Not for emergencies. There is no promise that a notice reaches or interrupts anyone in time.
Help and documentation
- Documentation (wiki): https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki -- Firewall and Network and Troubleshooting cover the console from other computers.
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Terms of use: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/blob/main/TERMS.md and privacy notice: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com/privacy
- Questions and ideas: https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier
Upgrading
On the Beta channel use Settings > Updates > Update now, or run the new installer over your current one; your accounts, history and settings are kept.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
03BA537ACA0CEE6232E067BA3FE3F96B2F52AB5215A62659C22CA4EBF0840D47 |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)
Courier v0.5.2 (beta)
Courier v0.5.2 (beta)
Courier's first public beta: free, self-hosted, one-way messaging for schools. Write a notice, choose the computers or people it is for, and see how far it got. This is an early build and not an emergency system.
What you can do
- Write, preview and send a notice. A title, a message and an expiry. The preview shows the notice as the computer will show it, who it reaches in words, when it expires, and a warning for a computer that is off, a computer without the Courier module, or a person no computer has reported signed in yet.
- Computers or people. Tick computers, or name people by username or by Active Directory group.
- Delivery reports that say only what is known. Waiting, Received, Displayed, Acknowledged, Expired, Failed. Displayed never means "read" and Expired never means "acknowledged". Download a notice's results, or the History list, as a CSV file.
- Notices expire, and are not handed out again after that. History is kept for the period you choose, then deleted.
- Senders and administrators. A sender can send only to the audiences an administrator gives them. Templates, your school's name and logo, and local Courier accounts that do not sign in to any other product.
- Free, with no limit on the number of computers.
The RSJ Agent comes with Courier
Courier shows notices through the RSJ Agent, the same small agent Groundskeeper and Caretaker use. You do not have to find and download it separately: the Courier installer carries it, and the console makes a script that installs the agent on a computer and enrols it. Courier adds one small module to the agent and changes nothing else it does. If a computer already has the agent from Groundskeeper or Caretaker, Courier uses it.
What you will notice
- Clearer wording when a notice may not have gone. If Courier cannot tell whether a send worked, it now says so ("Courier did not confirm whether the notice was sent. Open History to check before sending it again.") instead of inviting you to try again. After a send, Results opens with "Notice sent." Other buttons say what they do: Send a second copy now, Send rather than Send now.
- Plainer reports. History says "Not collected by any computer yet" or "No computer collected it before it expired". Results says Expired, not Closed. The computers list says Not installed where it used to say "Not reported".
- Shortening how long History is kept asks you first, because it deletes the older notices straight away.
- Update channels. Settings > Updates > Update channel: Stable, Beta or Alpha. Beta offers betas like this one as well as every public release. Switching back to Stable never installs an older version. A reply Courier cannot read now shows as "could not check", never as "up to date".
- Backup and restore, Settings > Backup. A nightly database backup (the newest seven kept), a restore that is checked first and applied the next time the service starts, and a password-protected settings file for moving to a new server.
- An update that stops half-way starts Courier again instead of leaving it stopped.
- A number of small problems with backups, restores and updates are fixed.
What has been seen working, and what has not
Please read this before you rely on Courier.
- Seen working on real computers (a lab server and PC, October 2026): a notice sent to a computer, shown on screen and acknowledged, with each step recorded in the console, including on a locked screen and a signed-out screen; the server and the computer restarting; upgrading, uninstalling and reinstalling with the data kept. On 25 October the installer for this very build was run over the previous private build on the lab server: the service restarted once, came back as 0.5.2, kept its accounts, History and enrolled computer and its update task, and a notice sent before and another sent after the upgrade were both shown on the lab PC. Nobody was at the PC to acknowledge them this time, so acknowledgement was not tested in that run. The in-app Update now button was then tried on 25 October on the Beta channel, updating the lab server from the previous private build to this one: it found this release, installed it in about a minute, and settings, History and the enrolled computer were kept.
- Not yet proven on real machines: one person signed in on two computers, signing out and another person signing in, Active Directory groups on a real school domain, and automatic updates.
- Known issue: a notice waiting for someone to sign in may not appear when they do. Send it again. This is being fixed in the RSJ Agent.
- The school name and logo do not show in the notice window on the computers yet, only in the console and the preview.
- Not for emergencies. There is no promise that a notice reaches or interrupts anyone in time. Do not rely on Courier for a lockdown, a fire alarm or anything where a missed message is dangerous.
Help and documentation
- Documentation (wiki): https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki -- start with Getting Started; Firewall and Network, Troubleshooting and Updates are there too.
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Terms of use: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/blob/main/TERMS.md and privacy notice: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com/privacy
- Website: https://courier.rsjsoftware.com
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions, https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier
Getting started
- Download
CourierSetup.exebelow and run it on a Windows Server that stays on. - From the Start menu on that server choose Open Console and create the first administrator account.
- Put the RSJ Agent on your computers (the console's Deploy the RSJ Agent card makes the script), switch the Courier module on for them from the same page, and send a first notice to one of them.
Upgrading
Already on a private build? Run the new installer over it; your accounts, history and settings are kept. To be offered betas from then on, choose Beta under Settings > Updates > Update channel.
Download
| File | Description |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
The whole Courier server -- install it on the Windows Server that will run Courier. The Courier module for your PCs is inside it and is handed to each PC by your own server. The RSJ Agent that runs the module on each PC is a separate install. |
The two Source code links GitHub adds to every release hold only this repository's README and security policy, not the product.
SHA-256 checksum
Verify your download matches this before running it (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\CourierSetup.exe):
| File | SHA-256 |
|---|---|
CourierSetup.exe |
B3E9ADCD3A2CE9650BCB00B2F49E04CF55F9BD9DAF950C77650B586FD948D579 |
Checked
The installer was scanned on VirusTotal before release:
CourierSetup.exe: VirusTotal scan
About the beta
A beta build is newer than the public release, for trying new features before they reach everyone. It is tested by RSJ Software
but may still have rough edges. Install it over an existing Courier: your accounts, history and settings are kept.
To be offered betas, choose Beta under Settings -> Updates -> Update channel; you are also offered every public release as it
comes out. Tick Allow automatic updates there too if you want them installed without asking. To leave, choose Stable:
nothing older is ever installed, and the next public release arrives once it is newer than the beta you have.
What to expect when installing
Run the installer on the Windows Server that hosts Courier; it asks for administrator approval. The installer should name
RSJ Software Ltd as its publisher. If the publisher shows as unknown, do not run it -- tell us in an Issue on the main
repository. Take a copy of Courier's data folder first, with the Courier service stopped, as you would before any upgrade.
Help, questions and bug reports
Everything lives on the main repository, not here:
- Documentation: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/wiki
- Something broken, or feedback on this beta: https://github.com/rsjsoftwareltd/courier/issues
- Questions and ideas: RSJ Software's shared Discussions (https://github.com/orgs/rsjsoftwareltd/discussions/categories/courier)