Pre-alpha

Try the pre-alpha

Zeus 0.0.1a is the first pre-alpha release. Try it in your browser, or download it for Windows or Linux. It is for trying out: expect rough edges, and do not rely on it for important files yet.

DownloadOpen in the browser
A marble head of Zeus Ammon with a full beard and waves of hair, the holes for ram's horns above the ears

Pre-alpha. Zeus is in pre-alpha. Release 0.0.1a can be tried in the browser on a hosted sandbox or downloaded for Windows and Linux. The binaries are unsigned and many parts are still being tested. See the roadmap.

In your browser

The hosted pre-alpha runs the Zeus client on a real zeusd on our server, in a private sandbox for your browser. It downloads only from sample file hosts inside that server, never from the internet. Your sandbox and its files are deleted after 24 hours.

Try the pre-alpha

No account. The page sets one cookie for the sandbox and uses no analytics. Provider keys you type into Settings stay in the page’s memory and are never sent.

A Greek vase fragment showing the profile heads of Apollo and Zeus in black on orange clay

Download 0.0.1a

Windows x64 and Linux x64. The Zeus client connects to the hosted pre-alpha by default; Settings, Backend points it at your own zeusd.

macOS: planned

No macOS build yet. Use it in the browser meanwhile.

Open in the browserAll files and release notes on GitHubVerify downloads (SHA-256)

To verify a file, compare its hash with the line in SHA256SUMS.txt: certutil -hashfile <file> SHA256 on Windows, sha256sum <file> on Linux.

The builds are not signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn before the first run: choose More info, then Run anyway.

  • Windows: run the installer, or unzip the portable build and start the client.
  • Linux: make the AppImage executable (chmod +x) and run it, or install the .deb with sudo apt install ./Zeus_0.0.1-alpha_amd64.deb.
  • Your own zeusd: install the command-line archive, then run zeus daemon install, zeusd run and zeus-web-bridge, and paste the bridge’s token into Settings, Backend.
  • The real-daemon client (zeus-desktop) is the smaller, strict client for a local zeusd; it does not decide approvals.

What you will need

A computer

Windows 10 or 11 (x64) or a 64-bit Linux with a recent desktop. macOS later. Or just a browser for the hosted pre-alpha.

Chrome or Edge (optional)

Only for taking over browser downloads and for files behind a login. The extension is not part of this release and has no store listing yet; its source is on GitHub, where the README explains how to build and load it.

An MCP assistant (optional)

Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex or any other assistant with MCP. Or just use the command line.

Connect your AI

With zeusd installed and running, add Zeus to your assistant’s MCP settings. For most assistants it is these lines:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zeus": {
      "command": "zeus",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Questions before you start

Can I download Zeus today?

Yes, as a pre-alpha. Release 0.0.1a has a Windows installer, Linux packages and the zeus, zeusd, zeus-native-host and zeus-web-bridge programs, and you can try the client in your browser on a hosted sandbox first. The binaries are unsigned and not yet tested on many machines. See Get started.

How much does Zeus cost?

Nothing. Zeus is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license. There is no account and no subscription. If Verne ever offers optional paid services, such as syncing between devices for teams, they will be separate and will never be needed for downloading or handle your logins.

Which AI assistants will work with Zeus?

Zeus’s MCP server runs over stdio, the transport most MCP assistants use, such as Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and Codex. Testing with each of them is part of the work before the alpha. Zeus also has a command line (zeus) for scripts and people who prefer typing.

Which computers and browsers will Zeus support?

Windows, macOS and Linux are the targets, and the automated tests have run on all three. The 0.0.1a pre-alpha has builds for Windows x64 and Linux x64; macOS builds come later. The browser extension targets Chrome and Edge first and is not packaged yet (its source is on GitHub). A Firefox build exists but has not yet been tested in an installed browser.

Do I need the browser extension?

Only for two things: rescuing downloads that fail in your browser, and downloads that need a website login. Plain public links work without it.

Follow the roadmap

The pre-alpha is a start. See what comes before the first alpha, and what Zeus will never do.

See the roadmap Read about safety