The short answer#
Download status
Nodal is in beta testing. Beta 0.2.0 was cut on 1 October 2026 for invited testers on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). This website does not offer a public download and does not link to one. If that changes, it will be announced on the stream and in the community first, and this page will be updated.
If you landed here hoping to install Nodal today, the honest route is the community: join the Discord, watch the stream and ask. The rest of this page explains what you would be getting into.
What a beta means here#
The beta was released for the owner’s own testing and for a small circle of invited, trusted testers. The release record says the main branch of the code is deliberately untouched until testing passes. After a few days of use the plan is a merge to the main branch, then side chat, then a private repository. Nothing in the beta is a promise of a final feature set, and the data format may change between versions, which is why the earlier preview’s data was started fresh rather than carried over.
What is in beta 0.2.0#
The beta line holds every package built so far, grouped here by area. Each links to the page that explains it.
- Agent Mode with providers set up on first start: Codex (ChatGPT), Claude Code and Ollama. See Agent Mode and providers.
- Tab Mode with real terminals, pages and draggable windows. See Tab Mode.
- The tabbed right sidebar with Terminal, Web Browser, File Explorer and Review, resizable and expandable to Full View.
- Review and turn summaries: a changed-files card, a read-only Review tab, and finished turns folded into a Worked for line with elapsed time and session tokens.
- Approvals in the conversation, steer and queue, images and an opt-in session import with an optional automatic switch.
- The notification center and a theme system with colors, fonts and layout. See notification center and theming.
- Close and shutdown rules with live progress.
Not in the beta: side chat (the panel chooser says it comes in a later version), plugins in the ordinary build, animated agent avatars, public sharing of themes and plugins and anything on the roadmap marked planned or idea.
Platforms#
| Platform | Status |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) | Beta 0.2.0. Nodal and NodalVoice are developed here first, and new features land here first. |
| Linux | Following closely. The codebase runs there and an AppImage has been built, but features may land a little later and there is no Linux build in this beta. |
| macOS | Planned. Not started. |
What you need to use it#
- Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
- For Codex sessions: the Codex command-line tool, signed in with your ChatGPT account.
- For Claude sessions: Claude Code installed and signed in, or an API key in your environment.
- For local sessions: Ollama installed with at least one model that supports tools.
Nodal uses the sign-ins you already have and stores no passwords or keys; see security. Nodal finds and starts a provider only after you set it up.
Installer caveats#
The beta installer is not yet code-signed. That has two practical consequences. Windows SmartScreen may say it protected your PC, and the testers are told to choose More info and Run anyway only after checking that the file’s SHA-256 hash matches the published one. Smart App Control, a Windows setting, can block unsigned software entirely, with no per-app exception. Signing or a store listing is planned, and until then caution is the right posture for any beta installer from anyone.
Known limits#
- Side chat is disabled and labeled.
- Claude and Ollama differ from Codex in specific ways, such as steer being queued instead, and some menus being empty for Ollama. The differences are listed on the providers page.
- A native crash in the terminal library can occur when two shells end at the same instant. It is mitigated and open, because the repair belongs upstream.
- Ollama replies run one at a time by default and a cold model can take about a minute to load.
- The Linux build, macOS build, NodalVoice-to-agent delivery polish and plugins are not part of the ordinary beta.
How testing works#
The owner uses the beta daily and tests each package personally, then records what turns up. Testers are asked to try the everyday flows (start a session, send a prompt, approve something, open the sidebar tabs, rearrange windows and change the theme), watch for anything surprising and report it with the steps. A tester guide exists for the invited group. The fastest route for feedback is the Discord, and everything that is read gets considered. A feature voting system is planned, but until then, tell the owner directly. You can also see testing happen: bugs found on the stream become fixes on the stream.
What we measure#
Quality is checked with numbers, and the project records them. At the beta cut, the local gate ran more than 1,600 unit tests (one intentionally skipped) plus type checks and a production build, and more than 150 Electron end-to-end cases passed across the related, regression and broader groups. A packaged-app check of the Claude and Ollama paths passed against fake and live programs. Those are engineering checks, not a guarantee that your machine will behave identically, which is the point of a beta. See architecture for how testing is organized.
Join in#
- Discord: feedback, testers and announcements.
- Twitch and YouTube: the live build.
- X: updates.
- The creator hub’s livestream page for when the next stream is.
Thank you for your patience. A beta is an invitation to help finish something, and that is exactly what this one is.