How to Download and Install Kryptor on Windows, Linux, or macOS

Updated

Kryptor ships pre-built binaries for Windows (x64), Linux (x64 and ARM64), and macOS (x64 and ARM64), and is also available through several package managers. On macOS you must keep libsodium.dylib in the same folder as the kryptor executable, because a known .NET SDK issue prevents the library from being bundled into the binary. The steps below cover both install routes and how to verify what you downloaded.

Before you start

  • Confirm your OS and architecture. The published builds cover Windows x64, Linux x64/ARM64, and macOS x64/ARM64.
  • Decide between a pre-built binary and a package manager. Package managers handle placement and updates for you; manual downloads give you the signature and SHA-256 files for verification.
  • Kryptor is licensed under GPLv3, so you can inspect or rebuild it from the GitHub source if you prefer.

Option 1: Download a pre-built binary

  1. Go to the Kryptor download page and pick the build matching your platform: Windows (x64), Linux (x64), Linux (ARM64), macOS (x64), or macOS (ARM64).
  2. Download the ZIP together with its Kryptor signature and SHA-256 digest files.
  3. Verify the signature and digest before running anything. The project's Installation page documents the exact commands.
  4. Extract the archive and run the kryptor executable from that folder.

Expected result: a working kryptor binary whose signature and hash match the published values.

macOS caveat: the upstream .NET SDK issue means libsodium.dylib is not bundled into the executable. Keep the libsodium.dylib file from the download ZIP in the same directory as the kryptor file, or the tool will not start. The project notes the .NET team has not investigated this for over a year, so treat it as a standing requirement rather than a temporary glitch.

Option 2: Install with a package manager

Platform Command Notes
Windows (Chocolatey) choco install kryptor Requires Chocolatey installed
Windows (Scoop) scoop bucket add extras; scoop install kryptor Adds the extras bucket first
Arch Linux (AUR) yay -S kryptor or yay -S kryptor-bin First builds from source, second uses the published binary
NixOS nix-shell -p kryptor Drops you into a shell with Kryptor available
macOS (Homebrew) Not currently available The project lists Homebrew as "help wanted"

Expected result: the kryptor command resolves on your PATH. Run it once to confirm it launches.

Verify the install

  • Run kryptor with no arguments (or its help flag) and check that usage information appears rather than a missing-library error.
  • On macOS, if you see a libsodium-related load failure, re-check that libsodium.dylib sits beside the executable.
  • If you installed manually, compare the SHA-256 digest of your download against the published value and check the Kryptor signature as described on the Installation page.

Common snags

  • macOS "library not loaded" errors: almost always the missing libsodium.dylib placement described above.
  • Wrong architecture: an ARM64 machine given an x64 build (or vice versa) will fail to run; re-download the matching build.
  • Homebrew on macOS: there is no formula yet, so use the pre-built binary route instead of waiting on one.
  • Updates: the project recommends following it on GitHub to stay current, since manual installs do not update themselves.

After installing

Kryptor is a file encryption and signing tool aimed at protecting files for backups and sharing while limiting metadata. It is positioned as a leaner alternative to GPG rather than a full replacement, so expect a narrower feature set focused on encrypting and signing files. Bugs, feedback, and support requests go through GitHub; security vulnerabilities should follow the project's SECURITY.md.