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Crateforge Docs

Installation

Crateforge supports Windows / macOS / Linux. The latest version is available from Releases on GitHub.

Screenshots to be added

Download and distribution formats

Section titled “Download and distribution formats”
OS Distribution format Notes
Windows standalone .exe / portable .zip / .msi / setup .exe Supports in-app auto-update
macOS .dmg (Apple Silicon native) Unsigned. The first launch requires bypassing Gatekeeper
Linux .AppImage (single file) / .deb

Windows

Section titled “Windows”
  • Installer (setup .exe / .msi) — a standard installation. Creating a desktop shortcut from the installer is off by default (enable it during installation if you want one).
  • Portable (.zip) — just unzip and launch crateforge.exe. No installation required.

With either version, in-app updates normally just swap the exe in place and restart, so they are fast and do not trigger SmartScreen warnings (v0.6.3 and later).

macOS

Section titled “macOS”

Because it is unsigned, Gatekeeper shows a warning on first launch. Bypass it in one of the following ways.

  • In Finder, right-click the .app and choose “Open”
  • Or, in a terminal, run xattr -cr /Applications/Crateforge.app

Linux

Section titled “Linux”
  • For .AppImage, make it executable and launch it (chmod +x ./Crateforge*.AppImage && ./Crateforge*.AppImage).
  • Install .deb with your package manager.

First launch

Section titled “First launch”
  1. Launching the app opens an empty library.
  2. If you already have an iTunes Library.xml, import it with “📥 Import XML” in the toolbar (Library import).
  3. If you don’t have an XML, you can import your own music files directly with “🎵 Add Files”.

The source of truth for the library lives in SQLite (WAL), so after the first import it opens instantly every time after that.

In-app auto-update

Section titled “In-app auto-update”

When a new GitHub Release is published, you are notified by a non-blocking banner at the top of the window. The release notes (bilingual, Japanese + English) can be reviewed in a collapsible view.

You have the following options for applying an update.

  • Update now — download and apply it on the spot, then restart.
  • Update when closing — keep using the current version, and apply automatically when you close the window (so your work isn’t interrupted at startup).

Library backups

Section titled “Library backups”

Analysis results, skip counts, Smart Playlist criteria, and sync state are not part of the iTunes-compatible XML. The library itself (library.db), which holds all of that, is managed under Settings → “一般” (General) → “ライブラリのバックアップ” (Library backup).

  • 今すぐバックアップ (Back up now) — saves the whole library.db (you can choose the destination).
  • バックアップから復元… (Restore from a backup…) — replaces the current library with the backup you pick. An integrity check runs first, so a corrupted file never overwrites your library.
  • 整合性チェック (Integrity check) — checks library.db for corruption (PRAGMA integrity_check).
  • 最適化 (VACUUM) (Optimize) — reclaims space from deleted rows and reorganizes the file. With many tracks this can take a few seconds to a few tens of seconds.
  • 技術情報を再読み取り (Re-read technical info) — re-reads bitrate, sample rate, file size and codec from the files, only for tracks that don’t have them yet (e.g. imported by an older version). Your edited metadata is not changed.
  • 自動エクスポート時にあわせてバックアップ (Back up alongside auto-export) (on by default) — backs up library.db whenever the iTunes-compatible XML auto-export succeeds. Automatic backups keep the 5 most recent and are skipped if the last one is less than 30 minutes old.

Shortcuts (desktop)

Section titled “Shortcuts (desktop)”

The Windows installer does not create a desktop shortcut by default. If you want one, enable the option during installation.