System Compatibility for Windows, macOS, and Linux

Lightning Assist runs natively on the three major desktop operating systems

Every installer is signed where the platform supports it, every release ships at the same time across Windows, macOS, and Linux, and your snippets, AI commands, and account sync to the same library on each machine. The sections below cover supported versions, system requirements, and the platform-specific permissions Lightning Assist asks for and why.

Windows support

Supported versions

Windows 10 (build 19041 or later) and Windows 11 on x64. Windows on ARM is best-effort — Lightning Assist runs but a few legacy keyboard hooks still favor x64. Windows Server is not officially supported; if you run it for a workstation-style scenario it generally works.

Installer and updates

A signed MSI/EXE installer (NSIS) places Lightning Assist under Program Files and adds a Start Menu entry. Updates ship in-app — the app checks on launch and downloads the delta in the background. No admin rights are needed for routine updates after the first install.

Permissions and integrations

Lightning Assist uses the Windows keyboard hook API to detect snippet triggers system-wide. The first launch may prompt SmartScreen — confirm the publisher and continue. The app integrates with PowerShell, Command Prompt, Windows Terminal, Git Bash, Microsoft Office, Outlook (classic and new), Slack, Teams, Chrome, Edge, and any other app that accepts text input.

macOS support

Supported versions

macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or newer. We ship a universal binary so the same package runs on both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel Macs. Performance on Apple Silicon is noticeably better for AI Speech because dictation models can use the Neural Engine path when available.

Installer and updates

A notarized DMG drops Lightning Assist into /Applications. Auto-updates use the same signed update channel as Windows. macOS may quarantine the first launch — right-click and choose Open the first time to bypass the Gatekeeper prompt, or grant the app once in System Settings.

Permissions Lightning Assist requests

macOS requires explicit permission for the two capabilities the app needs: Accessibility (so triggers are detected system-wide) and Input Monitoring (so the keyboard hook can read shortcut keys). For AI Speech, microphone access is also requested. All three are granted in System Settings > Privacy & Security; the app guides you through it on first run. No data leaves your machine for these capabilities — they enable local capture only.

Linux support

Supported distributions

Tested on Ubuntu 20.04 and later, Debian 11+, Fedora 36+, Arch (rolling), Linux Mint 20+, and Pop!_OS. Other distributions usually work via the AppImage. X11 is the most mature session type; Wayland support is improving and works on GNOME and KDE for most workflows — a few edge cases around global hotkeys depend on the compositor.

Packages and updates

We ship an AppImage (universal, no install needed), a .deb for Debian/Ubuntu, and an RPM for Fedora-family distros. Snap is available for users who prefer it. Updates are in-app for AppImage and managed by the package manager for .deb/.rpm/Snap.

Integrations and quirks

Lightning Assist works with the default terminal on each desktop environment — GNOME Terminal, Konsole, xterm — and with bash, zsh, and fish out of the box. On Wayland, global keybindings may need to be granted through your desktop's shortcut settings instead of captured by the app directly. Snippets and AI commands work identically to other platforms.

System requirements at a glance

Lightning Assist is intentionally light: 200 MB RAM idle, around 350-450 MB during AI usage; 500 MB disk after install; a network connection is only required for AI features and account sync (offline snippets keep working). No GPU is required; AI Speech uses CPU/Neural Engine paths on every supported platform.

How Lightning Assist works on each OS

Under the hood, snippet detection uses the native accessibility API on each platform: Windows keyboard hooks, macOS Accessibility/Input Monitoring, and Linux XInput or libei on supported sessions. This is why Lightning Assist does not need a browser extension — it watches keystrokes at the OS layer, then injects the expanded text the same way the OS would handle a paste operation. AI commands send only the selected text to the cloud provider you configured; they do not capture or stream keystrokes.

Compatibility FAQ