Every release has packages for Linux and Windows. All of them are 64-bit (x86_64).
Install on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 are supported.
| File | What it is |
|---|---|
Heronite-Setup-x86_64.exe (recommended) |
Installs for your user into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Heronite. No administrator rights needed. |
Heronite-Portable-x86_64.zip |
A portable copy: everything stays in one folder. |
If SmartScreen warns about the file, choose More info, then Run anyway. The Windows files are not code-signed yet.
The Epic Games, GOG, and Amazon login window needs the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. Windows 11 has it; on Windows 10, install it from Microsoft if the window asks for it.
Make a portable copy on Windows
- Download
Heronite-Portable-x86_64.zip. - Extract it to any folder, or to a USB drive.
- Run
Heronite\heronite.exe.
The folder holds the program, your library, settings, caches, and screenshots. Move it to another PC or a USB drive and it keeps working. A portable copy does not write to the registry or register heronite:// links.
The portable.txt file next to heronite.exe makes a copy portable. Delete it to use the normal user folders instead (see Files and folders).
Install on Linux
| System | File | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Any distribution (recommended) | Heronite-x86_64.AppImage |
chmod +x Heronite-x86_64.AppImage && ./Heronite-x86_64.AppImage |
| Debian 12+, Ubuntu 22.04+, Mint, Pop!_OS | heronite_<version>-1_amd64.deb |
sudo apt install ./heronite_*_amd64.deb |
| Fedora 36+, openSUSE | heronite-<version>-1.x86_64.rpm |
sudo dnf install ./heronite-*.x86_64.rpm |
| Arch, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, CachyOS | heronite-<version>-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst |
sudo pacman -U heronite-*-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst |
Install a working Vulkan driver first: Mesa for AMD and Intel, the proprietary driver for NVIDIA. Heronite draws its window with Vulkan. The packages install the program as heronite-rs.
Optional tools for extra features
Each tool turns on one feature. Heronite works without them.
| Tool | For |
|---|---|
bubblewrap (bwrap) |
The sandbox for games you do not trust |
gamescope |
The gamescope option in Game settings → Compatibility |
umu-launcher |
Running games through umu (Heronite downloads its own copy if this is missing) |
| gpu-screen-recorder | Replay (the system package or the Flathub app) |
| Ludusavi | Save backups after each session |
python3 |
GOG downloads (gogdl, the GOG download tool, runs on Python) |
| WebKitGTK 4.1 | The store login window. Without it, log in with your browser instead. |
Update Heronite
Heronite checks GitHub for a new release shortly after it starts, then every 6 hours. It verifies every download against the release signing key (minisign) before using it.
- AppImage: Heronite downloads the new version next to the old one and replaces it; it runs from the next start. Keep the AppImage in a writable folder, like
~/Applications. - .deb, .rpm, and Arch packages: Heronite downloads the signed package and installs it through
pkexec, which asks for your password. - Windows installer: Heronite runs the new setup silently when you quit.
- Windows portable: Heronite replaces the program files in place and keeps the old ones as
.olduntil the next start.
In Settings → About, turn off Check for updates automatically, or turn on Install updates automatically (off by default). The environment variable HERONITE_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1 turns off the checks too.
Uninstall Heronite
- Windows installer: open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Heronite → Uninstall.
- Windows portable: delete the folder.
- Linux packages:
sudo apt remove heronite,sudo dnf remove heronite, orsudo pacman -R heronite. - AppImage: delete the file.
Uninstalling keeps your library, settings, and games. To remove those too, delete the folders listed in Files and folders. Games installed by Heronite are in ~/Games/Heronite on Linux unless you chose another folder.
Build Heronite from source
You need stable Rust. On Linux, also clang, lld, a Vulkan driver and GTK/WebKitGTK. On Windows, the Visual Studio Build Tools (“Desktop development with C++”).
# quick build (the login window is its own binary, so build it too)
cargo build --profile quick -p heronite-epic-login && cargo run --profile quick -p heroniteFor release builds and the Windows installer, see Run from source in the README and CONTRIBUTING.md.