Builder Preview

A topic-first social app that starts on your device

Pick a topic you care about, talk in the open, then move into a smaller circle inside the same topic. The key that identifies your account stays only on your device.

kukuri is a desktop app for Windows and Linux. Open this page on your computer to download it.

See the 3-minute quickstart

This is a Builder Preview for testers (v0.2.6-preview.1), not a stable general release.

A kukuri demo screen. From the left: the Timeline column for the topic dev, a Profile column, and Community Index search. The timeline shows a conversation between demo participants.

Start from a topic, keep talking, move into a smaller circle

All three scenes use features that are on by default. The people and conversations shown are demos.

1
A demo timeline for the topic general. The topic can be switched at the top of the column.

Pick a topic

Open one of the starter topics, or search topics and posts through the Community Index. Search comes from a Community Node you have consented to.

2
A demo timeline for the topic dev, where the demo participants Minato and Futaba are talking. The first post has reactions.

Talk in the open

Post, reply, and keep the thread going. React, repost, quote, and bookmark from the same column.

3
A demo of creating a private channel named Column layout chat (demo) with the Invite only audience.

Move into a smaller circle, same topic

Create or join from "Private channel" at the top of the Timeline column. Stay in the topic and talk within an Invite only, Mutuals, or Mutuals+ audience.

What you can choose

Start with the defaults and change only what you need.

SettingDefaultWhat changes
Community NodeOne candidate at install (unused until you consent)Only a node you consented to assists with connectivity, search, and moderation. Without consent it is not used.
Private channel audienceInvite onlySwitching to Mutuals or Mutuals+ changes who can join.
ThemeDarkLight theme switches the app to the light palette.
LanguageYour OS language (until saved)Choose Japanese, English, or Simplified Chinese. A saved language is kept on the next launch.
Adult contentHiddenAllowing it in Settings -> Safety reveals adult-labeled posts.
Developer modeOffEnabling it in Settings -> Developer reveals experimental surfaces and the diagnostic report.

Why it starts on your device

The key that identifies your account is stored locally. A Community Node is not your account owner or home server.

Connectivity prefers direct P2P, then relay-supported P2P, and uses relay fallback only when the earlier paths cannot carry the data.

A moderation event is optional trust input from its issuing node, not a command applied to the whole network. Each client decides how to use it.

Read the responsibility boundary

What you can try today

Windows 10/11 (NSIS), Linux x86_64 (AppImage / deb), Linux CLI x86_64 and aarch64. There is no macOS package. Version v0.2.6-preview.1.

PlatformDownload
Windows 10 / 11 (x64)kukuri_0.2.6_x64-setup.exe
Linux (x86_64) AppImagekukuri_0.2.6_amd64.AppImage (guide)
Linux (x86_64) debkukuri_0.2.6_amd64.deb (guide)
Linux CLIx86_64 / aarch64 (guide)

All assets and checksums (SHA256SUMS.txt) are on the release page.

Getting started

  1. Download and run the installer for your platform
  2. Pick a language, confirm you are 18 or older, and accept the app terms
  3. Review and accept the Community Node documents
  4. Set up your profile
  5. Open a topic, post, and reply
  6. Create or join a private channel inside the same topic

No network connection starts until you accept. Preview installers are unsigned, so Windows may show a warning.

FAQ

Is there a macOS version?

No package is provided at this time. Only Windows 10/11 and Linux (x86_64 GUI, x86_64/aarch64 CLI).

Can I recover a lost account?

There is no central reissue or recovery. Export the key that identifies your account as an encrypted string, or keep a device backup yourself.

Is a Community Node required?

A node is not used until you accept its documents. If you choose "Later", you can return to consent from Explore or Settings. A node is not where your posts are stored.

Why can't I search?

Connectivity assistance and search (Community Index) are separate. If a node does not provide search, choose another node that does.

The installer shows a warning

Preview installers are not code-signed for the OS. Check the release notes before running the installer. In-app updates verify the signed manifest.

Is my data kept after an update?

Updates are expected to keep your key, profile, follows, posts, local database, Iroh data, Community Node settings, private-channel access, and notification inbox. Take a backup before uninstalling or resetting.

Where do I report problems?

Use "Send feedback" in the app's bottom bar, or GitHub Issues / Discussions. For connectivity, update, and recovery problems, attach a diagnostic report from developer mode.

Are there features in development?

Live, Game, Stream, and Metaverse Domes are hidden by default. They are experimental and appear only after enabling developer mode in Settings -> Developer, with no backward-compatible decoding or migration guarantee for their data formats.

In development

Experimental, in development (enable developer mode)

We are prototyping Metaverse Domes, a 3D space tied to a topic. It appears only after you enable developer mode in Settings -> Developer.

Experimental. Available only in developer mode, with no backward-compatible decoding or migration guarantee for its data formats.

A real screen from the released app, shown in Japanese. A timeline column on the left and a Metaverse column on the right sit in the same column deck, with a white avatar standing inside a Dome.

One device opening a Dome in the same column deck as the timeline. The Dome feature is still in development. This screen is from the Japanese UI.

Start from a topic

The Builder Preview is for testers. Tell us what breaks through in-app feedback or GitHub.

Open this page on your computer to download it.