Blank / Installing
Installing Blank
Blank is not code-signed yet, so macOS and Windows block the first launch. Nothing is wrong with the app. Here is the whole path through it, once.
macOS
One .dmg for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Install it
Open the downloaded .dmg and drag Blank into your
Applications folder. Then open it from Applications.
Click Done
macOS says it “could not verify” the app. Click Done, and not Move to Bin, which deletes it.
Allow it once
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down to Security, and click Open Anyway.
Start writing
Authenticate, click Open, and choose a folder for your writing. It opens normally from now on.
Windows
Take the .msi installer, or the .exe setup beside it.
Either one works.
Run the installer
Double-click the downloaded .msi.
Click More info
SmartScreen says it “protected your PC”. Click More info. The link is easy to miss, and there is no other way forward.
Run anyway
Click Run anyway, then follow the installer.
Start writing
Launch Blank from the Start menu and choose a folder for your writing.
Linux
No security prompt here, just make it executable.
AppImage
chmod +x Blank_*.AppImage then run it. Works on most
distributions with no install.
Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install ./Blank_*.deb installs it like any other
package.
Questions
Why is it not signed?
Signing requires a paid Apple Developer account, and Windows code signing costs more again. Neither changes the app, only whether your system recognises the publisher. It may be signed later.
Is there a terminal shortcut on macOS?
Yes: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Blank.app
removes the quarantine flag and skips the Privacy & Security step.
Where does my writing go?
Into a folder you choose on first launch, as one plain Markdown file per entry. Pick an iCloud Drive or Dropbox folder and it syncs. You can move it later with “Change writing folder…” in the command palette (⌘K).
Do I have to install anything at all?
No. Blank runs in your browser with the same features. Entries are saved in that browser rather than as files on disk.
How do I uninstall it?
Drag Blank from Applications to the Bin on macOS, or use Add or remove programs on Windows. Your writing folder is untouched. The files are yours.