Installation

Install Ops from source or as a packaged macOS app, and understand what Polter configures for each path.

Ops installation is really two related but different workflows: source checkout setup for people working in the repository, and packaged desktop installation for people who want a ready-to-run macOS app.

The key distinction is not whether you use Supabase. Both paths do. The distinction is whether the connection is prepared as development config or runtime app config.

Source installation

Recommended source flow

pnpm install
npx polter app setup ops --path .
pnpm ops dev

This is the main checkout bootstrap flow. Do not replace it with historical Ops CLI setup or database commands. Those responsibilities moved to Polter.

macOS app installation

Packaged app install

npx @polterware/polter@latest app install ops

Use this when you want the packaged macOS release and want Polter to handle installation plus runtime connection preparation.

For a pinned build, use npx @polterware/polter@latest app install ops --version <version>.

Supabase prerequisites

A Supabase project that will host authentication, database schema, row-level security, and RPC functions.
Credentials and access needed for linking and migration workflows.
A project URL and publishable key that can be used by Ops at runtime.

Supabase workflows are centralized

Polter is the recommended workflow manager for Ops Supabase operations. It is the layer that wraps setup, link, migrate, configure, and install in a way that is specific to Ops.

What Polter installs and configures

Validates prerequisites for the requested workflow.
Creates or refreshes .env.local when the source workflow needs it.
Links the checkout to the intended Supabase project.
Pushes or validates migrations depending on the command.
Writes the bootstrap payload used by the installed desktop app on first launch.

Runtime configuration versus .env.local

	Use .env.local fallback	Use runtime configuration
Best fit	Source checkout development and compatibility workflows.	Installed desktop apps and any workflow where the app should be reconfigurable after packaging.
Storage model	Build-time environment values available to the app during development.	Persisted runtime connection after first-launch bootstrap import or manual runtime configuration.
Recommended owner	Developers and operators working from source.	Operators distributing packaged apps to end users.