Install mins

Download

Builds are listed in the Download section of the site. Every file shows its size, and the SHA-256 checksums list under it has the value to verify the download. A platform with no published build shows Coming soon.

Each file also has a permanent link that redirects to the newest stable version of that file. Use it in scripts or when you send an install link to someone. It answers 404 until a release is published.

Platform	File	Permanent link
Android	Universal APK	https://minsclient.com/download/android/universal
Android	arm64-v8a	https://minsclient.com/download/android/arm64-v8a
Android	armeabi-v7a	https://minsclient.com/download/android/armeabi-v7a
Android	x86_64	https://minsclient.com/download/android/x86_64
macOS	DMG	https://minsclient.com/download/macos/dmg
Windows	Installer (.exe)	https://minsclient.com/download/windows/setup
Linux	.deb	https://minsclient.com/download/linux/deb
Linux	.rpm	https://minsclient.com/download/linux/rpm
Linux	.pkg.tar.zst (Arch)	https://minsclient.com/download/linux/pacman
Linux	.tar.gz	https://minsclient.com/download/linux/tar

iOS has no downloadable file: it is installed from the App Store only.

Requirements

Platform	Requirement
Android	Android 7.0 (API 24) or newer
iOS	iOS 15.0 or newer
macOS	macOS 13 or newer. The DMG is built for Apple silicon (arm64)
Windows	Windows 10 or newer, 64-bit (x64)
Linux	x86_64. GTK 3, libsecret and nftables (installed as package dependencies). A running Secret Service in your user session to store secrets

Android

1. Download an APK on the phone. If you are not sure which one, take Universal APK: it runs on every device. The other files are smaller and fit one processor type only:

   File	Devices
   Universal APK	any
   arm64-v8a	64-bit ARM phones and tablets, which is most current devices
   armeabi-v7a	32-bit ARM devices
   x86_64	Android emulators and x86_64 devices

2. Open the downloaded file. When Android asks, allow the app you opened it from (a browser or a file manager) to install apps.

3. Start mins from the launcher.

If a Google Play button appears in the Download section, you can install from the store instead.

Note

mins asks for the camera only when you use Scan QR, and it declares access to the list of installed apps only for per-app split tunneling. The VPN permission is requested separately on the first connection, see First connection.

iOS

Install mins from the App Store (the button appears in the Download section once the listing is live). It needs iOS 15.0 or newer. On the first connection the system asks you to allow a VPN configuration, see First connection.

macOS

1. Download the DMG, open it and drag mins to Applications. The file is built for Apple silicon (arm64).
2. Start mins from Applications.

A Mac App Store button appears in the Download section if the app is published there. On the first connection the system asks you to allow a VPN configuration. If you later turn on Launch at login, macOS may ask you to allow mins in System Settings → Login Items.

Windows

1. Download the Installer (.exe) and run it. It asks for administrator rights.
2. On the components page, tick what you need. Both are off by default:
   • Start mins at login
   • Desktop shortcut
3. Finish the installer and start mins.

The installer puts mins in Program Files\mins, adds a Start menu shortcut and registers the MinsService Windows service. The service is what lets mins create the VPN (TUN) adapter, so the installer stops with an error if it cannot register it. If the files are in use, it stops with the message Close mins and retry installation: quit mins, including from the tray icon, and run the installer again. It does not force-kill any process.

Uninstall mins from the Windows list of installed apps. The uninstaller removes the service and the kill switch rules.

Linux

Pick the package that matches your distribution:

File	Install with
.deb (Debian, Ubuntu)	sudo apt install ./mins_<version>_amd64.deb
.rpm (Fedora, RHEL and derivatives)	sudo dnf install ./mins-<version>.x86_64.rpm
.pkg.tar.zst (Arch)	sudo pacman -U ./mins-<version>-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
.tar.gz	unpack into / as root, then run the install hook (see below)

The package installs mins into /usr/lib/mins, adds the mins command and an application menu entry, and registers mins:// links. It also installs mins-helper, a root service that creates the VPN adapter and the firewall rules. The install hook enables and starts the helper under the init system that is running: systemd, OpenRC, runit, s6 or dinit. If none is detected, for example in a container, it prints the command to start the helper by hand: /usr/lib/mins/mins-helper run.

Let your user control the helper

The hook creates a system group named mins but does not add anyone to it. Members of this group can use VPN (TUN) mode. Add your account yourself, then log out and log in again:

sudo usermod -aG mins "$USER"

Caution

Membership in the mins group gives control of system routing and is equivalent to root privileges, in the same way as the docker group. Add only accounts you trust.

System proxy and Proxy only modes do not need the group. The system proxy is supported on GNOME, Cinnamon, Unity and KDE 6. On other desktops, including MATE, use Proxy only. See Connection modes.

The .tar.gz archive

The archive has the same root-owned layout as the packages (usr/, etc/), but nothing runs automatically. Unpack it into / as root, then run the hook by hand to create the group and enable the helper:

sudo tar -xzf mins-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz -C /
sudo /usr/lib/mins/scripts/postinstall

Run /usr/lib/mins/scripts/preremove before you delete the files.

When you remove a package, the helper is stopped and its firewall (kill switch) rules are cleared, so the machine is never left without network access.

Verify the download

Compare the SHA-256 of the file with the value in the SHA-256 checksums list of the Download section. Do it for every platform, especially for the Linux packages and the archive.

# Linux
sha256sum mins-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

# macOS
shasum -a 256 mins-<version>-arm64.dmg

# Windows PowerShell
Get-FileHash .\mins-<version>-x64-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

If the values differ, delete the file and download it again. Do not install it.

Update and remove

mins has no built-in updater yet. To update, download the new version from the site and install it over the old one: run the new APK or installer, replace the app from the DMG, or upgrade the Linux package with your package manager.

Tip

Before you update or uninstall, export your data: Settings → Data → Export all data. See Backup. The export file is not encrypted, so keep it private.