Windows setup: verify the release before choosing documents

Confirm that a downloadable release exists before checking files, choosing a data directory and testing keyword retrieval. These notes separate today's availability from preparation for a future release.

Prepare a small trial

1. Check your intended use against the license; obtain separate commercial permission when required.
2. Choose a small independent document you have rights to process, rather than your whole personal directory.
3. Choose a dedicated data location, separate from the extracted program. First launch creates an empty library and does not import or approve documents automatically.
4. Test keyword retrieval first. The basic package includes neither models, optional AI dependencies nor llama.cpp. Downloading a model cannot add dependencies absent from that executable.

Checks that apply after a public release

If a release becomes available, obtain its ZIP and SHA256SUMS from the maintainer's explicit release page for the same version. A mirrored package or private CI artifact is not an official public release. In the download directory, calculate SHA-256:

(Get-FileHash -LiteralPath .\Knowledge-portable-unsigned.zip -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLowerInvariant()
Get-Content -LiteralPath .\SHA256SUMS

Compare it character for character with the digest for that release. Stop if it differs. A matching digest establishes file consistency, not code signing or a completed security audit. See Microsoft's Get-FileHash documentation.

The current package is UNSIGNED, without an installer or code signature. Verify source and digest before deciding how to respond to Windows security notices. If an organisation prohibits execution, contact its administrator rather than disabling security settings.

First launch and first document

These steps apply only to a future released package that passes your checks: extract the entire Knowledge folder, retain _internal, license files and THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES, and run Knowledge.exe. The launcher chooses or creates a data directory, starts the local service and establishes a local browser session. Do not share local access tokens or session state.

The portable default is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Knowledge; another directory can be chosen. Start with an empty library, deliberately select one independent sample, inspect parsing and build the keyword index. Search for a word present in that sample and check its original location. If nothing is found, examine scope, parsing and index readiness before adding models.

Unavailable models and removal

Semantic retrieval, OCR and answer generation require separate runtimes and models. A not-ready model does not by itself disable the keyword index. A full AI package still needs acceptance; the application does not substitute a cloud model for missing local dependencies. Model rights and hardware requirements are separate from the application license.

After closing the launcher and its service, the extracted program can be removed. The separate data directory remains. Back up documents and verify your actual chosen location before removing data; uninstalling the program is not automatic document deletion.

License and next step

Use follows PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 and the distributed project license. Commercial permission does not grant third-party model rights. Continue with retrieval and original locations or demo readiness; search stays disabled while the public corpus is unapproved.