Installing Hoot

Hoot runs as a single binary on your machine. No dependencies beyond Go.

Prerequisites

Before installing, verify you have:

• Go 1.19 or later — install guide
• Git — install guide

Check your versions:

go version    # should output something like: go version go1.21.0
git --version # should output: git version 2.x.x

Install

Option 1: Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/oth-body/hoot.git
cd hoot
go build -o hoot

This creates an executable named hoot in the current directory.

Option 2: Add to Your PATH

After building, move the binary somewhere convenient:

# Linux/macOS
sudo mv hoot /usr/local/bin/

# Windows
# Move hoot.exe to a folder in your PATH, like C:\Users\YourName\bin\

Verify It Works

Run without arguments to launch the TUI:

hoot

You should see the welcome screen:

🦉 Welcome to Hoot!

No profiles yet. Let's create one!
→ Create new profile
→ Scan QR with Amber (NIP-46)

Troubleshooting Build Errors

command not found: go

Go isn’t installed or not in your PATH. Download and install from go.dev.

package not found

Run go mod download to fetch dependencies:

go mod download
go build -o hoot

Windows: “Windows protected your PC”

Click “More info” → “Run anyway” when Windows blocks the unsigned executable.