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Ripple Effect

Installers and first launch

Ripple Effect is one download per platform from the download page, which always points at the latest release. After the first install the app updates itself; Updates, logs and Messages describes how.

Installers

Section titled “Installers”
Platform Installer Needs Installs to
Linux, Debian and Ubuntu .deb glibc 2.38 or newer: Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 13+ /opt/ripple_effect
Linux, Fedora and RHEL .rpm glibc 2.38 or newer: Fedora 39+ /usr/share/ripple-effect
Windows Setup .exe Windows 10 or 11 %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Ripple Effect
macOS .dmg macOS 12 Monterey or newer Applications, by dragging the app there
  • Linux. Both packages put ripple_effect on PATH. The glibc floor exists because version control ships a libgit2 that needs it, and a package that claimed less would install and then be unable to open a repository; a package refused with a complaint about libc6 or GLIBC_2.38 is this floor. The .deb declares three runtime libraries for sound: ALSA, PulseAudio and PipeWire.
  • Windows. Installs for the current account only and never asks for an administrator. Running a later installer over an existing install upgrades it in place.
  • macOS. One universal build, for Apple silicon and Intel.

Install commands for Linux:

Terminal window
sudo apt install ./ripple_effect-<version>-linux.deb
sudo dnf install ./ripple_effect-<version>-linux.rpm

The first launch

Section titled “The first launch”

The first launch shows pages before the home page, in this order.

Page Skippable Contents
Agreement pages No The agreements the app asks you to accept; see Licensing.
Make it yours Yes Theme, contrast, colour vision and how wires are drawn, beside a small preview of the app that changes as you choose.
Help make Ripple Effect better Yes Whether to send usage statistics, with neither answer picked and the full list of what would be sent shown. Also states how crash reports are asked, and carries the coffee.

Everything on the two skippable pages is in Settings afterwards. An upgrade from 1.4 shows the pages once, like a new install, and resets nothing already set.

Code signing

Section titled “Code signing”

None of the installers is signed by an authority the machine already trusts. Windows and macOS each stop the app once, on first run, and say they do not know it. The warning is about the missing certificate, not about anything the installer does. Linux checks nothing of the sort and asks nothing.

Shown Meaning Choice
Windows protected your PC (SmartScreen) The installer is unknown. More info, then Run anyway

An Application Control policy has blocked this file is Smart App Control; see below.

See Why the installers are unsigned.

Smart App Control

Section titled “Smart App Control”

Windows 11 only. Setup refuses with

An Application Control policy has blocked this file

(error 4551).

Fact Detail
What it is A Windows 11 feature that runs only apps Microsoft’s reputation service already knows or that carry a trusted signature. An unsigned installer is neither.
Per-app exception None. Unlike SmartScreen it has no Run anyway; the only way to install is to turn it off.
When it is enabled Only on a clean install of Windows 11 (a reset counts).
Evaluation mode Starts in Evaluation, which blocks nothing while Windows decides whether the feature suits the machine, then switches itself On, with a notification, or Off.
When it is already off A PC upgraded from Windows 10, or seen running developer tools during evaluation.
Where to check and turn off Settings → Privacy & security → Windows Security → App & browser control → Smart App Control settings, then Off.
Section titled “Related”