Installation

DBS Annotator is a self-contained desktop application — no Python or extra libraries are required to run the packaged build. Session data are plain .tsv files in a folder you choose when you start a session.

For end users

You can find installation files for Windows (.msi), macOS (.dmg), and Linux (.deb) on GitHub Releases.

However, the files are unsigned, so a warning may appear during installation or on first launch. You must accept the risk and continue. On Windows, see Windows — SmartScreen warnings if SmartScreen blocks the app.

In some cases — for example when your organization has strict settings — a direct download may not be possible. Use the install commands below for your operating system.

Windows — SmartScreen warnings

Release builds are not code-signed. Windows Defender SmartScreen may block the installer (.msi) or the application on first launch.

If you see “Windows protected your PC” or “Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting”:

Click More info (or Show more on newer Windows builds).
Click Run anyway (installer) or Run (application).

If your organization blocks unsigned software entirely, use the PowerShell install command below (portable build under your user profile), or ask IT for an exception.

Windows — install via PowerShell

In an open PowerShell window:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Brain-Modulation-Lab/DBSAnnotator/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

From cmd.exe (or if execution policy blocks scripts):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoProfile -Command "irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Brain-Modulation-Lab/DBSAnnotator/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex"

The script fetches the latest Windows portable .zip from GitHub Releases, unpacks under %LOCALAPPDATA%\\WyssGeneva\\DBSAnnotator\\app, and creates a Start Menu shortcut.

macOS / Linux — shell install

macOS and Linux use the same install script. It needs Python 3 and curl or wget. On macOS it prefers the release raw .tar.gz, otherwise the .dmg. On Linux (x86_64) it prefers the raw .tar.gz, otherwise the published .deb.

curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Brain-Modulation-Lab/DBSAnnotator/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Brain-Modulation-Lab/DBSAnnotator/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

On macOS, if you install from the .dmg manually instead: open the disk image from GitHub Releases and drag DBSAnnotator to Applications. On first launch, right-click → Open → Open again (required once when the app is not notarized).

On Linux non-x86_64 systems, install the .deb from Releases manually or build from source (see Contributing to DBS Annotator).

Updating

Updating the application does not change your session *_events.tsv files — they stay in the folders you chose in the app.

Re-run the same install command

Use the same one-liner as for a fresh install to pull the latest release:

Windows:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Brain-Modulation-Lab/DBSAnnotator/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

macOS / Linux:

curl -LsSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Brain-Modulation-Lab/DBSAnnotator/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Automatic update notification

When enabled, the app checks GitHub Releases (about once per day) and notifies you if a newer version is available. No patient or session data are sent. Toggle checks from Help, or opt out on the update dialog. See Frequently Asked Questions (How does the automatic update checker work?).

Installer from GitHub Releases

You can also download a newer .msi, .dmg, or .deb from GitHub Releases and run it over the previous install.

Data storage

The application does not use a database or registry entries for clinical data. All recordings are tab-separated .tsv files in the output folder you select at session start. Column schema: Output Format.