Windows
Windows 10 or 11, x64. Uses the WebView2 runtime; the installer fetches it if it is missing.
Try the pre-alpha
Asten 0.0.1b is out as a pre-alpha. Open it in your browser on a sample novel, or install the desktop app for Windows or Linux and write on your own machine.
Released 27 October 2026. The browser copy keeps a private sandbox for 24 hours and sets one session cookie; see the privacy policy.
In short
Asten 0.0.1b is a pre-alpha. The desktop app for Windows x64 and Linux x64 runs the engine on your own computer, keeps your projects in one file on your disk and offers “Open the sample novel”. The hosted copy runs the same engine on Verne’s server in a private sandbox per visitor, deleted 24 hours after the first visit. The builds are unsigned. macOS comes later.
Two ways to try it
Try it in the browser
Open the hosted pre-alpha. It runs the real engine in a private sandbox of your own, starts on a short sample novel, and is deleted 24 hours after your first visit. Do not put your manuscript there.
Install the desktop app
Download release 0.0.1b for Windows x64 or Linux x64. It runs the engine on your own computer, with your projects in one file on your disk, and offers “Open the sample novel”. The installers are not signed yet, so your system warns before the first run.
Start a project
Create a novel, screenplay, or non-fiction project. Write the first scene before you settle anything.
Keep a copy
Your project is one file on your disk. Take snapshots as you go, and export to Markdown, Fountain, HTML, .docx, EPUB, or Final Draft whenever you like.
Release 0.0.1b downloads
Linux
x64, glibc 2.35 and WebKitGTK 4.1. AppImage on most distributions, .deb for Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.04 or newer.
macOS: planned
No macOS build yet. Use Asten in the browser meanwhile.
To verify a file, compare its hash with the line in SHA256SUMS.txt: certutil -hashfile <file> SHA256 on Windows, sha256sum <file> on Linux.
The builds are not signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn before the first run: choose More info, then Run anyway.
- Windows: run the installer (it installs for your user only), or unzip the portable build and run Asten.exe.
- Linux: make the AppImage executable with
chmod +xand run it, or install the .deb withsudo apt install ./Asten_0.0.1-beta_amd64.deb. - asten-api: run it, open 127.0.0.1:4317 and type the pairing code it prints.
What 0.0.1b includes.
- The desk, canon, cast, two clocks, and optional world tools
- Fifteen canon rules in seven families, plus name hygiene and a setup ledger, in eight method packs
- Compile to Markdown, plain text, Fountain, HTML, .docx, EPUB 3, and Final Draft (.fdx), and import of all but EPUB, with Word tracked changes and comments and long files split into chapters
- One-file projects (.asten) to move a project, library backups with restore, and rename and delete for projects
- The Word task pane and Google Docs sidebar, for sideloading against the desktop app
- No account, no sync, no telemetry. An optional assistant in the desktop app (off by default) can call a model on your machine, or a cloud provider with your own key and consent; it never writes your prose, and you can read each request before it is sent
About the pre-alpha
What is the pre-alpha?
Release 0.0.1b is the second public build of Asten. It is early software: the engine, the desk, import, compile, backups and the optional assistant work, but expect rough edges and changes between releases. Keep your own copies of anything you write in it.
What is the difference between the hosted copy and the desktop app?
Both run the same engine. The desktop app runs it on your computer and keeps your projects in one file on your disk; it is the way to use Asten for real work. The hosted copy runs it on Verne’s server in a private sandbox per visitor, for trying Asten without installing anything. The sandbox and everything in it are deleted 24 hours after your first visit. Do not put your manuscript there. The hosted copy runs release 0.0.1a and has no assistant: it calls no AI provider.
Why does my system warn me before it runs?
The installers are not code-signed yet. On Windows, SmartScreen shows “Windows protected your PC”; choose More info, then Run anyway. Compare the file’s SHA-256 with its line in SHA256SUMS.txt first (the “Verify downloads” link on this page). Signed installers are next on the roadmap.
Is there a macOS build?
Not in 0.0.1b. macOS comes later. On a Mac you can use the hosted copy in the meantime.
How much does Asten cost?
Nothing today. Pricing hasn’t been decided. Whatever happens, your projects will stay readable and exportable without a subscription or a server.
Does it update itself?
No. Settings, This desk, Check for updates asks for a newer release only when you press it, and installs only after a second press. Nothing checks on its own.