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Run Solo reference guide

Run Solo is a local workspace for a small company: people, working time, absences and company documents. It is built for an owner who wants to keep records understandable and for an accountant who needs to review the same source material.

This guide describes the pre-release demo and its operating model. Screens, formats and workflows can change before release. The landing page's interface preview is illustrative; the downloaded application is the place to explore what the current build actually supports.

The short version

• Download the executable for your operating system and processor.
• Start it with --open to open the local web interface in your browser.
• Explore the sample company before using real company records.
• Your saved records live in a folder called the vault, not in a cloud account.
• The app saves to the vault while your licence or the 7-day trial allows it. Start it with --read-only to make sure nothing is changed.
• Keep using your accountant's accounting system for bookkeeping, payroll and tax filing.

You do not need Bun, Node.js or a separate database to run a packaged executable. You do need a web browser. Once downloaded, the app works without an internet connection and does not call external services.

Try the demo

Choose a build from the download section. The current executable names are:

If a choice says Coming soon, its artifact has not been configured for publication yet. There is no download behind that choice.

Start on macOS or Linux

Open a terminal in the folder containing your download. On macOS with Apple silicon, for example:

chmod +x ./run-solo-darwin-arm64
./run-solo-darwin-arm64 --open

Replace the filename with your chosen build. Keep your operating system's normal security checks enabled and use a release you trust. Desktop Linux needs xdg-open for automatic browser launching; you can also open the local address printed by the app yourself.

Start on Windows

Open PowerShell in the folder containing your download:

.\run-solo-windows-x64.exe --open

The default address is http://127.0.0.1:8787. The executable runs a server on your own computer; the browser is its interface. Keep the terminal running while you use it. Press Ctrl+C in that terminal to stop the server. Closing the browser tab alone does not stop the executable.

Use sample data first

When no vault is configured, the app opens the bundled sample company. The sample uses fictional people and a fictional test country. It is intended for exploring the interface, not for drawing legal or financial conclusions.

Existing settings in your configuration directory can select your own vault instead. To isolate a first run from existing settings, point --config-dir to a separate empty directory:

./run-solo-darwin-arm64 --config-dir ./solo-demo-config --open

The app is read-only unless you explicitly enable writes. Review the startup output and selected workspace before making any changes.

Current demo expiry

Current builds stop working seven days after they were built, not seven days after you download them. An expired build refuses to start; a running one also exits when it expires. Get a fresh build when needed. This temporary pre-release limit does not delete your vault files.

Connect your company folder

A vault is a local folder containing company records. To inspect an existing vault on macOS or Linux:

./run-solo-darwin-arm64 --vault "/path/to/company-vault" --open

On Windows:

.\run-solo-windows-x64.exe --vault "C:\Company\Vault" --open

Opening an arbitrary folder does not convert its contents into company records. The app recognises supported files and structured records; malformed records are reported as problems. It does not silently repair business data.

The default configuration directory is ~/.solo. Its settings.yaml can supply the vault path and other preferences. Command-line values take precedence over settings and environment variables. To inspect available options, run the executable with --help.

Understand your files

The vault is the source of truth. Structured business records use Markdown with YAML metadata at the top of the file. The text is readable without Run Solo. Supporting documents, such as PDFs, live alongside the structured records.

The app builds an index in memory to find and connect records. There is no separate database that owns your company data. A working-data directory, when configured, holds working copies and runtime logs rather than a second set of authoritative records.

File layout and document types are configurable. A readable file is not necessarily a valid business record: required metadata, dates and relationships still have to satisfy the current format. If you edit files outside the app, keep their structure intact and inspect any reported problems after reloading.

Back up the vault yourself using a method suitable for your company. Keeping files locally gives you control; it does not create a backup automatically.

Find your way around

The dashboard brings together the main operational facts and findings. Use it as a starting point, then open the relevant employee, time record, absence or document to inspect the details.

People

Employee records describe the people in your company and their working arrangements. These records provide the context for time and absence calculations. Keep the underlying dates and arrangements accurate before relying on a monthly summary.

Working time

Working time distinguishes recorded work from calendar suggestions. An explicit day contains the hours actually entered. An automatic day can show a suggestion derived from the work calendar; a suggestion is not proof that somebody worked those hours. Only an explicit save records work.

Country calendars can affect expected hours, public holidays and shortened working days. Check the selected rules and the period you are reviewing.

Absences

Absence records describe annual leave, sickness and other supported kinds of leave. The rules determine how dates are counted and how absences affect working time. Check the record type and date range before saving.

Sick leave does not carry a free-text note. Do not add medical information to unrelated document fields as a workaround.

Documents

Use documents to keep company material organised and connected to the records it supports. Structured metadata makes records discoverable; supporting files provide the original evidence. Filing checks can identify missing information or misplaced material, but they do not make an incomplete folder complete.

Reports and financial records

Reports help a reviewer inspect registers and their supporting records. The broader product specification also covers invoices, expenses, trips, contracts and payment records. These areas are still evolving before release; document-level payment tracking and related reports are under revision. Do not assume that every specified workflow is complete in a particular demo.

A calculation reflects the records supplied to the app. It does not prove that all transactions were recorded or that bank balances reconcile.

Read-only, editing and protection

Read-only is the default for the entire local workspace. It prevents app writes; it does not hide personal data, document bodies or downloads. There is no separate accountant login or limited-access role.

To enable saving in your chosen vault:

./run-solo-darwin-arm64 --vault "/path/to/company-vault" --open

Write mode changes the vault. Work with a backup and check which folder is selected. Entity protection is an additional safeguard: a locked record is protected from application edits until unlocked. It is not filesystem permission management or encryption.

Application saves use a shared transaction with an audit entry. Configuration remains read-only from the application. Changes made with a text editor outside Run Solo are not application saves and do not gain the same audit trail.

Checks and country rules

The app's droids are deterministic checks over your records. They produce findings that point to the affected material. They do not call a hosted AI service or independently verify the facts behind a document.

Country rules are versioned data with cited sources. The initial real-world bundle is Estonia; the architecture allows additional country packs. A country-neutral product page does not mean every jurisdiction is supported already. The bundled sample company uses test rules instead of real law.

Check the applicable country, rule version and supporting evidence before using results for a real company. Findings are aids to review, not legal certification or a substitute for an accountant's judgement.

Review with your accountant

An accountant can inspect the same records using read-only mode and use the available reports and exports. This is a local, single-user application, not a hosted collaboration service. There are no shared online accounts or real-time synchronisation.

If you give somebody a copy of your vault, they receive the files you include, including personal information and document contents. Review the selection before sharing it. Read-only mode does not redact the copy or limit what its recipient can read.

Useful startup options

The server binds to loopback. Keep it local rather than exposing it through a public proxy. If the default port is occupied, start with --port 0 --open and use the assigned local address.

Limits and troubleshooting

No cloud connection: Run Solo does not provide cloud storage, automatic sync, bank connections or online collaboration. You organise backups and any file transfers yourself.

Not general accounting: Payroll, tax filing, automatic tax determination, double-entry bookkeeping and financial statements belong in other tools.

Browser did not open: Leave the server running and open the local address printed in the terminal. Check that another process is not using the port.

Cannot save: Check whether the app was started with --read-only, whether your licence or trial has ended, whether the record is locked and whether the operating system allows writing to the vault. Do not try to fix this by changing unrelated configuration or deleting files.

A record has a problem: Inspect the finding and its document. Check required metadata, date ranges and links. Preserve the source evidence while correcting the record.

The build has expired: Download a newer build. Your existing vault remains ordinary local files, but pre-release file formats can change between builds. Keep a backup before trying a new version with real records.

For questions or a current demo, contact IT Staff. To return to the product page, visit Run Solo.