Desktop app

The desktop app shows the viewer in its own window on macOS, Windows and Linux. It brings its own PHP 8.5, so you do not need PHP 8.5 on your machine to use Peep (your app can run any PHP from 7.1).

Install

Download it from the releases page, under Assets of the newest release:

System	File
macOS on Apple silicon (M1 and later)	Peep_<version>_aarch64.dmg
macOS on Intel	Peep_<version>_x64.dmg
Windows	Peep_<version>_x64-setup.exe (stable releases also have an .msi)
Ubuntu, Debian	Peep_<version>_amd64.deb (_arm64.deb on ARM)
Any Linux	Peep_<version>_amd64.AppImage (_aarch64.AppImage on ARM)
Fedora, openSUSE	.rpm, stable releases only

Betas have no .msi or .rpm, because MSI and RPM versions cannot contain -beta. Not sure which Mac you have? Apple menu → About This Mac shows the chip.

The app is not signed with an Apple Developer ID or a Windows code signing certificate yet. It is safe to open, but macOS and Windows cannot check who made it, so they stop it the first time. The steps below get past that once; after that it opens like any other app.

macOS

1. Open the .dmg and drag Peep into Applications.
2. Open Peep from Applications. macOS says "Peep" Not Opened (or cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software). Click Done, not Move to Trash.
3. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to Security. Next to "Peep" was blocked to protect your Mac, click Open Anyway, then enter your password.
4. Open Peep again and click Open in the last question.

On macOS 14 (Sonoma) and earlier, steps 2 to 4 can also be done in Finder: Control-click (or right-click) Peep in Applications, choose Open, then Open again.

If macOS says "Peep" is damaged and can't be opened, it is not damaged: macOS marked the download and the app has no signature to clear the mark. Remove the mark in Terminal, then open Peep:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Peep.app

Windows

1. Your browser may say the file is not commonly downloaded. In Edge, open the download's ... menu, choose Keep, then Show more → Keep anyway. In Chrome, choose Keep.
2. Run Peep_<version>_x64-setup.exe. When Windows protected your PC (SmartScreen) appears, click More info, then Run anyway.
3. Follow the installer. Peep starts from the Start menu like any other app.

On Windows 11 with Smart App Control on, Windows blocks unsigned apps without a Run anyway button. Use php peep-server.phar serve (the viewer in your browser) instead, or turn Smart App Control off in Windows Security → App & browser control → Smart App Control settings (Windows does not let you turn it back on without reinstalling, so only do this if you are sure).

Linux

Linux does not check signatures, so there is nothing to allow.

# Ubuntu, Debian
sudo apt install ./Peep_<version>_amd64.deb

# AppImage, on any distribution
chmod +x Peep_<version>_amd64.AppImage
./Peep_<version>_amd64.AppImage

If the AppImage says FUSE is missing, install it: sudo apt install libfuse2 (on Ubuntu 24.04 and later, libfuse2t64).

Once it runs, Peep lives in the tray (the menu bar on macOS).

Window or browser

Choose in the viewer's Settings → Display: Open the viewer in:

• Desktop window: the app shows its window.
• Browser: the app stays in the tray and opens the viewer in your browser.

php peep-server.phar serve --open=window from a terminal opens the desktop app when it is installed, and the browser otherwise.

The tray

• The number next to the icon is your unread mail and SMS.
• Show Peep (or Cmd+Alt+P, Ctrl+Alt+P on Windows and Linux, from anywhere) shows and hides the window.
• Always on top keeps the window above your editor.
• Start at login starts Peep when you log in.
• Quit Peep. Closing the window only hides it.

Notifications

Turn on Desktop notifications in Settings to be told about peep()->notify(...) calls and exceptions while the window is in the background. peep()->showApp() and peep()->hideApp() show and hide the window from your code.

Alongside the terminal

If a viewer is already running (php peep-server.phar serve), the app shows that one and leaves it running when you quit. Otherwise it starts its own and stops it on quit. Settings, history and webhook rules are the same in both, because both use the same settings folder (~/.config/peep, or %APPDATA%\peep on Windows).

Updates

The app checks for a new version a little after it starts and then once a day. When there is one, it says so in a notification and the tray item becomes Update to Peep x.y.z...: click it to see what is new and install it; Peep restarts into the new version. Check for Updates... in the tray (or Check now in Settings, Updates) checks at once and says what it found.

In Settings, Updates:

• Update channel: Stable offers releases from main; Beta also offers pre-releases from develop, to try what comes next.
• Check for updates at start and once a day: switch the automatic check off. Check for Updates... still works.

A build without an update key (for example one you built yourself) opens the release's download page instead of installing.