Modern operating systems block USB autorun for security. CHIP does not rely on autorun.inf or macOS login items bundled on the drive.
| Goal | macOS | Windows | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAG + chat (if index built) | Launch CHIP.command | Launch CHIP.bat | ./Launch CHIP.sh |
| Chat only (lighter) | Launch Chat.command | Launch Chat.bat | ./Launch Chat.sh |
| Stop servers | Stop CHIP.command | Stop CHIP.bat | ./Stop CHIP.sh |
| Terminal | ./start-rag.sh / ./start.sh chip |
start.bat chip |
same as macOS |
If RAG was built (rag/index/knowledge.db exists), Launch CHIP prefers start-rag.sh (embedding + chat). Launch Chat always runs ./start.sh chip (no embed server).
See also: QUICKSTART.md · 00-READ-ME-FIRST.txt (plain text for Windows).
- Plug in the SSD (volume label
CHIPhelps). - Open the drive in the file manager.
- Drag
Launch CHIP.command(Mac) orLaunch CHIP.bat(Windows) to the desktop while holding Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) to create a shortcut/alias. - On first run, approve the llamafile binary (macOS Gatekeeper / Windows SmartScreen). See README.md troubleshooting.
You can set Explorer to open the CHIP folder when the drive is inserted (Settings → Devices → AutoPlay → “Open folder to view files” for removable drives). That is not the same as running CHIP automatically; you still double-click the launcher.
- USB autorun executing CHIP without user action (disabled on Windows 10+, macOS, most Linux desktops).
- Silent background service from a removable drive without admin install (by design).
- iOS / Android / ChromeOS hosts (no supported llamafile target).
If the drive is always at the same mount path, power users may add a login item or scheduled task that runs the launcher script. Paths change when drive letters or volume names differ; prefer a desktop shortcut to the launcher on the SSD itself.