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LauncherInstallation

Installation Guide

Follow these steps to install Docker and CyberCTF Launcher on your operating system.

System Requirements: 2+ CPU cores, 4+ GB RAM, 20+ GB free storage, Docker 20.10+

Select Your Operating System

Windows

1. Install Docker Desktop

Follow the official Docker installation guide carefully:

Docker Desktop for Windows Installation Guide 

Important: Docker Desktop requires WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux). The installer will enable it automatically, but you may need to restart your computer.

2. Download CyberCTF Launcher

Download the latest installer from the releases page:

CyberCTF Launcher Releases 

Look for the file named CyberCTF-Setup-x.x.x.exe and download it.

3. Install the Launcher

  1. Run the downloaded .exe installer
  2. Follow the installation wizard
  3. Launch CyberCTF Launcher from the Start Menu

Note: Make sure Docker Desktop is running before launching CyberCTF.

macOS

1. Install Docker Desktop

Download and install Docker Desktop for Mac:

Docker Desktop for Mac 

Choose the appropriate version for your Mac (Intel or Apple Silicon).

2. Download CyberCTF Launcher

Download the latest .dmg file from the releases page:

CyberCTF Launcher Releases 

Look for the file named CyberCTF-x.x.x.dmg.

3. Install the Launcher

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file
  2. Drag CyberCTF to your Applications folder
  3. Launch CyberCTF from Applications

Note: You may need to allow the app in System Preferences > Security & Privacy if macOS blocks it.

Linux

1. Install Docker Engine

curl -fsSL "https://get.docker.com/" | sh

After installation, verify Docker is running:

sudo systemctl status docker

If Docker is not running, start it:

sudo systemctl start docker

(Optional) Add your user to the docker group to run Docker without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER newgrp docker

2. Download CyberCTF Launcher

Download the latest .deb package from the releases page:

CyberCTF Launcher Releases 

Look for the file named CyberCTF-x.x.x.deb.

3. Install the Launcher

sudo dpkg -i CyberCTF-x.x.x.deb sudo apt install -f # Fix dependencies if needed

Launch the application from your application menu or run:

cyberctf

Verify Installation

After installing both Docker and the Launcher:

  1. Start Docker - Make sure Docker Desktop (or Docker Engine on Linux) is running
  2. Launch CyberCTF - Open the CyberCTF Launcher application
  3. Sign In - Use your CyberCTF platform credentials

The launcher will automatically detect Docker and verify it’s working correctly.

For web exploitation challenges, we recommend installing:

Burp Suite Community Edition - HTTP proxy and interceptor
Download Burp Suite 

Burp Suite allows you to intercept and modify HTTP requests, which is essential for many web security challenges.

What’s Next?

Getting Started Guide | Troubleshooting

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