Install Firetool on Windows, macOS or Linux

Download the right file

1. Open the download page.
2. Under Your system, choose your computer.
3. Complete the quick check, tick the box to agree to the licence agreement and privacy notice, and choose Download now. No email is needed.

Every file name says the system and processor it's for:

Not sure which one? On Windows, Settings → System → About shows "64-bit" or "32-bit" under System type. On a Mac, Apple menu → About This Mac shows "Chip: Apple M…" for Apple Silicon or "Processor: Intel…" for Intel. On Linux, uname -m prints x86_64 for the linux-x64 files.

Each system needs about 300 MB of disk space. Node.js and Chromium come inside the app, so there's nothing else to install first.

Windows 10 and 11

1. Open the setup file from your Downloads folder.
2. Firetool isn't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC". Choose More info, then Run anyway.
3. Read the licence agreement and choose I Agree.
4. Keep the suggested folder, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Firetool. You can also tick Desktop shortcut.
5. Choose Install. When it finishes, leave Open Firetool now ticked, or open Firetool later from the Start menu.

The installer is for your Windows account only, so it doesn't need administrator rights. The 32-bit installer also runs on 64-bit Windows, but it suggests the faster 64-bit one there. Installing one replaces the other.

macOS 11 or newer

Firetool runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 11 (Big Sur) or newer. It isn't notarized by Apple yet. A zip you download in a browser is marked as coming from the internet, and macOS then says the app "is damaged". The Terminal command avoids that.

With the Terminal command (easiest)

1. On the download page, choose your Mac and Download now. The page shows a one-line command that includes your own download link. The link works for 15 minutes.
2. Choose Copy command.
3. Open Terminal: press ⌘ Space, type Terminal and press Return.
4. Paste the command and press Return.

The command runs the site's install-mac.sh script. The script:

• checks that the build matches your Mac's processor (an Intel build on Apple Silicon still runs, through Rosetta, but more slowly);
• downloads the zip and checks its SHA-256 checksum;
• copies Firetool to Applications, or to ~/Applications if you can't write to Applications;
• removes the download mark, gives the app the local (ad-hoc) signature macOS needs to start it, and opens it.

The script sends nothing anywhere except the download itself.

From the zip

1. Open the downloaded .zip. Don't open Firetool.app from there.
2. Double-click Install Firetool.command. It does the same as the script above.
3. If macOS says it can't be opened, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, choose Open Anyway, and double-click it again. Or type bash (with a space) in Terminal, drag Install Firetool.command into the window and press Return.

The first time Firetool saves a key or sign-in, macOS asks to allow "Firetool Safe Storage" in your Keychain. Choose Always Allow.

Linux (64-bit only)

Firetool for Linux is built for 64-bit x86 computers only. There's no build for ARM, 32-bit Linux or BSD.

Ubuntu, Debian and Mint: the .deb package

For Ubuntu 20.04 or newer, Debian 11 or newer, and distributions based on them:

sudo apt install ./Firetool-<version>-linux-x64.deb

apt installs the libraries Firetool needs. The app goes into /opt/firetool, with a menu entry and a firetool command.

Other distributions: the .tar.gz

For 64-bit Linux with glibc 2.28 or newer: Fedora 30+, RHEL, Rocky or Alma 8+, openSUSE Leap 15.3+ and Arch. Install the libraries first:

Then unpack it and run its installer:

tar xzf Firetool-<version>-linux-x64.tar.gz
./Firetool-<version>-linux-x64/install.sh

This installs for your user only, into ~/.local/opt/firetool, with a menu entry and ~/.local/bin/firetool. It then offers to set up Chromium's sandbox helper with sudo. Some distributions, such as Ubuntu 23.10 and later, need that before the app will start.

Firetool encrypts saved keys with your desktop keyring (GNOME Keyring or KWallet). Without a keyring they're saved unencrypted in ~/.firetool. Tools → Diagnostics shows which applies.

Check the download (optional)

The download page shows each file's SHA-256 checksum. Compare it with the output of:

First start

1. Open Firetool. It shows Connect Firetool to Firebase with the ways to connect. Nothing connects until you choose one. See Connect to Firestore.
2. If the Google Cloud CLI is already signed in on this computer, Firetool asks Use your Google sign-in? Choose Use this account, Other ways to connect… or Not now.
3. Welcome to Firetool offers a 30-day Pro trial. Enter your email and choose Send code, then enter the 6-digit code from the email. Or choose Continue with Free. You can start the trial later with the Start free Pro trial button next to your tabs, or Help → Licence….

After the trial, Firetool keeps working as the Free edition. See pricing.

Updates

Firetool checks for a new version a few seconds after it opens, and every 6 hours while it's open. When there is one, a bar says Firetool <version> is available, with Update now (or Download), Later and Skip this version.

• 64-bit Windows, installed from the website: Update now asks for your name and email, like the download page. Leave Remember my details on this PC for future updates ticked and it won't ask again. It downloads the new installer, checks its SHA-256 and installs it. Firetool closes and reopens by itself. Settings, keys, schedules and the audit log are kept.
• Other systems: Download opens the website. Install the new version the same way as the first time.

To check now, choose Help → Check for updates…. To stop automatic checks, untick Settings → Check for updates automatically. Check for updates… still works after that.

Copies of version 2.22 or older can't update themselves any more. Install the current version from the download page. Your settings and keys are kept.

Uninstall

Your data folder, ~/.firetool (on Windows %USERPROFILE%\.firetool), holds settings, encrypted keys, schedules, the policy and the audit log. Uninstalling the app leaves it in place. On Windows the uninstaller asks whether to delete saved settings, open tabs, schedules and service account keys as well. The audit log is always kept.

Upgrading from Firestore Studio or Hearth

Firetool was called Firestore Studio, and before that Hearth. Install Firetool as above:

• The Windows installer removes the old program, its shortcuts, its uninstall entry and its scheduled tasks. The macOS installer, the Linux install.sh and the .deb package replace an installed Firestore Studio too.
• On first start, Firetool moves your data folder from ~/.firestore-studio (or ~/.hearth) to ~/.firetool, so your settings, keys, schedules and audit log carry on.

For IT teams

Install silently, per user, with no administrator rights:

Firetool-<version>-windows-x64-setup.exe /S

Uninstall silently with "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Firetool\Uninstall.exe" /S. A silent uninstall keeps the data folder.

To turn off update checks on every computer, put "updateChecks": false in the machine policy file. This also removes in-app updating, and the menu shows Check for updates automatically (turned off by your IT team).

For the other policy settings, see Roles and production safety.

Questions

Related

• Firestore desktop client: what Firetool does on each system.
• Connect to Firestore: Google sign-in, service account keys and the emulator.
• Roles and production safety: roles, read-only projects and machine policy.
• Download Firetool
• Security: how keys are stored and where your data goes.