Install Lodestar

For family and friends. It takes about five minutes of clicking, plus downloads.

Before you start

A Windows 10 or 11 PC with 8 GB of memory or more (16 GB works best) and about 10 GB of free space.
A good internet connection for the first setup (about 3 to 7 GB of downloads, depending on your PC).
Gmail users: send Kaeden the Gmail address you'll use. Google only lets addresses on his list sign in to Lodestar for now, and he has to add yours first.

1. Download and install

Download Lodestar Setup from the download page (under "Assets").
Open it. Windows will say "Windows protected your PC" because the app isn't from a big company: click More info, then Run anyway.
It installs for you only (no admin password) and opens Lodestar.

Type your name and click Continue. The next step, AI on this PC, shows Install Ollama for me: click it. Ollama is the free program that runs the AI on your computer. Lodestar checks it's the genuine one before installing it.
Then click Download (the button shows the model's size, like Download 4.9 GB model). Lodestar picks the right size for your PC. This is the big download; let it finish.
Your email is read by this AI on your own computer. It is never sent to an AI company.

Type your email address. For Gmail, a Google sign-in page opens in your browser.
Google shows "Google hasn't verified this app". That's expected while Lodestar is a family project: click Continue (or Advanced, then Go to Inbox Pilot; Google still shows the app's earlier name), then allow access.
Yahoo, iCloud, AOL and others: you'll need an "app password" from your email provider; Lodestar shows the link.
Outlook / Hotmail: not available yet.
Choose what Lodestar may do (it starts in a safe "preview" mode where you approve everything), then press Start watching.

About once a week Google signs you out. Lodestar shows a Reconnect button: click it and sign in again. Nothing is lost.
Lodestar never sends, deletes or unsubscribes unless you turn that on. Everything it does is listed under Activity, and archiving can be undone.
Press ? in the app for keyboard shortcuts. Lodestar starts by itself when you sign in to Windows (hidden in the tray, next to the clock); turn off Start with Windows in Settings if you don't want that. The installer also puts a Lodestar icon on your desktop.
When a new version is out, Lodestar tells you on the Today screen.