> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.doviconvert.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Terminal / Shell

> Install dovi_convert directly on macOS, Linux, or Windows

This guide covers installing dovi\_convert on your system without Docker. If you prefer a containerized setup with a web terminal, see the [Docker installation](/installation/docker) instead.

## Platform Support

dovi\_convert runs on:

* **macOS** (tested on macOS 26)
* **Linux** (any modern distribution with Python 3.8+)
* **Windows** (via WSL - Windows Subsystem for Linux)

<Callout icon="circle-info" iconType="solid" color="#8caaee">
  Windows native support is not available. You must use WSL to run dovi\_convert on Windows.
</Callout>

## Dependencies

Before installing dovi\_convert, you need the following tools:

| Dependency      | Purpose                                 |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Python 3.8+** | Runtime for the script                  |
| **ffmpeg**      | Video extraction                        |
| **dovi\_tool**  | Dolby Vision metadata processing        |
| **mkvtoolnix**  | MKV handling (`mkvmerge`, `mkvextract`) |
| **mediainfo**   | Media file analysis                     |

<Callout icon="circle-exclamation" iconType="solid" color="#ef9f76">
  **macOS users:** You must use the command-line versions of these tools, not the `.app` bundles.

  GUI applications like MKVToolNix.app or MediaInfo.app are sandboxed differently and don't work correctly with dovi\_convert. Install via [Homebrew](https://brew.sh) or [MacPorts](https://www.macports.org/) instead.
</Callout>

### Automatic Dependency Installation

When you run dovi\_convert, it checks for missing dependencies and offers to install them automatically, using your system's packet manager. It supports:

* **Homebrew** (macOS)
* **apt** (Ubuntu, Debian)
* **dnf** (Fedora)
* **pacman** (Arch Linux)

<Callout icon="circle-exclamation" iconType="solid" color="#ef9f76">
  dovi\_tool may not be available in all package managers. If automatic installation fails, download it manually from the [dovi\_tool GitHub releases](https://github.com/quietvoid/dovi_tool/releases).
</Callout>

## Installation

### Homebrew

<CodeGroup>
  ```shellscript Install theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
  brew install dovi_convert
  ```

  ```shellscript Update theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
  brew update && brew upgrade dovi_convert
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Manual

If you don't have Homebrew, you can manually install it by downloading from Github, making the script executable and moving it into your path:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
curl -sSLO https://github.com/cryptochrome/dovi_convert/releases/latest/download/dovi_convert.py
chmod +x dovi_convert.py
sudo mv dovi_convert.py /usr/local/bin/dovi_convert
```

After installation, run `dovi_convert --help` to verify everything works. To update, simply repeat the same process.

### From Source

If you want to stay updated with development changes:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clone the repository">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
    git clone https://github.com/cryptochrome/dovi_convert.git
    cd dovi_convert
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a symlink">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
    sudo ln -s "$(pwd)/dovi_convert.py" /usr/local/bin/dovi_convert
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update when needed">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
    cd /path/to/dovi_convert
    git pull
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Verify Installation

Run the help command to confirm dovi\_convert is installed correctly:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-macchiato"}}
dovi_convert help
```

If any dependencies are missing, the script prompts you to install them.

## Next Steps

Now that you've installed dovi\_convert, learn how to use it:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="File Scanning" icon="scanner-image" href="/essentials/scanning">
    Analyze your files to identify formats and FEL status
  </Card>

  <Card title="File Conversion" icon="recycle" href="/essentials/conversion">
    Convert individual files or directories to Profile 8.1
  </Card>
</CardGroup>