Introducing Installerpedia - Install Anything With Zero Hassle

The Problem: Installing Software Is Still a Mess

As developers, installing tools and libraries this an integral part of our workflow, and the process can be simple or extremely twisted and complicated.

The experience we currently have when installing software

When we want to install a tool or library from GitHub, the usual flow looks like this:

1. Search the repository name on Google, like " GitHub".
2. Click the GitHub link that appears.
3. Scroll down a bit, go through the README, and try to understand how to install it.
4. From the README, we would probably find a set of commands to execute.
5. Proceed to copy and paste those commands manually and try to get the installation done.
6. Since this process is manual, it can be error-prone depending on the tool, because every machine has its own configuration and possible missing dependencies. So the search begins across the web for error resolution.
7. After clearing all these hassles, we can finally go back to what they were doing earlier.

This involves seven steps just to complete an installation, which makes the process painfully tedious.

Time spent vs results

Depending on the tool being installed and the our level of experience, this process can take seconds or hours.

What is the end result of all that time spent? Mostly struggle and pain, with no real output related to what they originally planned to do.

The above flow also assumes that the GitHub repository has proper installation instructions. If that is not the case, you can easily get stuck in a rabbit hole of Reddit comments, Stack Overflow threads, or some random blog post with no authoritative source.

The bigger picture

Looking at the nature of this problem, it feels like something that should have already been solved, especially with the automation mindset and agentification that everyone is pushing nowadays.

Even if we automate our coding and other workflows, quickly adopting a new tool or library can still be time-consuming. Surprisingly, installation often becomes the biggest bottleneck to productivity.

This is clearly a problem worth thinking about, and it needs action to be solved.

So let us define the actual problem more technically and find a way to solve it.

Motivation behind this article and what to expect

Software-installation has a long standing problem: There is no single, reliable source for to turn to when you want to install any piece of software.

We will explore this problem in detail and highlight the benefits of solving it. We will talk about the payoff, the kind of developer ecosystem that could emerge, and why this matters not just for individual developers, but for the industry as a whole.

We will also walk through the proposed solution, discuss its cost-effectiveness, inclusivity, and explain why this approach is a sensible and practical one.

Towards the end, we will share how you can contribute, put forward your ideas, and why joining this journey could be worthwhile.

The Difficulty Behind Getting Anything Installed

Speaking of the difficulties, what exactly makes installation difficult?

From the previous section, we already got some clues.

1. Scattered Explanations

GitHub is not always reliable. There is no guarantee that an installation guide is present, or that it will work for every person.

For certain workarounds or fixes to get a piece of software installed on your system, you often have to explore the web extensively.

These scattered explanations usually involve a lot of trial and error, and it can take hours to finally reach that eureka moment.

2. Platform and Environment Differences

Even if you find instructions on installing a tool, there is no guarantee your machine will support it.

Machines come in all shapes and sizes, each with its own quirks.

You could be using any operating system, Windows, macOS, or one of the many Linux distributions, or something else entirely.

Your hardware might differ as well, with different CPU architectures.

3. Language and Package Manager Complexity

The expected language dependencies can vary, and each language has its own package managers with their own technicalities.

If you have worked with Python, Java, and PHP, you already know how different these ecosystems can be.

4. Non-Standard Build Mechanisms

Many GitHub repositories also provide their own build mechanisms. These are often non-standard, and figuring them out becomes another hassle.

Even when instructions are present, understanding and adapting them to your setup can take time.

5. Complex Dependency Chains

The libraries you install can have complex dependency chains. Even if these are listed in the repository, resolving them can be a headache if you just want to try the tool and see if it fits your use case.

6. Incomplete or Minimal Documentation

The people building these tools are humans like us.

Sometimes they do not have enough motivation or time to write exhaustive documentation for everyone. They usually cover the major cases, and for the rest, you may need to start asking around, which can take even more time.

All of this increases the need for an authoritative source where you can simply specify what you want to install and get it done automatically, saving hours of effort.

Organizing the Installation Chaos Into a Usable Format - Installerpedia

Let me propose a solution. This is currently a prototype and is undergoing iterations to solve the problem more effectively.

We call it the Installerpedia format.

Just as a package.json file sits at the root of a Node.js project and defines dependencies, scripts, and metadata, an installerpedia.json file sits at the root of a repository and defines everything needed to install and get started with the tool in a structured and reliable way.

This JSON can then be used by our command-line tool called Installerpedia Manager, or IPM.

ipm reads the installerpedia.json file and automatically completes the installation for you.

One Command to Go from “Search Everywhere” to “Just Install”

Let me guide you through the Installerpedia Manager (IPM)

To try it out, run either of the following commands:
Install via curl:

curl -fsSL https://hexmos.com/ipm-install | bash

or

Install via npx:

npx @hexmos/ipm

Once installed, you can install the repository you need by running:

ipm install <reponame>

You can also visit our page at to explore the existing collection of installation guides. Each page includes the prerequisites, installation methods, post installation steps, and relevant resources.

Example of using Installerpedia

The Old Approach

Let’s walk through a simple example.

Suppose I want to install the following tool:

https://github.com/laramies/theHarvester

If you visit the GitHub repository and open the README, you have to look around to find the relevant installation commands.

Once we have found them, we then need to copy and paste all of these commands one by one.

This is too much manual work, and creates unnecessary burden.

The Installerpedia Approach

Let’s see how IPM (Installerpedia Manager) performs here.

All I need to do is run ipm install theharvester.

It will search for the repository and show the following:

IPM already has the installation methods collected for you; you just need to choose your option.

I will go with Binary Installation.

IPM will then confirm the commands that are going to be executed.

Once you press yes, it will start executing the commands, and your tool is ready!

Now let's dive into how the Installerpedia format works.

The Installerpedia format

1. A Standard Format for Installing any tool or library

At the core of Installerpedia is a single JSON file that captures everything needed to install a tool in a structured and predictable way.

This can be generated with AI by scraping and parsing the relevant areas or the repository owner can give definitive instructions in the JSON.

The benefit over standard markdown is that this makes the steps explicit, dependencies can be clarified, and critical information will not be missed.

Here is what a typical Installerpedia JSON looks like:

{
  "repo": "string",
  "repo_type": "string",
  "keywords": ["string"],
  "prerequisites": [
    {
      "name": "string",
      "type": "string",
      "version": "string|number"
    }
  ],
  "installation_methods": [
    {
      "title": "string",
      "instructions": [
        {
          "command": "string"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "post_installation": ["string"],
  "resources_of_interest": [
    {
      "reason": "string",
      "title": "string",
      "type": "string",
      "url_or_path": "string"
    }
  ]
}

This JSON provides all the information a typical developer needs to install a tool or library.

2. Defining What Is Required Before Installation

The prerequisites section specifies what needs to be present before installation.

For example, a prerequisite can look like this:

  "prerequisites": [
    {
      "name": "Python",
      "type": "language",
      "version": ">3.12.0"
    },
    {
      "name": "uv",
      "type": "package_manager",
      "version": "latest"
    }
  ]

This makes it clear upfront what the system needs before attempting installation.

3. Multiple Ways to Install the Same Tool

The installation_methods section lists the different ways a tool can be installed, along with the exact commands to run.

For example:

"installation_methods": [
  {
      "instructions": [
        {
          "command": "curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh"
        },
        {
          "command": "git clone https://github.com/laramies/theHarvester"
        },
        {
          "command": "cd theHarvester"
        },
        {
          "command": "uv sync"
        },
        {
          "command": "uv run theHarvester"
        }
      ],
    "title": "Binary Installation"
  }
]

This allows developers to choose the method that works best for their use case.

4. What to Do After Installation

Another important component is the post_installation section.
Many times, we manage to install a tool successfully but then get confused about what to do next.

The post installation steps help developers take the newly installed software for a spin and verify that everything is working as expected.

For example:

  "post_installation": [
    "Start the server using the command: `uv run theHarvester`.",
    "Run database migrations using the command: `python manage.py makemigrations && python manage.py migrate`"
  ]

5. Relevant Links for Deeper Exploration

After installation, developers often want to read more about the tool.

The resources_of_interest section includes all the relevant links in one place.

For example:

  "resources_of_interest": [
    {
      "reason": "The official documentation for the Harvester tool.",
      "title": "theHarvester Documentation",
      "type": "documentation",
      "url_or_path": "https://github.com/laramies/theHarvester/blob/master/theHarvester-manual.md"
    }
   ]

Building Installation Knowledge Together with Installerpedia

At present, we are continuously testing and improving Installerpedia. Since this is still a prototype, there are naturally imperfections and accuracy issues, especially when scaling to a large number of repositories.

Our approach is as follows: the LLM first attempts to generate the structured JSON. Then, real people can iterate on it, making modifications based on their own experience

Next, success and failure feedback from users who follow the installation guides is collected.

Finally, authoritative input can be obtained from the repository owners.

If you look at the present-day Wikipedia as an example, it was not built by a small group of people. It became authoritative and scaled to cover almost every topic in the world only because of its contributors. Articles are kept up to date, and new ones are created every day.

The same idea applies to Installerpedia. We have currently created 4K+ installation guides as a starting point. However, this alone is not sufficient. There are thousands more tools and libraries for which guides need to be created, and some of the existing ones may not be accurate. Over time, tools evolve, installation steps change, and existing guides can become obsolete.

That is why we are proposing a Wikipedia-like ecosystem for Installerpedia, where installation guides are continuously validated, improved, and expanded by the community.

The end result? A single destination for all your installation needs, benefiting both individual developers and the developer ecosystem as a whole.

Future Plans for Installerpedia

For a truly pain-free installation experience with zero hassles, we are planning the following improvements so that, as the system matures, it becomes robust and dependable.

1. Maximizing Installation Success and Supporting All Platforms

One of our primary goals is to maximize installation success, because in the end, that is what makes Installerpedia reliable. Users should not even have to worry about failures. Just trigger install.

To achieve this, all platforms need to be supported and all platform-specific nuances handled properly. Currently, we have tested across Linux and Windows devices and resolved several issues. However, as we continue testing across more repositories, many more issues are expected to surface.

2. Effective Failure Resolution

Failures are inevitable, so strong mitigation practices are required to turn these failures into lessons as quickly as possible and get them resolved.

The proposed approach is to introduce a feedback mechanism whenever a failure occurs. Once feedback is recorded, contributors can review the issue, propose fixes, and help track success and failure rates over time.

3. Wikipedia-inspired user contribution system

This system will allow users to define installerpedia.json files for repositories they are familiar with. It will also enable users to contribute to existing configurations by adding new installation methods or correcting issues they discover.

This brings a self-healing and self-improving nature to Installerpedia, continuously strengthening its reliability.

How you can help

We are inviting enthusiastic developers like you to take part in discussions and help improve Installerpedia. All feedback and contributions are welcome, including and not limited to:

• Reporting bad pages which are pages with no installation intent and results in an error.
• Contributing new installation guides
• Improving existing installation guides based on your own experience
• Testing the Installerpedia Manager (IPM) tool, identifying pain points, and helping improve it
• Sharing the idea with others who may find it useful
• Suggesting improvements to the installerpedia.json format and formalizing it.
• Providing feedback based on the languages and frameworks you have experience with.
• Sharing suggestions for the web version and improving ease of adoption
• Proposing architectural improvements or any other ideas that come to mind

You can join our Discord community here. Let’s discuss, collaborate, and build this together.