---
# System prepended metadata

title: SideeX Launcher
tags: [English]

---

---
tags: English
---
# SideeX Launcher
This is the SideeX Recorder launcher developed based on electron, some key features include:
- Automatically installs SideeX Recorder onto Chrome
- Supports auto-update when new versions are released
- Supports opening Chrome and recording with Normal Mode, Guest Mode and Incognito Mode.
- Will install the browser drivers according to the locally installed browsers and start the Selenium Standalone server automatically.
<!-- - Supports perform OS-level commands. -->

## Installation
- Go to the [SideeX Launcher GitHub Repository Releases](https://github.com/SideeX/sideex-launcher/releases) and download the installer according to your OS.
    - Windows: `.exe` 
    - MacOS: `.dmg` 
    - Linux: `.AppImage`
- Run the installer after the download is complete.
    
    :::info
    For Windows users, click on `More info` when the following SmartScreen appears, and then click on `Run anyway`.
    
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/85XijtB.png)
    :::
- To verify if the installation is successful:
    - On Windows, a `SideeX Launcher` icon should appear on Desktop.
    - On MacOS, a `SideeX Launcher` icon should appear in the Launch Pad
    - On Linux, you can find `SideeX Launcher` in installed packages.
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/sNJPKjB.png)
    
## How to Start
1. After launching the application, you will see the following page:

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/jZfbAoD.png)
2. Click on `Start Testing` and you will see a dropdown menu
    
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/Bj9piGv.png)
    - `Using Chrome`
        - This option will install SideeX Recorder and open Chrome with the current signed-in Chrome user
        - The current user's bookmarks, passwords and histories will remain
        :::info 
        - Note that all existing Chrome windows must be closed before launching with this mode.
        :::
    - `Using Chrome in Guest Mode`
        - This option will install SideeX Recorder on a Chrome's guest user
                
    - `Using Chrome in Incognito Mode`
        - This option will let you use SideeX in an incognito window
        
        :::info
        Note:
         - Before running this mode, you must first allow the extension in incognito mode by first running `Using Chrome in Guest Mode`
         - Enter `chrome://extensions` on the address bar, or click on `Manage Extensions` on the top right corner.
         ![](https://i.imgur.com/iCZnmAC.png)
         - Click on `Details` of the SideeX Recorder
        ![](https://i.imgur.com/MJ2XbC3.png)
         - Turn on "Allow in incognito" and you can use SideeX in incognito mode!
          ![](https://i.imgur.com/ECZ98mk.png)

 
3. The `About` section consists of the current SideeX Launcher version and the link to `Learn more at sideex.io`
    
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/5S2vnKF.png)



## How to Auto-Update
- SideeX will be checking for new releases every 24 hours, when there is a new version, SideeX Launcher will automatically download the release in the background

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/p0YNcAH.png)
- When the download is completed, an `Update Now` button will appear in both Home and About page. Click on it to restart and a new version will be installed. A manual restart will also let the application install the newest version.
    
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/bxKQvOq.png)

### Advanced Settings
- After the installation is completed, a folder named `.sideex` will be created under the home directory.
    - Windows: `C:\Users\{USER_NAME}\.sideex`
    - MacOS: `~/.sideex`
- The folder structure is as the following:
    ```
    .sideex
    | -- .sideexrc
    | -- selenium-server-standalone-3.141.59.jar
    | -- ${browser_dirvers}
    | -- ...
    | -- drivers
         | -- ${drivers}.zip
         | -- ...
    ```
- The `.sideex` folder includes the Selenium Standalone Server and the browser drivers.
- The `.sideexrc` file is the run time configuration file 

    ```json
    {
      "version": "0.0.1",
      "showIncognitoDialog": true,
      "seleniumServer": {
        "autoCheck": true,
        "autoRun": true,
        "path": "${home_path}/.sideex/selenium-server-standalone-3.141.59.jar",
        "javaPath": "",
        "host": "127.0.0.1"
      },
      "browserDriver": {
        "chrome": {
          "autoCheck": true
        },
        "firefox": {
          "autoCheck": true
        },
        "safari": {
          "autoCheck": true
        },
        "edge-chromium": {
          "autoCheck": true
        },
        "edge-legacy": {
          "autoCheck": true
        },
        "opera": {
          "autoCheck": true
        },
        "IE": {
          "autoCheck": true
        }
      }
    }
    ```
    - `seleniumServer` can let you customize your Selenium Server's settings:
        - `autoCheck`: decides whether to auto-update `selenium-server-standalone-3.141.59.jar` or not. The default value is set to `true`.
        - `autoRun`: decides whether to run `Selenium Server` automatically when `SideeX Launcher` is launched or not. 
        - `path`: the path to launch the `Selenium Server`, the default path is set to `${home_path}/.sideex/selenium-server-standalone-3.141.59.jar`.
        - `javaPath`: the path to execute java command, the default path is set to `""`. `""` will directly use `java` to execute java command.
        - `host`: the ip address which the `Selenium Server` listen to on your computer, the default value is set to `127.0.0.1`.
     
    - `autoCheck`: decides whether to auto-update the drivers for each browser driver. The default value is set to `true`.
        - if you set `autoCheck` to `false`, you can manually download the corresponding drivers and place them under the directory. See the [SideeX Doc](https://hackmd.io/@sideex/book/%2F%40sideex%2Fwebdriver) for more information.
        
    - `showIncognitoDialog`: decide whether to show the hint dialog window when using incognito mode.

## Troubleshooting
- Please refer to [SideeX Troubleshooting](https://hackmd.io/@sideex/book/%2F%40sideex%2Ftroubleshooting#SideeX-Launcher)
