YardCrew is free for Mac and Windows. Version 0.1.0-alpha.0 (alpha), released . You need a ChatGPT plan that includes Codex; no API key and no YardCrew account.
Mac (Terminal): shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/YardCrew-0.1.0-alpha.0-arm64.dmg
Windows (PowerShell): Get-FileHash $HOME\Downloads\YardCrew-Setup-0.1.0-alpha.0-x64.exe
How to install
Install on a Mac
Open YardCrew-0.1.0-alpha.0-arm64.dmg. A window shows YardCrew, an arrow and your Applications folder.
Drag YardCrew onto Applications, then eject the YardCrew disk.
Open YardCrew from Applications or Launchpad.
First time only: this alpha is not yet notarized by Apple, so macOS may say it cannot verify YardCrew. Click Done, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the YardCrew message, click Open Anyway and confirm. You will not be asked again.
YardCrew checks your Mac, then asks you to connect ChatGPT (Settings → Connect). If Codex is already signed in on this Mac, it reuses that sign-in.
Closing the window keeps workers and schedules running. YardCrew → Quit (⌘Q) stops all work. To uninstall, drag YardCrew to the Bin; your workers stay in ~/Library/Application Support/YardCrew until you delete that folder.
Install on Windows
Run YardCrew-Setup-0.1.0-alpha.0-x64.exe.
First time only: this alpha is not yet code-signed, so Windows may show “Windows protected your PC”. Click More info, then Run anyway.
Click Install. No administrator prompt appears; YardCrew installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\YardCrew with Start menu and desktop shortcuts.
Leave “Open YardCrew now” ticked and click Finish.
YardCrew checks the PC, then asks you to connect ChatGPT (Settings → Connect). The first task sets up Codex’s Windows sandbox once, without admin rights; if that fails, the task stops instead of running without it.
Closing the window keeps YardCrew in the taskbar tray; right-click the tray icon → Quit YardCrew stops all work. Uninstall from Settings → Apps → Installed apps; it asks before deleting your workers in %APPDATA%\YardCrew (default: keep). Silent install for IT: /S.
If something does not start
YardCrew has a built-in self-check. It uses a fresh, empty Codex home, never signs in and never reads your account. It ends with ALL CHECKS PASSED or lists what failed. Settings → Diagnostics → Copy gives a redacted report of the app’s own state.
Mac (Terminal): ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1 /Applications/YardCrew.app/Contents/MacOS/YardCrew /Applications/YardCrew.app/Contents/Resources/app/selfcheck.cjs
Windows (PowerShell): $env:ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1; & "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\YardCrew\YardCrew.exe" "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\YardCrew\resources\app\selfcheck.cjs"; Remove-Item Env:ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE
Release notes · 0.1.0-alpha.0 (2026-09-29)
Named, persistent workers with a role, approved memory, skills, a workspace folder and task history.
Tasks end in verified results: files with size, SHA-256 hash and source count; code tasks need the real test output.
Live computer view with steps, commands and files; Stop ends tool actions at the broker.
A separate browser profile per worker, with take-over when you need to sign in or pass a check.
Scoped, expiring approvals for actions outside a task’s grant.
Local schedules with a preview of recurrence, time zone and missed-run policy.
Reviewed skills: each skill is checked against the permission policy before a worker can use it.
Workers never inherit the MCP servers, plugins or apps from your personal Codex setup.
New: Windows installer (per-user, no admin rights, tray icon, uninstaller that keeps your data by default).
Known limits of this alpha: host mode (not a full sandbox), installers not yet notarized or code-signed, work runs only while the computer is awake, and the Windows build is new. Please report anything odd on GitHub or to hello@yardcrew.io. Older and newer versions are on the releases page.