This chapter explains how to get started with LuckyStackWorker. Because it is an open source application it can be downloaded from github.com. This site is meant as an overview and explains the details and this manual.
1.1 Downloading and installation guide
Start by navigating to the releases page on github: https://github.com/wkasteleijn/luckystackworker/releases/latest
1.1.1 Downloading and installing on Windows
Open the installation setup file by double clicking the downloaded "LuckyStackWorker-setup.exe" binary from the Assets folder below.
If windows smartscreen pops up saying "Your pc is protected from an unknown app", select "More info" and then press "Run anyway". This happens because unfortunately windows blocks non certified applications by default nowadays, and the certificate is too costly to justify buying one. To verify this you might want to check the virustotal.com report.
If the file is blocked when using the Edge browser (for the same reason as mentioned above), I recommend using another browser like Chrome or Firefox for downloading the binary.
If the windows firewall popups up after running the app for the first time, allow access to the application. This happens because the application uses a local network connection for the user interface to interact with the backend part of the app.
1.1.2 Downloading and installing on MacOS
Download the correct DMG file from the assets folder below (darwin x64 for intel based machines and arm64 for M1/M2). Open it and drag the LuckyStackWorker icon onto the Applications icon.
This is an unsigned app, because the certificate for the app store is too costly to justify buying one.
Therefor, the first time you open the app, use the Finder app and navigate to the Applications folder, select LuckyStackWorker, then hold the Control key (^) while you click on the icon and select Open from the popup menu. This will tell MacOS that it is OK to open the app and it will be added to the allowed applications.
1.2 Starting the app and pinning to the taskbar
2.1.1 Windows
After installation the setup created a short icon on the desktop. By double-clicking it the application will start. You can also pin the app to the taskbar by dragging the desktop shortcut to the taskbar. When starting the application the control panel window opens. At this point the only button enabled is the [Open] button, which allows you to open an image stack. Note that once the application is active and there is already an icon added to the taskbar as described before, the taskbar will in fact show 3 icons. This is because of the nature of the application.
2.1.2 MacOS
After installation with the DMG the application can be started from the launch pad or by clicking on the app from the Applications folder. The dock will actually show 2 icons when the application is active. You can select to keep it on the dock as a shortcut by control-clicking the icons that is named "LuckyStackWorker". The other icon is called "lsw-gui" and should not be selected. When starting the application the control panel window opens. At this point the only button enabled is the [Open] button, which allows you to open an image stack.