How to install HandMouse on Mac

Before you start

These are one-time installs. If you have used Terminal before, you may have them already — the first step checks.

1. 1

   Install Git

   Apple opens a small installer.

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

   Copy the command for step 1

   xcode-select --install

   You know this worked when: Git responds with a version number

2. 2

   Install Node LTS

   Choose the macOS Installer (.pkg).

   Open download ↗

   You know this worked when: Node responds with a version number

Install HandMouse

1. 3

   Open Terminal

   Keep it open beside this page.

   You know this worked when: Terminal is open

2. 4

   Check Git and Node

   Git and the current Node LTS are required.

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

   Copy the command for step 4

   git --version
   node --version

   You know this worked when: Git and Node respond with version numbers

3. 5

   Install uv

   Needs Python already installed.

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

   Copy the command for step 5

   python3 -m pip install --user uv

   You know this worked when: uv responds with a version number

4. 6

   Install Python

   Choose the macOS installer (.pkg), then reopen Terminal.

   Open download ↗

   You know this worked when: python3 --version prints a version

5. 7

   Copy HandMouse to this Mac

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return. The first line moves you into the folder this step runs in, so it works in a window you have just opened.

   Copy the command for step 7

   cd ~
   if [ ! -d HandMouse/.git ]; then
   git clone https://github.com/phanxne/HandMouse.git
   fi

   You know this worked when: A HandMouse folder appears

6. 8

   Open the HandMouse folder

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return. The first line moves you into the folder this step runs in, so it works in a window you have just opened.

   Copy the command for step 8

   cd ~
   cd HandMouse

   You know this worked when: Your terminal prompt is inside the HandMouse folder

7. 9

   Use the reviewed version

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return. The first line moves you into the folder this step runs in, so it works in a window you have just opened.

   Copy the command for step 9

   cd ~/HandMouse
   git checkout 65784107665a1454e86954ba777aa538ca2983a9

   You know this worked when: Git reports the reviewed commit

8. 10

   Install dependencies

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return. The first line moves you into the folder this step runs in, so it works in a window you have just opened.

   Copy the command for step 10

   cd ~/HandMouse
   uv venv && uv pip install -r requirements.txt

   You know this worked when: The command finishes without an error

9. 11

   Try HandMouse

   Keep Terminal open.

   Type this into Terminal, then press Return. The first line moves you into the folder this step runs in, so it works in a window you have just opened.

   Copy the command for step 11

   cd ~/HandMouse
   uv run launch_sim.py

   You know this worked when: HandMouse opens

10. 12

    Try it

    HandMouse should be open and ready to use.

    You know this worked when: HandMouse works

If something goes wrong

Nothing here can damage your computer, and every step can be run again safely. If a command fails, the usual cause is the step before it not having finished.

Still stuck? Tell us what happened and we will fix the guide. Include the step number and we can usually reproduce it.