Getting Started with Lucid
A step-by-step guide to installing, configuring, and working productively with Lucid on macOS Sonoma and Sequoia.
Installation & First Launch
Step 1: Download Lucid
Click the Download Lucid button on the website. The disk image (Lucid-1.1.2.dmg) begins downloading directly to your Mac.
Optional fallback: You can also inspect the release notes or browse the verified DMG artifact directly on GitHub Releases.
Step 2: Open the Disk Image
Once downloaded, double-click Lucid-1.1.2.dmg in your Downloads folder to mount the disk image.
Step 3: Install Lucid
Drag Lucid.app into your Applications folder (or copy it to your preferred location).
Step 4: First Launch & macOS Gatekeeper
Lucid is ad-hoc signed, not notarized by Apple. On first launch, macOS Gatekeeper may display a prompt stating that Apple cannot verify the developer. You only need to do this once; later updates install from inside the app.
Primary Launch Flow:
- Open Lucid.app from your Applications folder. When macOS says it can't verify the developer, click Done.
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Security section.
- Click Open Anyway next to the notification for Lucid, then confirm with Open Anyway and your password.
macOS 14 Sonoma only:
You can instead Control-click Lucid.app, select Open, and click Open in the confirmation dialog. macOS 15 Sequoia and later removed this shortcut.
Opening Documents
Lucid opens any standard Markdown (.md, .markdown, .mdown) or plain text file.
- File Menu: Press ⌘O to choose any file from Finder.
- Drag & Drop: Drag any Markdown file directly onto the Lucid Dock icon or an open window.
- Terminal / CLI: Open documents from your terminal or shell scripts:
open -a Lucid path/to/document.md
Mastering the View Modes
Lucid features three dedicated viewing modes tailored for different stages of document work:
Distraction-free typographic view for deep reading, proofreading, and reviewing.
Side-by-side editing with synchronized scrolling between raw source and rendered output.
Full-width plain-text editor with line numbers and focus mode support.
Exporting & Sharing
When your document is ready for distribution or presentation, use Lucid's export options from the File menu or the Command Palette (⌘K):
Vector PDF
Generates a clean vector PDF using WebKit's native print layout with headers, footers, and preserved vector typography.
Standalone HTML
Exports a self-contained HTML file with embedded CSS, math styling, and diagram assets.
Formatted Rich Text
Copies fully rendered HTML/RTF directly to your clipboard for pasting into Pages, Apple Mail, or Keynote.
Mermaid SVG Export
Hover over any Mermaid diagram card and click the SVG button to export crisp vector diagrams.
Updating Lucid & Migration
Lucid v1.0.0, v1.0.1, and v1.0.2 do not contain an in-app updater and cannot update automatically. If you are running an earlier version, you must download and install Lucid v1.0.3 manually once. Starting with v1.0.3, all future releases update seamlessly inside the app.
In-App Update Features
Lucid includes native, secure in-app updates powered by Sparkle 2. Updates are delivered over HTTPS and cryptographically verified using EdDSA (Ed25519) signatures before installation.
Manual Update Check
Choose Lucid → Check for Updates… from the menu bar at any time to query the update feed immediately.
Update Preferences
Open Settings → Updates (⌘,) to toggle automatic background checks (daily) and automatic downloading / install-on-quit.
Cryptographic Verification
Every release archive is signed with an EdDSA private key. The app checks signatures against a pinned public key and fails closed if signatures are absent or mismatched.
Install Location Guard
If you run Lucid directly from a mounted disk image (.dmg), the updater notifies you to move Lucid to /Applications first.