Getting Started¶

Welcome to the TinyExplorer Detection App user guide. This section helps you install the application and become familiar with the interface.

Installation¶

Choose your operating system below for specific installation instructions:

macOSWindowsUbuntu/Linux

macOS Installation Guide¶

Since TinyExplorer Detection App is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate, macOS requires additional steps to ensure the app can run safely on your system.

Step 1: Download the Application¶

Visit the Releases page
Download the latest .dmg file for macOS
Open the downloaded .dmg file
Drag TinyExplorer Detection App to your Applications folder

Step 2: Remove Quarantine (Required)¶

Why is this necessary?

macOS quarantines unsigned applications downloaded from the internet for security. Since we don't have an Apple Developer certificate (which costs $99/year), you need to manually approve the app. This is safe as long as you downloaded it from our official GitHub releases.

Open Terminal (found in Applications → Utilities)
Type the following command but don't press Enter yet:
```
sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine 
```
Add a space after the command
Drag and drop the TinyExplorer app from your Applications folder into the Terminal window
This will automatically add the correct path to your app

The complete command should look like:

sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/TinyExplorer\ Detection\ App.app

Press Enter and type your Mac password when prompted

What does this command do?

sudo - Runs the command with administrator privileges
xattr - Modifies file attributes
-r - Applies recursively to all files in the app
-d com.apple.quarantine - Removes the quarantine flag
The path points to your installed application

Step 3: Launch the Application¶

Go to your Applications folder
Double-click TinyExplorer Detection App
If you see a security warning, click Open to proceed
The app will now launch successfully!

Installation Complete!

The app is now installed and ready to use. You only need to do this once.

Windows Installation Guide¶

Since TinyExplorer Detection App is not signed with an official developer certificate, Windows may show a security warning during installation. This is normal and safe as long as you downloaded the installer from our official GitHub releases.

Step 1: Download the Installer¶

Visit the Releases page
Download the latest tinyexplorer-detection-app-x.y.z-setup.exe file

Step 2: Run the Installer¶

Double-click the downloaded .exe file to launch the installer
You may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning (blue screen) saying "Windows protected your PC"

Why does this warning appear?

This warning appears because the app is not signed with an official Microsoft developer certificate. This is safe as long as you downloaded the installer from our official GitHub releases.

Click "More info" on the warning screen
Click "Run anyway" to proceed with the installation

Step 3: Complete Installation¶

The installer will ask where to install the application
- Default location: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Programs\TinyExplorer Detection App
- You can keep the default or choose a different location
Click Install to begin the installation

Installation takes time

The installation process may take several minutes and the progress bar might appear stuck at times. Please be patient — the installer is copying all necessary files including the Python environment. Do not close the installer window.

Once complete, click Finish to close the installer

Step 4: Launch the Application¶

Find TinyExplorer Detection App in your Start menu or on your Desktop
Double-click to launch the application
The app is now ready to use!

Installation Complete!

The app is now installed and ready to use.

Ubuntu/Linux Installation Guide¶

Coming Soon

Linux AppImage/deb package is currently in development. Please check back later or build from source using the instructions below.

Build from Source (Temporary Solution)¶

Install Node.js and npm:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/cardiff-babylab/tinyexplorer-detection-app.git
cd tinyexplorer-detection-app

Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Start the application:
```
npm run start
```

First Launch¶

When you first launch the application, you'll see the main interface with all the controls needed for face detection.

Interface Overview¶

Main application interface showing file selection, model options, and confidence threshold controls

The main interface contains:

File/Folder Selection – choose images or videos for processing
Model Selection – pick the face detection model
Confidence Threshold – adjust detection sensitivity
Start – begin the recognition process
Results Display – view detection outputs