brave-plum-co/leonardo-ai-desktop

What it is

This repository distributes a self-contained Windows x64 build intended for a Leonardo AI image-generation workflow. The bundle is described as containing the runtime, model cache loader, asset pipeline and local render dependencies, with a portable launcher alongside the installed mode. The stated audience is air-gapped design workstations, bandwidth-constrained labs and teams provisioning many machines identically.

The build is presented as operating fully locally after installation: no login, telemetry or background updater, with new versions delivered as replacement installers. The README also frames it as an independent distribution, not an official vendor release.

Quick start

1. Use a Windows 10 (1909 or later) or Windows 11 x64 machine with PowerShell 5.1 or later and an internet connection for the initial download.

2. Open the project's download page and retrieve the package.

3. Verify the installer before running it: open PowerShell in the folder containing setup.exe and run:

   Get-FileHash setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256
   

   Compare the output with the hash published alongside the release; if it does not match, delete the file and download it again.

4. Run the installer. Standard user rights suffice for the default per-user install; administrator rights are only requested for a system-wide install under Program Files.

5. On first launch the build creates its configuration, seeds the model cache and registers file associations. After that it is described as working without a network connection.

No source tree, build instructions or direct artifact link are included in the available README, so the actual contents of the package cannot be checked from the repository alone.

Constraints

• Windows 10 build 1909+ or Windows 11, x64 only; 32-bit Windows and Windows Server are unsupported.
• The FAQ warns that SmartScreen may flag the unsigned installer and instructs users to click More info then Run anyway to proceed.
• A discrete DX12 GPU is recommended; the build falls back to CPU rendering on integrated graphics, and disk usage depends on how large a local model cache is kept.
• The default install writes to a per-user program directory and profile configuration folder; the portable variant writes only to its extraction directory.
• The README states repository contents are CC BY-SA 4.0 while referencing upstream software that remains under its own EULA, and it provides no grant of rights to that upstream software.

HotRepo's take

The project appeared on HotRepo's new-project board on 2026-11-14 with 108 stars gained over roughly five hours (00:23 to 05:15 UTC) and no forks, recorded at 108 stars. That is a single short observation window, so it shows an initial burst rather than a sustained trend, and none of the recorded data includes a GitHub daily rank.

The README's distribution model is the main thing to weigh: it asks users to fetch an unsigned installer from a project page and bypass SmartScreen, while the repository itself provides no build correspondence or implementation detail. Despite the topic tags and C++ primary language, the materials describe a packaged binary release, not a reproducible build users can inspect.