FAQ
Common questions
Quick answers about downloads, AI, platforms, and first-launch warnings.
- PrepOS is a free, open-source desktop app (Electron + React) that wraps LeetCode, GeeksforGeeks, notes, AI chat, and focus tools into one macOS-style window. It is built for tech interview prep — especially final-week sprints before campus placements or job switches in India.
- PrepOS is 100% free and MIT licensed. There is no signup, no cloud account, and no telemetry. You only need your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key if you want AI chat and Capture→AI vision features.
- PrepOS ships installers for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel DMG), Windows (NSIS installer), and Linux (AppImage and .deb). Download the build that matches your OS from the site or GitHub Releases.
- Press Cmd+Shift+A (or the global shortcut you configure) to select any region of your screen. PrepOS crops the screenshot and sends it to GPT-4o or Claude 3.5 Sonnet inside the built-in AI Chat app — useful when you are stuck on a LeetCode problem, system design diagram, or lecture slide.
- API keys never leave your machine in plaintext. PrepOS encrypts them with Electron safeStorage (backed by macOS Keychain on Mac). The marketing site does not collect keys — only the desktop app stores them locally.
- Early releases are not yet Apple-notarized or Windows EV-signed. The OS shows a one-time SmartScreen or Gatekeeper warning. Copy PrepOS.app to /Applications on Mac, use Open Anyway or the xattr quarantine fix, then the warning stops. Full steps are on the homepage Install help section and the FAQ page.
- Yes. LeetCode, HackerRank, DevTools Tech, and other platforms run as embedded web apps in dock windows. You can run them side by side with Notes, AI Chat, and the 7-day sprint widget without juggling browser tabs.
- No — anyone prepping for coding interviews can use it. The first-run persona picker (college student vs working pro) and feed sources (GfG, Striver, NeetCode, InterviewBit) are tuned for India placement culture, but focus mode, Capture→AI, and the sprint plan work globally.
- PrepOS adds a desktop shell: dock, resizable windows, hard-lock focus sessions, lockdown mode, Capture→AI, a structured 7-day sprint, and a calm dev-news reader — all in one Electron window instead of twelve scattered tabs.
- Yes. The full source is on GitHub at github.com/iamshiv4m/prep-os. You can audit the code, build from source with npm run dev, or contribute via pull requests.