Four steps
Unblock the zip
Right-click the downloaded zip, choose Properties, tick Unblock, then OK. This stops Windows asking again for each script.
Extract it
Right-click, Extract All. Open the folder it makes.
Double-click
install.batIt checks the laptop, downloads the app runtime from GitHub (checked against its published SHA-256), copies the app to
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Mandataand adds Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts.Say yes to the local AI
It offers to install Ollama and the model that best fits your laptop's memory and graphics card, a 3 to 20 GB download. Then Mandata starts and reads the last 30 days of mail.
Updating: download the new zip and run install.bat again. Your data in %USERPROFILE%\.mandata is never touched by an update.
What the laptop needs
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit (x64 or ARM64). |
|---|---|
| Classic Outlook, signed in. With the new Outlook, choose Microsoft 365 in Settings > Mail and sign in there instead. | |
| Rights | None beyond a normal user account. PowerShell scripts must be allowed to run. |
| Disk | About 0.8 GB for the app, plus the AI model's size and 2 GB (about 5 GB for phi4-mini). |
| Memory | 8 GB works; 16 GB or a separate graphics card reads mail much faster. |
| Internet | Only during install, to reach GitHub and Ollama. Reading mail is offline. |
Prefer the command line? Options go after install.bat: -AI no skips the AI, -Model qwen3:8b picks a model, -NoDesktopIcon, -NoLaunch.
Troubleshooting
The scripts don't run, or "ConstrainedLanguage mode"
An IT policy blocks PowerShell scripts on this laptop. Ask your IT service desk to allow them, or to run the installer for you.
Mandata.exe is blocked from starting
Some policies (AppLocker) allow programs only from Program Files. Ask IT to allow %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Mandata\Mandata.exe. A code-signing certificate would not change this.
A download fails
Check the internet connection or VPN. The installer uses the Windows proxy settings and signs in to the proxy as you. Run install.bat again and it continues where it stopped.
"Could not replace ..."
Quit Mandata from its tray icon (right-click, Quit) and run install.bat again.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC"
The zip was not unblocked before extracting. Click More info, then Run anyway, or delete the folder, unblock the zip (step 1) and extract it again.
How do I uninstall?
Settings, Apps, Mandata, Uninstall, or double-click uninstall.bat. It asks before removing your data or the AI model; both are kept by default.
Can I pin it to the taskbar?
Windows lets no installer do that. While Mandata runs, right-click its taskbar icon and choose Pin to taskbar.
Install with one command Recommended
Open Terminal (in Applications > Utilities), paste this and press Return. It installs Mandata in your own Applications folder, checks it against its published SHA-256, and offers to set up the local AI. No password, and no security prompts.
curl -fsSL https://shamoug.github.io/mandata/install.sh | bashNot sure which? Apple menu > About This Mac: "Chip: Apple M..." is Apple silicon; "Processor: Intel" is Intel.
Three steps
Open the .dmg and drag Mandata to Applications
Then eject the disk image.
Open Mandata once, then allow it
Mandata is not notarized by Apple, so the first time macOS says it cannot check it. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway beside Mandata. The one-command install above avoids this step.
Sign in and set up the AI
Click Sign in at the top of the app and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account. For the AI, install Ollama; Mandata downloads the model it needs when it starts.
Updating: run the command again, or drag the new version over the old one. Your data in ~/.mandata is never touched by an update.
What the Mac needs
| macOS | macOS 12 (Monterey) or later, Apple silicon or Intel. |
|---|---|
| A Microsoft 365 (work or school) mailbox. Mandata reads it after you sign in once in the app, with a code at Microsoft's own sign-in page; Mandata never sees your password. | |
| Rights | None beyond a normal user account. |
| Disk | About 0.5 GB for the app, plus about 5 GB for the AI. |
| Memory | 8 GB works. On Apple silicon the AI runs on the graphics, which reads mail fast. |
| Internet | To install, and to read your mail from Microsoft 365. The AI works offline. |
Options go after bash -s --: --no-ai, --model qwen3:8b, --no-launch, --uninstall. For example: curl -fsSL https://shamoug.github.io/mandata/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-ai
Install with one command Recommended
In a terminal, on any distribution. It installs Mandata for you in ~/.local/share/mandata with a menu entry, checks it against its published SHA-256, and offers to set up the local AI (Ollama's own installer asks for your password).
curl -fsSL https://shamoug.github.io/mandata/install.sh | bash./mandata · x64
ARM64 (aarch64): .deb · AppImage · .tar.gz · Checksums: SHA256SUMS.txt
Pick one
.deb
sudo apt install ./Mandata-linux-x64.deb, then open Mandata from your applications menu. It installs to/opt/Mandatawith Chromium's sandbox set up.AppImage
Make it executable (
chmod +x Mandata-linux-x64.AppImage, or Properties > Allow executing) and double-click it.Sign in and set up the AI
Click Sign in at the top of the app and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account. Install Ollama for the AI; Mandata downloads the model it needs when it starts.
Updating: run the command again, or install the new package over the old one. Your data in ~/.mandata is never touched by an update.
What the computer needs
| Linux | 64-bit (x64 or ARM64) with a desktop: GNOME, KDE, Cinnamon, Xfce and others, on X11 or Wayland. Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 38 or newer. |
|---|---|
| A Microsoft 365 (work or school) mailbox, signed in once in the app with a code at Microsoft's own sign-in page. | |
| Tray icon | Shown by KDE, Cinnamon, Xfce and Ubuntu. Plain GNOME needs the AppIndicator extension; without it, open Mandata from the menu again to show its window. |
| Disk | About 0.5 GB for the app, plus about 5 GB for the AI. |
| Memory | 8 GB works; an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card reads mail much faster. |
Questions
How does Mandata read my mail without Outlook for Windows?
Through Microsoft 365, the service your Outlook mailbox lives in. You sign in once: Mandata shows a short code, you enter it at Microsoft's sign-in page in your browser, and Microsoft gives Mandata access to your mailbox. Mandata keeps that sign-in on your computer only (encrypted by the system keychain), and the AI that reads the mail still runs on your computer.
The sign-in says an administrator must approve it
Some organisations let only approved apps open mailboxes. Ask your IT service desk to approve access for Mandata, or to register an app for it in Microsoft Entra ID; they then give you an app ID, which you enter in Mandata's Settings > Mail.
Can I use a personal Outlook.com account?
Mandata is made for work and school mailboxes. To try a personal account, set the Microsoft 365 directory in Settings > Mail to common.
Mandata does not open on Linux
Install the libraries it uses. Debian or Ubuntu: sudo apt install libgtk-3-0 libnss3 libasound2 libgbm1 libxss1 libnotify4. Fedora: sudo dnf install gtk3 nss alsa-lib mesa-libgbm libXScrnSaver libnotify.
How do I uninstall?
Run curl -fsSL https://shamoug.github.io/mandata/install.sh | bash -s -- --uninstall. It asks before deleting your data, which is kept by default. A .deb is removed with sudo apt remove mandata; a .dmg install by moving Mandata to the Bin.
Does it start when I sign in to the computer?
Yes, from its first start, quietly in the background. Untick Open at login (macOS) or Start at login (Linux) in its tray menu to stop that.