IC-7300 radio Rigbook ham radio logbook

Installing Rigbook on macOS

A step-by-step guide for new users — no programming knowledge required.

What is Rigbook?

A free, open-source ham radio utility that runs in your browser.

📓

Ham radio contact logbook (QSO)

🌲

POTA spots & park browser

📡

Real-time spots via RBN, HamAlert & SKCC

🔧

Radio tuner via flrig (optional)

💾

ADIF import/export

Free & open source  ·  Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Before You Start

You only need two things:

🍎

A Mac

Apple Silicon or 64-bit Intel

🌐

A Web Browser

Safari, Chrome, or Firefox (already on your Mac!)

One extra step to approve an unsigned app — choose the method that suits you!

Step-by-Step Installation

Follow these steps in order to get Rigbook running.

Step 1 — Get the App

Click the button below to download the Rigbook installer:

⬇ Download rigbook-macos-universal.pkg

💡 Tip: Your browser may ask where to save the file. Choose your Downloads folder.

Step 2 — Approve the Unsigned App

Because Rigbook is not signed with an Apple developer certificate, macOS will block it until you approve it. Choose whichever method you prefer:

Option A — Using Terminal (one command)

Press ⌘ + Space, type Terminal, press Return, then paste:

xattr -cr ~/Downloads/rigbook-macos-universal.pkg

Press Return. No output means it worked. Then double-click the .pkg to run it.

Option B — Using System Settings (no Terminal needed)

  1. Double-click rigbook-macos-universal.pkg in your Downloads folder. macOS will show a warning and refuse to open it — that's expected.
  2. Press "Done" (You don't want to trash the file!).
  3. Open System Settings (Apple menu → System Settings).
  4. Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
  5. Scroll down to the Security section. You will see a message: "rigbook-macos-universal.pkg was blocked…"
  6. Click Open Anyway, then enter your Mac password when prompted. The installer will open automatically.
Why is this needed?
macOS quarantines apps downloaded from the internet that aren't notarized by Apple. Either method above lifts that restriction for this one file — your Mac's other security settings are unchanged.

Step 3 — Run the Installer

  1. Open your Downloads folder in Finder.
  2. Double-click rigbook-macos-universal.pkg.
  3. Follow the installer prompts — click Continue, then Install.
  4. Enter your Mac password if prompted, then click Install Software.
Rigbook is installed into /Applications. The installer may ask which disk to install on — choose Macintosh HD (your main drive).

Step 4 — Launch Rigbook

Open Finder → Applications and double-click Rigbook. It automatically opens your browser and connects to:

http://localhost:8073

If the browser doesn't open automatically, type that address into your browser manually.

Gatekeeper warning — Don't Panic!
If macOS says the app "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified," go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click "Open Anyway" next to the Rigbook entry.

First-Time Setup

Do this once after Rigbook first opens:

⚙️ Initial Configuration

  1. Click the ☰ hamburger menu (top right) and go to Settings
  2. Enter your callsign (e.g. KD0ABC)
  3. Enter your grid square (e.g. DN40 — find yours at qrz.com)
  4. Click Save
🔧 Optional: If you use flrig for radio control, set the Host and Port in Settings (default: localhost:12345)

🎉 You're All Set! — Quick Recap

Now log your first QSO — click + in the top right of Rigbook!
73 de Good DX! 📻