Your offline knowledge library just got a whole lot easier to explore.
Desktop App
Zimi now runs as a native desktop application — no Docker or terminal required.
macOS: Download the DMG, drag to Applications, done. Signed and notarized.
- Zimi-AppleSilicon.dmg — M1/M2/M3/M4
- Zimi-Intel.dmg — older Macs
Any platform with Python:
pip install -r requirements-desktop.txt
python3 zimi_desktop.pyFirst launch walks you through choosing a ZIM storage folder. The full web UI runs inside a native window — browse the Kiwix catalog, download ZIMs, search across everything, read articles. All offline.
What's New in v1.3
Browse Library
Visual gallery of 1,000+ ZIM archives across 10 categories. Find Wikipedia in every language, Stack Overflow, dev docs, WikiHow, Project Gutenberg, and more — all downloadable with one click.
Context Menus
Right-click any ZIM card for quick actions: open, search within, copy link, add to collection, check for updates, delete.
Browser History
Persistent event log tracks downloads, updates, and deletions — grouped by day so you can see what changed and when.
Web UI Polish
- EPUB articles download properly instead of rendering garbled HTML
- PDFs open in a new browser tab while preserving your context
- iOS web app support — home screen icon, scroll-to-top, native feel
- Consistent icon styling with proper padding throughout
- Article titles sync to the window/tab title bar
Bug Fixes
- Fixed article paths with apostrophes or ampersands breaking navigation
- Fixed title index stats truncating to top 10 — now shows all indexes
- Path traversal protection on FTS build endpoint
- Desktop app: scheme validation on external URL handler
Install
Docker (recommended for servers and NAS):
docker run -v /path/to/zims:/zims -p 8899:8899 epheterson/zimi:v1.3.0Desktop app (macOS): Download from the assets above.
Python (any platform):
pip install -r requirements-desktop.txt
python3 zimi_desktop.pyServer only (headless):
pip install -r requirements.txt
ZIM_DIR=./zims python3 zimi.py serve --port 8899