# Install Canichrono

> Download Canichrono for Windows, Mac or Linux for free, unzip the archive and start the software. You do not need any account or license to use it.

Source : https://www.canicompet.com/en/docs/timing/install/
Mis à jour : 2026-10-08

Canichrono (formerly RacesConnect Timing) installs for free on a Windows computer, a Mac or a Linux PC, from a ZIP archive you download from the Canicompet server. You do not need any license or extra account for manual timing.

## Download and install on Windows

1. Download the `Canichrono_Win.zip` archive from this link: [https://server.canicompet.com/fr/Canichrono/download/windows/](https://server.canicompet.com/fr/Canichrono/download/windows/).
2. Open your downloads folder, right-click the archive and choose **Extract All**.
3. Put the extracted folder somewhere it will stay, for example in your Documents. Do not run the software straight from the archive without extracting it.
4. Open the extracted folder, then the `canichrono` folder, and double-click `canichrono.exe`. The Canichrono logo shows while the software loads, then its window opens.

The `canichrono` folder also contains an `_internal` folder and the `images`, `sounds` and `Translations` folders: do not delete them and do not move `canichrono.exe` on its own, the software needs them to start. To start Canichrono from the desktop, right-click `canichrono.exe` and choose **Send to** > **Desktop (create shortcut)**.

On first launch, Windows may show "Windows protected your PC", because Canichrono is not digitally signed. Click **More info**, then **Run anyway**.

The same link is available in the app, on the Canicompet presentation page, **Timing** tab: **Download Canichrono for** **Windows**, **Mac** or **Linux**.

## Download and install on a Mac

This version is for Macs with Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 and later). To check: Apple menu > **About This Mac**, the **Chip** line must say "Apple M…".

1. Download the `Canichrono_MacOS_AppleSilicon.zip` archive from this link: [https://server.canicompet.com/fr/Canichrono/download/macos/](https://server.canicompet.com/fr/Canichrono/download/macos/).
2. Double-click the archive in your Downloads folder: it unzips into a `canichrono` folder.
3. Put this folder somewhere it will stay, for example in your Documents.
4. Allow the software to open (see below). You only need to do this once per install.
5. Open the `canichrono` folder and double-click the `canichrono` file. A Terminal window opens, then the software starts: keep this window open while you use it.

### Allow Canichrono to open

macOS puts every file downloaded from the internet in "quarantine". Because Canichrono is not signed with Apple, macOS then refuses to start it, saying the developer cannot be verified or that the software is damaged. The software is not damaged: you just need to remove the quarantine flag.

1. Open the **Terminal** app (in Applications > Utilities, or type "Terminal" in Spotlight).
2. Type the following command, followed by a space, **without pressing Enter**:

   ```bash
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine
   ```

3. Drag the `canichrono` folder from the Finder into the Terminal window: its full path is added at the end of the command, for example `xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Users/you/Documents/canichrono`.
4. Press **Enter**. Nothing is displayed if it worked.

In this command, `xattr` manages extended attributes (information macOS attaches to files), `-d` deletes the given attribute, `-r` applies it to the folder and everything inside it, and `com.apple.quarantine` is the name of the quarantine flag. The command changes nothing else on your Mac.

## Download and install on Linux

This version is built on Debian 12 and runs on distributions that are as recent or newer (Debian 12 and later, Ubuntu 24.04 and later) on 64-bit PCs.

1. Download the `Canichrono_Linux.zip` archive from this link: [https://server.canicompet.com/fr/Canichrono/download/linux/](https://server.canicompet.com/fr/Canichrono/download/linux/).
2. Unzip it, for example in a terminal with `unzip Canichrono_Linux.zip`, then put the `canichrono` folder somewhere it will stay.
3. For voice announcements, install the eSpeak NG speech synthesizer (without it, the software works but stays silent):

   ```bash
   sudo apt install libespeak-ng1
   ```

4. Start the `canichrono` program inside the folder, for example with `./canichrono/canichrono`. If it does not start, make it executable with `chmod +x canichrono/canichrono`.

> **TIP**
Install and test the software several days before the race, on the computer you will use on race day. Use this time to open your entry file too, see [Get your entries and start lists](/en/docs/timing/get-start-lists/).

## System requirements

- **Windows** 10 or 11, 64-bit.
- **Mac with Apple silicon** (M1 and later). There is no version for Intel Macs.
- **Linux** 64-bit: Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 or later.

## Update the software

To get the latest version, download the archive again from the same link and replace the whole old `canichrono` folder with the new one. Keep your race files (`.canichrono`) outside the software folder so you do not lose them during an update.

## Getting started

The video [Manual timing guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL74pNCC_-I) (in French) shows how to use the software. Next steps:

- [Get your entries and start lists](/en/docs/timing/get-start-lists/)
- [Timing on race day](/en/docs/timing/race-day/)
- [Send results to Canicompet](/en/docs/timing/export-to-canicompet/)