Installation

Installation

Use the latest stable release for authorized work. OSINT Forge supports Debian stable and Ubuntu 24.04 with Python 3.10 through 3.13.

Fresh installation

git clone --branch v0.8.0 https://github.com/LizardPope1101/osint-forge.git
cd osint-forge
chmod +x bootstrap.sh
./bootstrap.sh

The bootstrap installs base packages including Python, pipx, Git, sudo, and CA certificates, then installs the framework. Third-party OSINT tools remain opt-in.

Verify the framework

osint --version
osint forge validate
osint forge list
osint forge doctor

The stable v0.8.0 version command must report OSINT Forge 0.8.0.

Install tools

Inspect and preview before installation:

osint forge info maigret
osint forge install maigret --dry-run
osint forge install maigret
osint forge doctor maigret

# v0.5 domain discovery plugin
osint forge install theharvester --dry-run
osint forge install theharvester
osint forge doctor theharvester

Install only the plugins needed for an authorized workflow. Some tools require independent authentication, API keys, or interactive setup.

Upgrade

Review the changelog, obtain the desired stable tag, and rerun the installer from that source tree:

cd osint-forge
git fetch --tags
git checkout v0.8.0
sudo ./scripts/install-framework.sh

osint --version
osint forge validate
osint forge doctor

Framework upgrades replace stale framework files while preserving configuration, installed third-party tools, and case data.

Uninstall

sudo ./scripts/uninstall-framework.sh

Uninstall removes the launcher and framework files. It intentionally preserves third-party tools, configuration, and case data.

Development installation

Clone main only when testing unreleased changes. The development branch can change before the next stable release.

See Troubleshooting for common failures and Security and Ethics before handling real targets.