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Dasher

macOS Installation

Dasher is available for macOS as a DMG installer. Version 5.14 is the latest release compatible with recent macOS versions.

System Requirements

  • macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later
  • macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later recommended for Apple Silicon
  • 50 MB free disk space

Supported Macs

  • Intel Macs: macOS 10.9+
  • Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): macOS 11.0+

Downloading

Download the DMG from GitHub Releases:

Download Dasher for macOS

Look for Dasher-x.x.x.dmg (current: v5.14)

Installation

Standard Installation

  1. Open the DMG

    • Double-click the downloaded .dmg file
    • A window opens showing Dasher.app

  2. Install to Applications

    • Drag Dasher.app to the Applications folder
    • Wait for copy to complete
    • Eject the DMG

  3. Launch Dasher

    • Open Applications folder
    • Double-click Dasher

”Unidentified Developer” Error

If you see this message:

“Dasher.app can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”

Solution:

  1. Locate Dasher.app in Finder
  2. Control-click (right-click) on Dasher.app
  3. Select Open from the menu
  4. Click Open in the dialog that appears

You only need to do this once. macOS will remember your choice.

Alternative: Right from the Terminal

xattr -cr /Applications/Dasher.app

This removes the quarantine attribute that blocks unsigned apps.

Input Devices on macOS

Dasher for macOS supports several input methods:

Mouse or Trackpad

  • Move cursor to steer through letters
  • Click to select and confirm
  • Adjustable speed in Preferences

Touchscreen

If you have a touchscreen MacBook or external display:

  • Navigate with finger gestures
  • Supports multi-touch

Head Tracking

Use your Mac’s built-in camera:

  1. Go to Dasher → Preferences → Control
  2. Select “Head tracking (camera)”
  3. Allow camera access when prompted
  4. Follow calibration instructions

Switch Access

For single-switch or multiple-switch scanning:

  1. Connect switches via:

    • USB switch interface
    • Bluetooth switches
    • Keyboard shortcuts

  2. Go to Dasher → Preferences → Control

  3. Select “Button(s) / Switch(es)”

  4. Configure switch count and mode

macOS Switch Control Integration

Dasher works with macOS’s built-in Switch Control:

  1. Go to System Settings → Accessibility → Switch Control
  2. Enable Switch Control
  3. Add switches (keyboard, mouse button, or adaptive device)
  4. Configure scanning style
  5. Launch Dasher and select “Switch” as input method

VoiceOver Integration

Dasher is compatible with VoiceOver:

  • VoiceOver reads text as you enter it
  • Use VoiceOver gestures for navigation
  • Configure audio feedback in Dasher preferences

Speech Output

Dasher can use macOS’s built-in text-to-speech:

Enabling Speech

  1. Go to Dasher → Preferences → Speech
  2. Check “Enable speech output”
  3. Select a system voice
  4. Adjust rate and volume

Adding More Voices

  1. Go to System Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content
  2. Click “Voices” or “System Voice”
  3. Download additional voices as needed

Troubleshooting

Problem: “Damaged” or “can’t be opened” error

Solution:

# Remove quarantine attribute
xattr -cr /Applications/Dasher.app

# Then try launching again
open /Applications/Dasher.app

Problem: Dasher crashes on launch

Solution:

  • Check macOS version (need 10.9+)
  • Download v5.14 for recent macOS
  • Try running from Terminal to see error messages: 
    /Applications/Dasher.app/Contents/MacOS/Dasher
  • Check crash logs in Console.app

Problem: Camera not working for head tracking

Solution:

  • Grant camera permissions: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera
  • Ensure no other app is using the camera
  • Test camera in Photo Booth first
  • Check Dasher → Preferences → Control for calibration

Problem: No sound output

Solution:

  • Check System Settings → Sound (Output not muted)
  • In Dasher, check Preferences → Speech
  • Test system speech in Terminal: 
    say "test"

Problem: Switch Control not working

Solution:

  • Verify macOS Switch Control is enabled
  • Test switches work in System Settings
  • Ensure Dasher has accessibility permissions
  • Try keyboard switches first (space/enter)

Problem: For older macOS (pre-10.5)

Solution:

  • The v4.11 package requires expat 2.0.1
  • Consider upgrading macOS if possible
  • Or build from source (see Development Guide)

Uninstalling

To completely remove Dasher:

  1. Quit Dasher if running
  2. Drag Dasher.app to Trash
  3. Remove preferences: 
    rm ~/Library/Preferences/org.alternativeinterface.Dasher.plist
  4. Remove application support (optional): 
    rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dasher

Finding Alphabet Files

Alphabet files are inside Dasher.app:

  1. Right-click Dasher.app
  2. Select “Show Package Contents”
  3. Navigate to: Contents/Resources/alphabets/

To add custom alphabets, copy files to this folder.

Training Texts Location

Training texts are at:

Dasher.app/Contents/Resources/training/

Add custom training texts here for better predictions.

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