Installation manual

Start with the requirements and download check, follow the section for your computer, then continue with network setup.

1. Before you start
2. Choose and verify your download
3. Install on Windows
4. Install on macOS
5. Install on Debian or Ubuntu
6. Install on Arch or Omarchy
7. Network and first launch
8. Connect your production software
9. Pair your phone or tablet
10. Name devices and confirm access
11. Check media and teleprompter setup
12. Verify and troubleshoot
13. Update or remove Companion

Already installed? Jump to the PaneLive quick start. The Operation manual is on its way.

This manual shows you how to install PaneLive Companion 0.1.0-beta.1 with the installer for your computer. The PaneLive mobile app is installed separately on your phone or tablet. Once installed, you open Companion from your desktop’s applications menu.

• Windows: Windows 10 or 11, x64. Works with OBS Studio, vMix, Streamlabs Desktop and the standalone Teleprompter. Open Companion from the Start menu, or from the desktop shortcut if you created one during setup.
• macOS: macOS 13 or later, with separate installers for Apple silicon and Intel. Works with OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop and the standalone Teleprompter. Open Companion from Applications in Finder, or find it with Spotlight.
• Debian and Ubuntu: x86_64 (amd64). One DEB package covers Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 and 26.04, and Debian 12 and 13. Open PaneLive Companion from your applications menu or application search.
• Arch and Omarchy: use the native x86_64 packages on an up-to-date desktop. Open PaneLive Companion from the application launcher once it is installed.

Install your production software separately. For OBS monitoring, run OBS and Companion on the same computer and in the same desktop account, because the helper shares video and audio locally.

Close OBS and quit Companion before you install or update. Keep Companion and its OBS plugin on the same release, and check your platform’s section for the OBS version your installer needs.

Put the computer and your mobile devices on the same local network. Rehearse with your real production setup before you go live.

Download the installer for your computer from the Companion 0.1.0-beta.1 release. Pick the one that matches your operating system and processor.

• Windows x64: Windows installer.
• macOS, Apple silicon: Apple silicon installer.
• macOS, Intel: Intel installer.
• Debian/Ubuntu amd64: DEB installer, which includes the matching OBS plugin.
• Arch/Omarchy x86_64: Companion package and, for OBS monitoring, the separate OBS plugin package.

Check the download: make sure the filename and version are right before you open it. The release includes a Windows installer checksum and checksum lists for macOS, Debian/Ubuntu and Arch/Omarchy. Use any SHA-256 checksum tool to compare your file with the entry for its exact filename. If the values differ, download the file again.

The macOS installers are signed and notarized. The Windows and Linux packages in this release are unsigned, so the checksum is your way to confirm that your file is identical to the published download.

1. Quit Companion and close OBS Studio. If you have an older all-users installation of Companion, uninstall it first and keep your profile.
2. Open panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-windows-x64-setup.exe from your Downloads folder. Open it normally, without choosing Run as administrator.
3. Follow the installer prompts. Setup installs Companion and the Windows App Runtime it needs for your Windows account.
4. If you use OBS, select the OBS integration and confirm the OBS installation folder. Leave local-network firewall access selected, unless your administrator manages the firewall for you.
5. Approve the Windows administrator prompt if setup needs to update OBS files or firewall settings. Your settings and startup preference stay with your normal account.
6. Finish setup. Open Start, search for PaneLive Companion and select the app, or use the desktop shortcut if you created one.
7. Restart OBS, open Plugins Manager and check that the PaneLive Companion plugin is installed and enabled.

The default firewall rule lets devices on your local subnet reach Companion on Private networks, so set your trusted studio network to Private. If you cancelled an approval during setup, open the installer again to finish.

While Companion is running, use its notification-area icon to reopen the management window or quit. Closing the management window hides it and Companion keeps running in the background. Only one Companion process can run on Windows at a time.

The OBS plugin needs a compatible OBS installation. This release uses OBS 32.2.x and Qt 6.11.1, with OBS 32.2.1 as the documented Windows baseline. Install OBS, vMix or Streamlabs Desktop first, then set up its connection in Companion.

You need macOS 13 or later. Choose the Apple silicon installer for a Mac with an M-series chip, or the Intel installer for an Intel Mac. Companion and OBS must use the same architecture.

For the OBS integration, this release needs native OBS Studio 32.2.x with Qt 6.11.1.

1. Quit OBS and Companion.
2. Open the downloaded panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-macos-arm64.pkg or panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-macos-x86_64.pkg file.
3. Follow the Installer prompts and approve with your administrator password when asked.
4. Setup places Companion in Applications and installs its shared OBS plugin. Your existing Companion settings, paired clients and Keychain credentials are kept.
5. Open Finder → Applications and open PaneLive Companion, or find it with Spotlight.
6. Answer the Keychain and local-network prompts in your normal signed-in session.
7. Restart OBS and check Plugins Manager to confirm that PaneLive Companion is installed and enabled.

If the plugin is missing or doesn’t load, close OBS and check that your installer matches your Mac and your OBS architecture. If an older plugin is in the way, remove it, then run the installer again.

The macOS installers and everything they install are signed and notarized. For details on this release, see the macOS release notes.

Use the amd64 DEB installer on Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04, or on Debian 12 or 13, with current updates installed. It sets up Companion, its libraries, the matching OBS plugin and an entry in your applications menu.

You need an x86_64 desktop with glibc 2.35 or later, a graphical X11 or Wayland session, session D-Bus and an unlocked Secret Service keyring. Sound runs through PulseAudio or PipeWire’s PulseAudio service, and Avahi lets your devices discover Companion on the local network.

1. Quit Companion and close OBS.
2. Install panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-linux-x64.deb with your desktop’s package installer, if it can open local DEB files. Review and approve the installation.
3. If your desktop has no package installer for local files, install the package with APT using the command below.
4. When installation is complete, open your Applications menu or application search, find PaneLive Companion and select it.
5. Use your normal signed-in desktop account. If asked, unlock its keyring so Companion can store credentials.
6. Restart OBS and open Plugins Manager to check that the PaneLive Companion plugin is installed and enabled.

Install with APT: in the folder that contains the downloaded DEB, run sudo apt install ./panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-linux-x64.deb. When it finishes, open Companion from the applications menu.

OBS compatibility: the plugin needs native OBS 30 or newer with Qt 6 and the libobs.so.30 ABI. The stock OBS 27 on Ubuntu 22.04 and OBS 29 on Debian 12 are too old, and Flatpak and Snap versions of OBS can’t load the plugin. With an older OBS, Companion still installs and works as a standalone Teleprompter, and the Adapters page shows the plugin status.

Whenever you install or update native OBS through APT, the plugin compatibility check runs again. Restart OBS afterwards and look at Plugins Manager once more. If Companion reports a conflict with an older, manually installed plugin, remove that copy and run the installation again.

Use the native x86_64 Companion package on an up-to-date Arch or Omarchy desktop. For OBS monitoring, add the matching OBS plugin package too. Both come straight from the Companion release, separate from the official Omarchy repositories.

The packages were built on Omarchy 4.0.2 and expect current system libraries, so fully update your system first. If the package manager reports incompatible dependencies, sort them out before you continue.

1. Quit Companion and close OBS.
2. Download the Companion package and, if you use OBS, the matching plugin package.
3. Install the downloaded packages with your package manager. The Pacman commands are below.
4. When installation is complete, open your application launcher, search for PaneLive Companion and select it.
5. Use your normal desktop account with its keyring unlocked.
6. If you use OBS, restart it and check Plugins Manager for an installed and enabled PaneLive Companion plugin.

Install Companion for the standalone Teleprompter:

sudo pacman -U ./panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-omarchy-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

Install Companion with the OBS plugin:

sudo pacman -U ./panelive-companion-0.1.0-beta.1-omarchy-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst ./panelive-companion-obs-plugin-0.1.0-beta.1-omarchy-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

Either way, open Companion from the application launcher afterwards. The OBS plugin needs native OBS with Qt 6, and this release was built against OBS 32.2.2 and Qt 6.11.2. Flatpak and Snap versions of OBS can’t use the system plugin.

Your desktop session needs D-Bus and an unlocked Secret Service keyring. Avahi handles local discovery, and PulseAudio or PipeWire’s PulseAudio service provides sound. If credentials, discovery or sound aren’t working, check these services first.

While Companion is running, you can reopen the management window from its tray icon. When you update, keep Companion and the OBS plugin on the same release.

Open PaneLive Companion from your desktop’s launcher:

• Windows: open Start, search for PaneLive Companion and select the app, or use the desktop shortcut if you created one during setup.
• macOS: open Finder → Applications and open PaneLive Companion, or find it with Spotlight.
• Linux, including Arch and Omarchy: open the applications menu or application launcher, search for PaneLive Companion and select it.

Use your normal signed-in desktop account, and run OBS in the same account when you use its plugin. If Companion is already running, reopen the management window from its tray or menu-bar icon.

By default, Companion connects over HTTPS/WSS on port 7443. Always use the address and port that Companion shows you. This port belongs to Companion and is separate from the API port of your production software.

• Connect your mobile devices to the same local network.
• Allow Companion through the computer’s firewall for control and media. Media also needs UDP.
• Allow local discovery if you want your devices to find Companion automatically.
• If devices can’t reach each other, check guest Wi-Fi isolation, VPN routing and network policies.

Everything runs on your local network, so you don’t need to set up port forwarding on your router. If the port is already in use, open Companion’s network settings and choose a free one. On Linux, the management window stays available in network recovery mode after a port conflict.

On Linux, if credentials can’t be stored, check that the desktop keyring is running and unlocked. On macOS, answer the Keychain and local-network prompts in your signed-in session. To have Companion open automatically when you sign in, turn on sign-in startup in its settings.

In Companion’s management window, open Adapters. Set up the production software you want to control and check that it connects before you pair a mobile device.

OBS Studio:

1. Start a compatible OBS version after installing the matching Companion helper.
2. Open OBS Plugins Manager and check that PaneLive Companion (panelive-companion-obs-plugin) is installed and enabled. If it is disabled, enable it and restart OBS if asked. If it is missing, close OBS, run the Companion helper installation for your platform again and reopen OBS to check.
3. Open Tools → WebSocket Server Settings, turn on the WebSocket server and authentication, and note the port and password. The usual port is 4455.
4. In Companion’s OBS settings, enter 127.0.0.1 when OBS runs on the same computer, plus the WebSocket port and password.
5. Check that the connection succeeds. Turn on Studio Mode in OBS if you want to monitor Studio Preview.
6. Look at Companion’s Status page and the OBS log to confirm that the helper loaded and the Program and Preview feeds are available.

vMix, Windows only: turn on vMix’s HTTP control service. On Companion’s Adapters page, enter the host, the port (normally 8088) and your credentials. Program and Preview video come through SRT, and monitor audio through OMT. The HTTP connection handles control, so set up those vMix outputs and audio routes as well to get picture and sound. Follow the illustrated vMix setup for all five steps.

Streamlabs Desktop, Windows or macOS: set up the Streamlabs connection and enter its remote-control endpoint or token when asked. You get control over scenes, sources, audio and outputs. The OBS helper is for OBS Studio only, so leave it out of Streamlabs.

Standalone Teleprompter: select the built-in Teleprompter adapter. You don’t need any production software for it. Add your scripts and assign them to paired devices in Companion.

Enter your production credentials in Companion’s management window on the computer. For the controls of each program, continue with the OBS Studio, vMix or Streamlabs Desktop guide.

1. Connect your phone or tablet to the same local network as Companion.
2. In Companion’s management window, select Pair new client. Choose the production software and the device’s role, then show the pairing QR code.
3. In PaneLive, open Settings → Connection Profiles and add a connection. Choose the same production software and the PaneLive Companion connection method. For prompting on its own, choose the Teleprompter connection.
4. Tap SCAN PAIRING QR, allow camera access if asked and scan the code shown in Companion.
5. Wait for pairing to finish, save the profile and check that the connection and role are right.
6. Repeat with a new pairing code for each additional device.

Each pairing code works once and expires after five minutes. Create a fresh code if one has expired or been used. On Linux, you can enlarge the QR code and close it again with its close button or Escape.

During pairing, the device remembers Companion’s certificate fingerprint and receives its own credential. Keep live pairing codes private. You can revoke a device’s credential at any time in Companion’s management window. If Companion’s identity changes, pair the device again with a fresh code.

Pairing connects the device to Companion, and Companion connects to your production software. If the device connects but shows no production state, check Companion’s connection to OBS, vMix or Streamlabs.

In PaneLive Settings, set Client Name to a studio position that’s easy to recognize, such as Producer or Camera 1. In Companion, use Identify to match each client entry to the physical device: the device shows a temporary code and its name.

Choose Viewer for devices that only watch. Give Operator access to the devices that need production controls. To change a device’s role, request it in the Companion role section of PaneLive Settings and approve the request in Companion. Check the new role before you hand the device over.

Review the connected clients in Companion after pairing, and revoke the credentials of any device that should no longer connect. Workspaces in PaneLive change what a device shows, while its role decides what it may control.

Teleprompter Controller, Master Player and Monitor assignments belong to prompting sessions. You set them up separately from Viewer and Operator access.

OBS picture and sound: Companion’s helper delivers Program and Studio Preview frames and monitor audio straight from OBS, with no projector window or screen capture needed. Keep OBS and Companion in the same desktop session, check that the matching helper has loaded and turn on Studio Mode for Preview. If control works but there’s no sound, check your active sources and the OBS monitoring-audio route.

vMix picture and sound: on Windows, Program and Preview come through your SRT outputs, and monitor audio through OMT. Check the vMix output settings and audio routing, then test playback in PaneLive.

Streamlabs: this release focuses on control of scenes, sources, audio and outputs. Picture and monitor sound are available with OBS and vMix.

In PaneLive, check the picture first, then turn on audio monitoring and set a comfortable local playback level. This level only changes what you hear on the device, so your production mix stays as it is. If audio is available but silent on the device’s speaker, check the headphones-only preference.

Teleprompter: add a script in Companion and assign it to the paired device. For shared prompting, create a session and assign its Controller, Master Player and following monitors. The standalone adapter works on its own, without OBS, vMix or Streamlabs. Rehearse the script and scrolling on every device with the teleprompter guide.

Before your first production, run through these checks:

1. Open Companion from Start on Windows, Applications on macOS or the applications menu on Linux. Check the version and that you are in the right desktop account.
2. For OBS, open Plugins Manager and check that PaneLive Companion (panelive-companion-obs-plugin) is installed and enabled. If it doesn’t load, look at the OBS log.
3. Check that the selected adapter connects to the right production software.
4. Check the saved profile, production software and role on each mobile device.
5. Compare scenes or inputs and output state with your production software.
6. In a rehearsal setup, try the scene, source, audio and output controls each device is allowed to use, and check each result.
7. Check Program and Preview video and monitor audio one at a time.
8. For prompting, check the script assignment and session roles on the real devices.

Companion is missing from the applications menu: check that the installer finished for your current account and search for PaneLive Companion by name. If it’s still missing, run the installer or package installation again.

OBS control doesn’t connect: check that the OBS WebSocket server is on with authentication, and that Companion has the right host, port and password.

Control works but there’s no picture or sound: first check OBS Plugins Manager for an installed and enabled PaneLive Companion plugin. If it’s disabled, enable it and restart OBS if asked. If it’s missing, close OBS and repeat the plugin installation for your platform. Then check matching versions, the same desktop account, Studio Mode for Preview, active sources and audio routing. On Linux, use a native OBS installation rather than Flatpak or Snap.

The device can’t find or pair with Companion: check the local network, discovery, firewall, VPN routing and Wi-Fi client isolation. Create a fresh QR code if the last one expired or was used.

The connection port is in use: open Companion’s network settings and choose a free port.

The management window doesn’t open on Windows: run the Companion installer again to repair the app and the Windows App Runtime it needs for your account.

The plugin doesn’t load on macOS: check that Companion and OBS use the same architecture and meet the version requirements, then look in the OBS log for a conflicting or incompatible plugin.

Credentials aren’t available on Linux: check that the desktop keyring is running and unlocked. On Arch and Omarchy, keep your system and the Companion packages up to date.

Rehearse with your real devices, media and production workflow before a show. If a problem persists, check Companion’s diagnostics and the OBS log, then send a support report with the versions, platform, production software and exactly what happens. Remove passwords, device credentials and pairing codes from anything you share.

Before you update or remove Companion, quit it from its management window or tray icon and close OBS. Closing the management window alone keeps Companion running in the background. Keep the app and its OBS plugin on the same release.

Windows: open the newer installer and follow its prompts in your normal account. To remove Companion, go to Windows Settings → Apps and choose Uninstall. Your profile is kept by default; a factory reset deletes Companion’s identity, paired-device credentials and settings.

macOS: open the newer installer that matches your Mac and OBS architecture. It updates Companion and the shared OBS plugin and keeps your settings, paired clients and Keychain credentials.

Debian/Ubuntu: install the newer DEB with your package installer or APT. To remove Companion, use your package manager.

Arch/Omarchy: install the newer Companion and OBS plugin packages together with your package manager. To update packages you downloaded, install the newer release the same way. When you remove Companion, remove the plugin package too if you installed both.

Turn off sign-in startup in Companion’s settings before you uninstall. On Linux, removing the package keeps your personal settings and credentials.

After an update, open Companion from the same place as before: Start on Windows, Applications on macOS or the applications menu on Linux. Restart OBS, check that the Companion plugin is installed and enabled in Plugins Manager, then repeat the connection and media checks.

Moving from the earlier Companion app? Its profiles stay with the old app, so set up the new installation and pair your devices again before you use it.

This manual covers the 0.1.0-beta.1 release, reviewed on 28 September 2026. For newer versions, check the release notes when you choose an installer.

Continue with the PaneLive quick start or go back to this manual’s contents. The Operation manual is on its way.