Takes you to the homepage's download section · Free · Windows 10/11 or macOS · No install required
Host Setup — Windows
Download and extract the zip
Save BMC-Windows.zip anywhere convenient (Desktop is fine). Right-click it and choose Extract All. You'll get a folder with everything already set up inside.
Double-click "Start BMC"
Open the extracted folder and double-click Start BMC.vbs. Nothing needs installing — after a few seconds your browser opens automatically to the app.
Allow it through the firewall, if asked
Windows may show a security prompt the first time — click Allow access for both Private and Public networks. This only happens once.
Click "Start Session"
A PIN and QR code appear on screen. This is what your participants will use to join — keep this window visible or share it on a projector.
Host Setup — Mac
Download and extract the zip
Double-click BMC-Mac.zip after downloading to extract it. You'll get a folder called "BMC-Mac" with everything already set up inside.
Move the folder out of Downloads, Desktop, or Documents
macOS blocks apps like this one from reading their own files when they sit inside those three specific folders — it's a privacy protection, not a bug in GVAPP-BMC. Drag the whole BMC-Mac folder to your Home folder or your Applications folder instead. Anywhere else works fine, just not those three.
One-time Terminal step (macOS blocks unsigned apps by default)
Open Terminal (Spotlight search → type "Terminal"), then run this once — it only needs doing the first time, ever, on this Mac. Use the folder's new location from the step above:
cd ~/BMC-Mac
xattr -cr .
(Adjust the cd path to wherever you moved the folder.) Run it on the whole folder — the . above — not just the app files. The PHP program bundled inside needs clearing too, or the app will silently fail to start with no visible error.
Double-click "Start BMC"
Open the (moved) folder and double-click Start BMC.app. Nothing needs installing — after a couple of seconds your browser opens automatically to the app. If you see a message saying BMC can't run from this folder, it means step 2 above was skipped — move the folder and try again.
Click "Start Session"
A PIN and QR code appear on screen. This is what your participants will use to join — keep this window visible or share it on a projector.
Participant Setup — Joining a Session
Connect to the same WiFi
Make sure your tablet or laptop is on the same WiFi network as the host. GVAPP-BMC needs a desktop or tablet-sized screen to work with — it isn't built for phones.
Scan the QR code, or type the address + PIN
Scan with your tablet's camera, or open a browser and go to the address shown, then enter the PIN when prompted.
Enter your name and start editing
Pick a name and a color, and you're in. Add notes, drag them between sections, and see everyone else's cursor moving live.
Ending the Session
When the workshop's done, click Lock on the host's screen to freeze edits and enable printing. To fully shut the app down, double-click Stop BMC.vbs (Windows) or Stop BMC.app (Mac) in the same folder.