Help with Aster

Contacting us

For help with Aster Editor or Aster Pro, email support@astereditor.com.

System requirements

Aster requires macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon or Intel Macs.

Activating Aster Pro (beta)

Aster Pro requires activation before use. The Editor purchase verification flow has not yet been validated with a publicly available App Store purchase, and Aster Editor is not currently listed publicly. Until Editor is available and unlocked, new users may not be able to activate Pro. Once eligible, activation works as follows:

1. Download Aster Editor from the Mac App Store and make the one-time unlock purchase. A free trial alone does not activate Pro.
2. Open Aster Editor and select Aster Editor → Create Pro Activation File…. Editor saves a .asterkey file containing Apple-signed proof of purchase.
3. Open Aster Pro on the same Mac and choose Import Activation Key…. Import the file within 15 minutes of export.
4. Pro checks the file on your Mac and stores the activation locally. Editor does not need to remain installed after a successful import.

Editor trial and purchases

We plan to offer a free 30-day trial of Aster Editor. It starts only when you choose to begin it, and it will not charge you automatically. After 30 days, editing will need a one-time unlock purchase. Your files remain yours. You can restore a previous purchase from Editor's access screen or settings. A trial does not unlock Aster Pro.

Activation troubleshooting

• File expired: Import the .asterkey file within 15 minutes of creating it. If the time has passed, make a new file in Editor.
• Different Mac: Create and import the file on the same Mac. A file from another Mac will not activate Pro.
• No connection: Pro checks the file locally. Editor may still need to contact Apple when it refreshes your purchase information.

Developer tools for Aster Pro

Pro uses compilers, debuggers, and language servers installed on your Mac. If a feature is unavailable, check that the tool is installed and on your shell $PATH. Some common examples:

• Swift: Xcode or Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install) provides sourcekit-lsp and lldb.
• Rust: rustup component add rust-analyzer
• Go: go install golang.org/x/tools/gopls@latest and Delve (dlv).
• Python: pyright or basedpyright and debugpy.
• C / C++: clangd (via Homebrew or LLVM) and LLDB.

Folder access in Editor

Aster Editor asks you to choose files and folders through the macOS picker. If a folder moves or macOS no longer lets Aster open it, choose File → Open Folder… and select it again.

Unsaved work & recovery

Aster keeps local recovery copies of open documents and unsaved drafts. They can help after a restart or crash, but you should still save and back up important work.

Reporting a problem

Tell us which edition you use, your app and macOS versions, and the steps that led to the problem. Please leave out source files, passwords, and other private information unless you choose to share them.