Gutter guide

Install it, add your comics, and find your way around.

1. Install

Install Gutter on the computer that has your comics (or can reach them on a drive or network share). That computer needs to be on while you read; everything else — phones, tablets, other computers — just opens Gutter in a browser.

Windows

Download Gutter-Setup.exe and run it.
If Windows says it protected your PC, click More info → Run anyway.
Keep Start Gutter when I sign in ticked so your library is always available.
When Windows asks about the firewall, allow Gutter on private networks — that's what lets your phone and tablet reach it.

Gutter runs quietly in the background. Open it any time from the Start menu (Gutter); stop it with Stop Gutter.

Mac

Download the Mac app (Apple silicon, macOS 12 or later; Intel Macs can use Docker), open the .dmg and drag Gutter to Applications.
Open Gutter from Applications. The first time, macOS says "Gutter" Not Opened — Apple could not verify… because Gutter isn't signed with an Apple developer certificate yet. To allow it (you only do this once):
1. Click Done — not Move to Trash.
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Security section.
3. Next to "Gutter" was blocked to protect your Mac, click Open Anyway.
4. Confirm with your password or Touch ID, then click Open Anyway once more.
Don't see the message? Open Gutter from Applications again first, then look again — it only shows for about an hour after the warning. Comfortable with Terminal? xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Gutter.app does the same thing. After an update you may need to allow it again.
Gutter opens in your browser and adds a G to the menu bar (top right). There's no Dock icon — it's a server. The menu has Open Gutter, Start at login and Quit Gutter.
If your comics are on an external drive, macOS asks whether Gutter may use it — click Allow (or see Mac can't read my drive).

Closing the browser tab — or an installed Gutter web app — doesn't stop Gutter. It keeps running for your other devices. Use the G menu to open or quit it.

Docker (NAS, home server, Mac with Docker)

docker run -d --name gutter --restart unless-stopped -p 8085:8085 \
  -v /path/to/comics:/comics \
  -v /path/to/manga:/manga \
  -v gutter-data:/data \
  ghcr.io/zombiex5000/gutter:latest

Inside Docker, Gutter sees your folders as /comics and /manga — use exactly those (lowercase) in Settings → Libraries. Leave out the manga line if you don't have any.
Add :ro after a folder (/path/to/comics:/comics:ro) if you want Gutter to only read it.
Port 8085 taken by another app? Change the left side: -p 8095:8085 and open port 8095 instead.
Docker Desktop on a Mac with an external drive: allow Docker in Privacy & Security → Files & Folders.
Update: docker pull ghcr.io/zombiex5000/gutter:latest, then remove and re-run the container — your gutter-data volume keeps everything.

Linux

tar -xzf Gutter-linux-x64.tar.gz
./gutter/Gutter

Then open http://localhost:8085. The README.txt inside shows how to start it automatically with systemd.

2. First steps

Add your folders. In Settings → Libraries, click + Add library, use Browse… to pick your comics folder, and set its type to Comics. Add a manga folder with type Manga. Click Save settings.
Let it scan. Gutter reads every file once to find titles, numbers and covers. A big library takes a while the first time — titles appear as it goes, and the progress shows top right and in Settings → Scanning.
Check publishers. Comics are grouped under the nearest publisher folder (Comics/DC/…). Well-known publishers are recognised; tick any others under Settings → Publisher folders.

New files are picked up within seconds. Added something and want to see it right now? Click ⤓ Scan for new files on Home, or ⟳ Refresh.

3. Finding your way around

Comics / Manga: The switch at the top left changes collections. Manga only appears once you've added a manga folder.
Home: Continue reading, your favorites, then every title. Filter by name or publisher, use ⚲ Filters (unread, in progress, year, writer, artist), sort, change the cover size, or jump with the A–Z bar on the right.
Publishers: One shelf per publisher, with their titles inside (comics only).
Recent: Recently updated titles and recently added issues.
Lists: Your favorites and reading lists — your own order of issues, like an event or crossover.
Health: Damaged files, possible duplicates, titles without a cover, and empty folders (admins).
Settings: Libraries, publishers, accounts, remote access, backups, updates and more.
A title's page: Read or continue, ☆ Favorite, ＋ Add to list, mark all read, rename, merge titles, change the poster, find a summary, open its folder (on the computer running Gutter) or remove it.
⋯ on a cover: The same options without opening the title — handy for fixing posters or merging while you browse.

4. Reading

Tap or click the middle of a page to show the controls; tap the sides to turn pages.
Reading mode: left-to-right, right-to-left (manga) or webtoon, each paged or continuous. Gutter remembers your choice per title.
Pages: one page, two pages, or two when the screen is wide. Covers and double-page art stay whole.
Keyboard: ← → turn pages, Space for next, F for full screen, Esc to close.
Your place is saved, and the next issue is one tap away at the end.

5. Phones, tablets and Panels

Address: Settings → Open from other devices shows Gutter's address on your home network (like http://192.168.0.20:8085). Open it on any device at home.
Install it like an app: iPhone/iPad — Share → Add to Home Screen. Android — ⋮ → Install app. Chrome or Edge on a computer — the install icon in the address bar.
Panels and other OPDS readers: add an OPDS connection to the same address with /opds on the end. With accounts turned on, enter your Gutter username and password.
Tachimanga, Mihon and other Tachiyomi-style apps: these apps get their libraries through extensions, and Gutter works with their Komga extension. Install that extension (Tachimanga: Browse → Extensions), open its settings and enter:
- Address: Gutter's address, like http://192.168.0.20:8085, or your remote access address to read away from home. The home address starts with http://, not https://. Leave off any slash at the end.
- Username and password: your Gutter account. If accounts are turned off, type anything in both.
Your libraries then show up under Browse. On iPhone or iPad, if the home address times out, turn on Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network → Tachimanga, or use your remote access address. Chapters you read in the app are marked read in Gutter, and the app picks up what you read in Gutter. To show only comics or only manga, use the source's Filter → Libraries — or, with Pro, give each library its own address: add /library/comics or /library/manga (your library's name) to the address, one per Komga extension. Settings → Open from other devices lists them.
Komga is a separate open-source comic server. Gutter isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Komga; it answers the same requests so that apps built for Komga can read from Gutter too.

6. Accounts Pro

Out of the box anyone on your network can use Gutter. With Gutter Pro, you can give everyone their own reading progress, favorites and lists — and keep strangers out: go to Settings → Accounts → Create admin account, then add an account for each person. Admins can change the library and settings; everyone else can browse and read.

7. Gutter Pro: remote access and more Pro

Paste your key in Settings → Gutter Pro. Pro includes:

Remote access — read away from home over HTTPS, no VPN:
1. Turn on accounts first.
2. Sign in at duckdns.org, add a name and copy your token.
3. Enter both in Settings → Remote access and turn it on. Gutter opens a port on your router, gets a certificate, and shows your address when all checks are green.
4. Optional: use your own domain (like comics.example.com) — the settings show the two DNS records to add.
Your router needs UPnP or NAT-PMP on (or forward port 443 to port 8443 on the Gutter computer). Some providers share one internet address between homes (often 5G home internet or satellite) — Gutter tells you if that's the case.
Covers and summaries online from Comic Vine (add your free API key in Settings), MangaDex, AniList, MangaUpdates, MangaBaka and Wikipedia.
Library health, reading lists and automatic daily backups.
An address for each library, so reader apps like Tachimanga can keep comics and manga apart.

8. Updates and backups

Updates: Gutter checks once a day and shows admins a banner when a new version is out, with how to update. Your library, settings and key are always kept. (Settings → Updates to check now or turn it off.)
Backups: Settings → Backup & restore downloads a backup of your progress, names, posters, lists and settings, and can restore one. Your comic files are never part of it — they stay where they are.

9. Troubleshooting

Gutter opened a different app: Another program used Gutter's port. Current versions move to the next free port by themselves — check Settings → Open from other devices for the address.
“Library folder not found”: Check the path in Settings → Libraries. On Linux, NAS and Docker, capitals matter — /Comics isn't /comics; Gutter offers a one-click fix when it spots this.
Mac can't read my drive: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files & Folders → Gutter → turn on Removable Volumes (or add Gutter under Full Disk Access), then quit and reopen Gutter.
Nothing shows on Home: Check the Comics/Manga switch, and give a big first scan a few minutes — titles appear as it goes. Click ⟳ Refresh to see the latest.
Some files “couldn't be read”: Usually unfinished downloads (Gutter says when a file is all zeros). Re-download them. Settings → Scanning can export the list.
Other devices can't connect: Use the address from Settings (not localhost), check the device is on the same network, and on Windows allow Gutter through the firewall on private networks.
Still stuck?: Email support@zombiex5000.com — include what you see and which system you're on.

10. Where Gutter keeps its files

	Library database, settings, backups and log	The app
Windows	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Gutter`	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Gutter`
Mac	`~/Library/Application Support/Gutter`	`/Applications/Gutter.app`
Linux	`~/.local/share/gutter`	wherever you unpacked it
Docker	the `/data` volume	the image

Your comics are never moved or changed — unless you choose an option that says so, like moving files to the Recycle Bin. To uninstall: Windows — Settings → Apps → Gutter. Mac — quit Gutter, drag it to the Trash (and remove the folder above to delete your library data). Docker — remove the container and the gutter-data volume.