# Releases (/docs/guides/releases)

Read release notes and download the build that fits your machine, with checksums verified.

## Open the releases [#open-the-releases]

Press `enter` on a repository and choose **Releases…**. You see the last 100 releases with the notes of the highlighted one next to them.

![The list of releases with notes](/screens/releases.png)

`n` reads the notes full screen, `o` opens the release page and `y` copies its link.

## Download an asset [#download-an-asset]

Press `enter` on a release to see its downloads. The one that fits your OS and CPU is already highlighted and marked `◆ this machine`.

![The downloads of a release, with this machine marked](/screens/release-assets.png)

| Key     | Action                 |
| ------- | ---------------------- |
| `enter` | download               |
| `x`     | download and unpack    |
| `space` | mark several           |
| `a`     | mark all               |
| `v`     | preview a text file    |
| `y`     | copy the download link |

Files go into the current directory, or into `--download-dir` or `GH_SELECT_DOWNLOAD_DIR`.

## Safe by default [#safe-by-default]

- If the release has a checksum file, each download is checked against it. A mismatch deletes the file.
- Existing files are never overwritten.
- A download is renamed to its real name only when it is complete.
- Unpacking supports `.tar.gz`, `.tgz`, `.tar.bz2` and `.zip`. Entries that would escape the folder are refused, and links are skipped.

## How it picks your build [#how-it-picks-your-build]

gh-select reads your OS and CPU and looks for them in the file names, in common spellings such as `macos`, `darwin`, `x86_64`, `amd64` and `aarch64`. Portable archives rank above plain binaries, and plain binaries above installers.

Private repositories you can access work too.