Common issues with Doka and how to fix them — launch errors, model problems, TLS, black screen, system requirements.

Solutions to the most common issues with Doka, collected here.

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If your issue isn't on this list, write to ilya.babikov@gmail.com and attach the log file ~/.doka/server.log (see How to find the log file).

Visual C++ Redistributable isn't installed (Windows)

Symptoms: the app opens, the model downloads, but any question gets "Try again" or "Couldn't start the language model."

Fix:

Download Visual C++ Redistributable 2022
Install it
Restart Doka

Your CPU doesn't support AVX2

Symptoms: the same error message. This shows up on processors from roughly before 2013 (Intel before Haswell, AMD before Excavator).

How to check: open Task Manager → Performance → CPU. If AVX2 isn't listed among the specs, your processor isn't supported.

Fix: Doka currently requires AVX2 support. We're working on compatibility with older processors.

The app hangs — loading with no response

Symptoms: after sending a question, the loading indicator spins but there's no answer. An error message appears after 2 minutes.

Possible causes and fixes:

Not enough RAM. Close other apps and try again. If that doesn't help, switch to a smaller model (lower quality).
The model is too large for your computer. Switch quality to "low" in settings. This loads a 1.7B-parameter model, which needs noticeably fewer resources.
First launch after downloading. The first question can take longer than usual — the model needs to load into memory. Wait it out. If an error shows up after 2 minutes, restart the app.

"Not enough room in the model's context"

Cause: the conversation got too long and exceeded the model's context window.

Fix: start a new chat. Long conversations with lots of messages use up the model's context. If the task is complex, split it into a few separate chats.

TLS error while downloading the model

Symptoms: on first launch, the model doesn't download. The error message mentions TLS, SSL, or certificates.

Cause: your antivirus is intercepting HTTPS traffic for inspection (Kaspersky, ESET, Avast, and others do this).

Fix:

Open your antivirus settings
Find "Secure connection scanning" or "HTTPS inspection"
Turn that feature off, or add huggingface.co to the exceptions
Click "Try again" in Doka

The app won't launch / black screen

Windows

Make sure Visual C++ Redistributable 2022 is installed
Try running as administrator
Check that your antivirus hasn't blocked the app's files

macOS

Intel Macs aren't supported. Doka only runs on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4).
The minimum supported version is macOS 13 (Ventura). On macOS 12 and below, the app may not work.
On first launch, macOS may ask for permission — click "Open" in the security dialog ("System Settings" → "Privacy & Security").

macOS: "file is damaged"

Symptoms: on opening, macOS says the app is damaged and can't be opened.

Cause: this is macOS's protection against unsigned apps — Doka is safe.

Fix:

Open Terminal (Spotlight → "Terminal").
Paste this command and press Enter:
```
xattr -cr /Applications/Doka.app
```
Open Doka as usual.

Worked yesterday, doesn't work today

Symptoms: Doka was working fine, but on the next launch, any question returns an error.

Fixes (in order):

Restart the app — fully close Doka and reopen it.
Check free disk space — models take up 1 to 5 GB. If the disk is full, the model may fail to load.
Switch the model quality — pick a different quality level, then switch back. This reinitializes the model.
Reset the model — delete the models folder and restart the app:
- Windows: delete C:\Users\<your_user>\.doka\models\
- macOS: delete ~/.doka/models/
Doka will download the model again automatically on launch.
Reset the browser — if tasks involving search or opening websites don't work, delete the Chromium cache:
- Windows: delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\ms-playwright\
- macOS: delete ~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright/
Doka will download the browser again on the next launch.

How to find the log file

The log file contains technical details about errors and helps us diagnose the problem.

Windows: C:\Users\<your_user>\.doka\server.log
macOS: ~/.doka/server.log

If you're writing to support, attach this file to your message.

Minimum system requirements

	Windows	macOS
OS	Windows 10+	macOS 13 (Ventura)+
CPU	x64 with AVX2 support (Intel Haswell+ / AMD Excavator+)	Apple Silicon (M1–M4). Intel Macs not supported
RAM	8 GB (minimum), 16 GB (recommended)	8 GB (minimum), 16 GB (recommended)
Disk	6 GB free space	6 GB free space
Internet	Needed on first launch (model ~5 GB + browser ~160 MB)	Same
Extra	Visual C++ Redistributable 2022	—

Troubleshooting