Step-by-Step Setup

Your complete guide to installing and running Algi Desktop

Index

1. What value Algi Desktop brings to you?

Algi Desktop leverages Somarribas Minds’ state-of-the-art data analysis and time-series predictive algorithms to identify potential equity price upside while rigorously managing risk to support the preservation and growth of user capital.*

2. Requirements

  • An active, funded and with the right permissions Interactive Brokers account. ** (see more below in “IBKR Account setup” section).
  • A computer running Windows 11 or MacOS 26 Tahoe with at least:
    • 8 GB RAM
    • 10 GB of free disk space
    • Intel 10th Gen/AMD Zen 3 processor or newer (For Windows platforms)
    • Apple M1 processor or newer (For MacOS platforms)
  • A stable and uninterrupted internet connection.
  • An active Algi Desktop subscription (see details below in “Algi Desktop setup and usage” section).
  • An active installation of IBKR Trader Workstation (see more below in “IBKR Trader Workstation setup” section).
  • You must be resident of one of the countries where Somarribas Minds operates. Check details in our Terms of Service under the "Governing Law" section.

3. Windows Setup

To ensure Algi Desktop operates at peak performance, your Windows environment must be configured to prevent interruptions and CPU throttling. Please follow these recommendations carefully before launching the application:

Optimize CPU Performance

Algi Desktop relies on uninterrupted CPU availability to perform continuous mathematical computations. Power-saving modes such as Sleep, Hibernate, or Balanced Power can significantly reduce performance or pause processes.

  • Ctrl + Esc → type Power, sleep, and battery settings
  • Under Screen, Sleep, and Hibernate timeouts → set all to Never
  • Under Power mode → select Best performance

Manage Automatic Windows Updates

In some cases, Windows may automatically restart your system after updates, causing Algi Desktop to close unexpectedly. To maintain stability during trading hours, we recommend disabling automatic updates and scheduling them manually—ideally during non trading hours to ensure your system remains secure and stable. Note that Algi Desktop is tested on the latest Windows version so please always ensure you keep your system updated.

  • Ctrl + Esc → type Check for updates
  • Select Pause updates → choose the maximum available duration

3. MacOS Setup

To ensure Algi Desktop operates at peak performance, your MacOS environment must be configured to prevent interruptions and CPU throttling. Please follow these recommendations carefully before launching the application:

Optimize CPU Performance

Algi Desktop relies on uninterrupted CPU availability to perform continuous mathematical computations. Power-saving modes such as Sleep, or Battery Saver can significantly reduce performance or pause processes.

  • Cmd + Space Bar → type System Settings → Enter
  • Under Battery → Low Power Mode → set to Never
  • Under Lock Screen → set all "Turn display off..." to Never
  • Under Wallpaper → click on Screen Saver → set to Never

4. IBKR Account Setup

Follow these steps to configure your Interactive Brokers account, enable API access, and set up both market data and trading permissions:

  1. Create your IBKR account: If you do not already have an IBKR active account, visit the Interactive Brokers registration page and complete the sign-up process. We recommend you activate your IBKR paper account to get the most out of your learning journey with Algi Desktop.
  2. Inside IBKR web portal, while signed into your active account, configure necessary settings:
    1. Go to Settings:
    2. Navigate to Market Data Subscriptions:
    3. Complete the API enablement acknowledgment:
    4. Still on the Market Data Subscriptions page, subscribe to NASDAQ (Network C/UTP)(NP,L1) and CBOE Streaming Market Indexes (NP) data by clicking the gear icon at the top right (shown in the screenshot below) and following the prompts, they are located in the "North America" and "Indexes" sections respectively. Please note that if you have an IBKR profesional account, you need to subscribe to NASDAQ (Network C/UTP)(P,L1) and CBOE Streaming Market Indexes (P) instead and they will have a higher cost than the non-proffesional subscription shown here.
    5. Return to the main Settings page:
    6. Go to Trading Permissions:
    7. Within the Trading Permissions section, enable permissions for both Stocks and Currency/Forex. Once granted, your permissions page will appear similar to the image below:
    8. Algi Desktop works in both IBKR "cash" and "margin" account types so no additional configurations are needed in this regard. As long as you have a funded IBKR account, you will automatically have at least a "cash" type account.

5. IBKR Trader Workstation (TWS) Setup

Follow these steps to prepare the environment for Algi Desktop to connect with TWS:

  1. Install TWS: Visit the IBKR TWS download page. Download, install, and log in to your IBKR account using TWS. The first time you launch TWS, if you are on a Windows platform, a popup will ask if you want to allow this application to access devices in your network, you must select "yes" to ensure TWS can talk with Algi Desktop since by selecting "no", TWS will have very restrictive firewall settings on Windows affecting core functionalities. Lastly, every time you log into TWS, the "Daily Lineup" (a daily newsletter) will popup in TWS. We recommend disabling it (you can permanently disable it when it appears, by clicking in "turn off daily lineup") so it doesnt visually interfere with your portfolio or trades TWS sections.
  2. Recommended layout: TWS can consume considerable system resources such as RAM depending on the layout. We recommend using a minimal layout featuring the "Trades" and "Overview" sections only and, avoid any type of charts or news windows. Also, we suggest the "favorites" tab in the "Overview" section of TWS, does not contain more than a handful of tickers since each ticker in "favorites", consumes data lines which are shared too with the Algi Desktop communication.
  3. Configure necessary settings:
    1. Go to Global Configuration:
    2. Inside the Global Configuration menu:
    3. Click on Sound Manager and disable all sounds. Click Apply and OK at the bottom of the screen once you have updated the fields. Your screen should look like this once configured:
    4. Back in the Global Configuration menu, click Lock and Exit and configure the settings exactly as shown below. Click Apply and OK to save changes. Your screen should look like this once configured:
    5. Back in the Global Configuration menu, click on API. Then select Precautions. Configure the settings exactly as shown below. Click Apply and OK to save changes. Your screen should look like this once configured:
    6. Next, select Settings under the API menu. Configure the settings exactly as shown below. If your TWS is on a language different than english, in this settings page please also enable the "Send API messages in English" option. Click Apply and OK to save changes. Your screen should look like this once configured:

      Please verify the following settings under Global Configuration → API → Settings as they are critical for Algi Desktop to function correctly:

      • Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients: Enabled
      • Read-Only API: Disabled
      • Socket Port: 7496
      • Allow connections from localhost only: Enabled

6. Algi Desktop Setup and Usage

Once all previous configuration steps have been successfully completed, follow the instructions below to download and use Algi Desktop:

  1. Download Algi Desktop executables: We highly recommend using Mozilla Firefox web browser. Visit the Algi Desktop for Windows download page or the Algi Desktop for MacOS download page and download the application asset. (.zip for Windows or .dmg for MacOS)
  2. Install Algi Desktop image into your Applications (MacOS Platforms Only): Once you have downloaded the .dmg image to your platform, double click it and drag Algi Desktop (left icon) to your applications (right icon) as shown in the image below. Once you complete this process, you will be able to access Algi Desktop from your applications folder or by opening the search bar with Cmd + Space Bar and typing "Algi Desktop".
  3. Make sure executables have permissions to run (Windows Platforms Only): Once you have downloaded the zip, right clicl the zip and select "Extract All". Go into the extracted contents and follow below process on both "Algi_Desktop.exe" and "somarribas_wrapper.exe".
    • Right click on the executable and go to "properties".
    • In the "General" tab, at the bottom of the window, under "Security", check the "Unblock" box. Click Apply and OK. Sometimes the "Unblock" option is not present, if thats the case, disregard this bullet for that specific executable.
  4. Create an Algi Desktop account:
    • On Windows platforms, double-click the executable named Algi_Desktop.exe, while on MacOS open Algi Desktop from your applications folder or by opening the search bar with Cmd + Space Bar and typing "Algi Desktop". Ocassionally, Windows may show a prompt on first executable launch advising caution to execute the app, if this is the case, on that prompt just click "More Information" and then click the "Open/Execute" button at the bottom of the prompt. Once the application opens:
    • Click "Create an account".
    • Fill in all required fields and follow the prompts to complete account creation and subscription payment.
    • Please review our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
  5. Run Algi Desktop Assistant:
    • After creating your account, log in with your registered username and password.
    • On the next screen, enter the capital you wish to allocate to Algi Desktop in the left panel. In the right panel, specify any long-term investments you already hold in the displayed assets. This ensures Algi Desktop will not interfere with your existing positions. Once completed, click Continue.
    • The following screen will ask you to confirm that all configuration steps have been completed. A link to this page is provided in case you wish to review the setup.
    • The final screen includes three panels:
      • Status — Displays the current state of the algorithm (Running, Waiting, etc.).
      • Operations — Shows opportunities identified by Algi Desktop.
      • Quick Insights — Provides meaningful information about the financial ecosystem.
      After ensuring IBKR TWS is running and logged into your IBKR account, you might now click on "Run" button when you are ready for Algi Desktop to begin analyzing opportunities.
    • As mentioned in earlier sections, completing all required configurations is crucial for proper functioning. Algi Desktop requires a stable, uninterrupted internet connection and continuous CPU availability to perform time-series computations. Locking, turning off or allowing your PC to sleep will interrupt the algorithm.

This is an endeavor of consistency and long-term discipline, where preserving and growing capital is the foremost priority. We’re excited to have you on this journey with us.

Your progress will be remarkable — happy learning! 🙂

Have questions about this guide? Contact us at support@somarribasminds.com.

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