diff --git a/desktop/packaging/install.sh b/desktop/packaging/install.sh
index dfc9cbd..4cfacaa 100755
--- a/desktop/packaging/install.sh
+++ b/desktop/packaging/install.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 #
 # ThoughtSync desktop — one-command Linux installer.
 #
-#   curl -fsSL https://git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/thoughtsync/raw/branch/main/desktop/packaging/install.sh | sh
+#   curl -fsSL https://git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/thoughtsync/raw/branch/dev/desktop/packaging/install.sh | sh
+#
+# Points at `dev` because that is currently the repo's only branch — `main` does
+# not exist yet, so a main URL 404s. Move this to `main` once that branch is
+# created, so the public install command stops tracking day-to-day work.
 #
 # Fetches the LATEST published release for this machine's architecture and
 # installs it, ending with a working app + menu entry. Native-first:
diff --git a/desktop/packaging/publish-release.sh b/desktop/packaging/publish-release.sh
index 20c38f4..32a1c7d 100755
--- a/desktop/packaging/publish-release.sh
+++ b/desktop/packaging/publish-release.sh
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ first_id() { grep -oE '"id"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*[0-9]+' | head -1 | grep -oE
 echo "==> Creating release for $TAG"
 BODY=$(cat <<JSON
 {"tag_name":"$TAG","name":"ThoughtSync $TAG","draft":false,"prerelease":false,
- "body":"ThoughtSync desktop $TAG.\n\n- **Debian / Ubuntu** — native \`.deb\`\n- **Arch / CachyOS** — native \`.pkg.tar.*\`\n- **everything else** — \`.AppImage\` (de-bundled graphics: renders on any GPU/Wayland setup)\n\nInstall / update — picks the right one for your system:\n\`\`\`\ncurl -fsSL $GITHUB_SERVER_URL/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/raw/branch/main/desktop/packaging/install.sh | sh\n\`\`\`"}
+ "body":"ThoughtSync desktop $TAG.\n\n- **Debian / Ubuntu** — native \`.deb\`\n- **Arch / CachyOS** — native \`.pkg.tar.*\`\n- **everything else** — \`.AppImage\` (de-bundled graphics: renders on any GPU/Wayland setup)\n\nInstall / update — picks the right one for your system:\n\`\`\`\ncurl -fsSL $GITHUB_SERVER_URL/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/raw/branch/dev/desktop/packaging/install.sh | sh\n\`\`\`"}
 JSON
 )
 # 409 = a release for this tag already exists (re-run) — fall through to lookup.