Evaluation path
Run Merka locally on Windows, macOS, or Linux. This path is single-user and is meant for learning, testing, and proving that the model fits your life.
Supported Hardware
Supported hardware
Section titled “Supported hardware”Merka Vault™ starts free on the computer you already own. That laptop or desktop path is for single-user evaluation.
Multi-user access on your own always-on hardware has a higher bar. We only enable it when the machine can provide the hardware foundation Merka needs to protect more than one person’s data.
The short version
Section titled “The short version”Supported always-on hardware
Use a validated Dell OptiPlex-class machine with TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and Intel vPro / AMT features. Multi-user access can be enabled only when the hardware foundation is present and verified.
Factory-built hardware
Merka Vault and Merka Vault Pro ship with the supported hardware foundation already integrated and validated by Cosmic Rocks.
What we test today
Section titled “What we test today”The current lab-supported self-host setup is:
- Dell OptiPlex-class desktop hardware.
- Intel vPro platform features.
- TPM 2.0 enabled.
- Secure Boot enabled.
- Intel AMT available for out-of-band hardware management.
- Wired Ethernet for always-on operation.
This is the configuration we use when we say “supported hardware” in public copy.
Why these features matter
Section titled “Why these features matter”TPM 2.0
Section titled “TPM 2.0”TPM 2.0 gives the machine a hardware-rooted identity and a place to protect secrets that should not be treated as ordinary files.
Merka uses the presence of a trustworthy hardware foundation to decide whether multi-user access can be made safe on customer-provided hardware.
Secure Boot
Section titled “Secure Boot”Secure Boot helps establish that the machine is starting from the expected software path rather than from an unknown or modified boot chain.
For single-user evaluation this is not required. For multi-user access on always-on hardware, it is part of the supported foundation.
Intel AMT / vPro
Section titled “Intel AMT / vPro”Intel AMT is used for practical remote hardware management: power state, recovery workflows, and support situations where the operating system may not be reachable yet.
AMT is not the thing that protects your data. It is the management channel that makes always-on hardware easier to operate safely.
What is not currently supported for multi-user access
Section titled “What is not currently supported for multi-user access”These can still be useful for evaluation, but they are not the currently supported self-host hardware path for multi-user access:
- Ordinary laptop evaluation environments.
- Cloud VMs or rented virtual machines.
- Virtual TPMs provided by a cloud or hypervisor.
- Machines without TPM 2.0.
- Machines where Secure Boot is unavailable or disabled.
- Wi-Fi-only always-on setups.
Buying guidance
Section titled “Buying guidance”If you want to experiment today, choose a used or spare Dell OptiPlex-class machine with Intel vPro / AMT support, TPM 2.0, and wired Ethernet.
If you do not want to check hardware details yourself, use Merka Vault or Merka Vault Pro hardware instead. The factory-built path exists so the hardware foundation is already selected, integrated, and supported.
Status
Section titled “Status”This page describes the currently validated setup. The support list will expand as we test more machines.
If your machine is close to this profile but not identical, treat it as experimental until Merka explicitly reports that multi-user access is available on that hardware.