diff --git a/docs/QUICKSTART.md b/docs/QUICKSTART.md
index fbf1c73..b6fd2a8 100644
--- a/docs/QUICKSTART.md
+++ b/docs/QUICKSTART.md
@@ -187,10 +187,22 @@ kubectl get nodes   # expect 1 Ready node
 
 ## 3. Bootstrap Flux against Forgejo
 
+If you haven't installed the Flux CLI yet (no sudo needed):
+
+```sh
+FLUX_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fluxcd/flux2/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f4 | sed 's/^v//')
+curl -L -o /tmp/flux.tar.gz "https://github.com/fluxcd/flux2/releases/download/v${FLUX_VERSION}/flux_${FLUX_VERSION}_linux_amd64.tar.gz"
+tar -xzf /tmp/flux.tar.gz -C ~/.local/bin flux
+rm /tmp/flux.tar.gz
+flux --version
+```
+
 Same repo, same token, same target path as the full guide would use —
 nothing about this is cluster-specific:
 
 ```sh
+flux check --pre --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config-manual
+
 flux bootstrap git \
   --url=https://git.boglabob.com/codegit/cloud-demo \
   --branch=main \
diff --git a/docs/SETUP.md b/docs/SETUP.md
index 27e8497..d55d3cc 100644
--- a/docs/SETUP.md
+++ b/docs/SETUP.md
@@ -189,8 +189,18 @@ Forgejo isn't a Flux-native provider (unlike GitHub/GitLab), so use the
 generic git bootstrap — over HTTPS with the `flux-write` token from step 4,
 not SSH (same reachability reasoning as step 5):
 
+Install the Flux CLI the same no-sudo, no-package-manager way as `kubectl`
+(`brew` assumes Homebrew, which isn't a given on a bare Debian box):
+
+```sh
+FLUX_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/fluxcd/flux2/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f4 | sed 's/^v//')
+curl -L -o /tmp/flux.tar.gz "https://github.com/fluxcd/flux2/releases/download/v${FLUX_VERSION}/flux_${FLUX_VERSION}_linux_amd64.tar.gz"
+tar -xzf /tmp/flux.tar.gz -C ~/.local/bin flux
+rm /tmp/flux.tar.gz
+flux --version
+```
+
 ```sh
-brew install fluxcd/tap/flux
 flux check --pre --kubeconfig ~/.kube/config-homelab
 
 flux bootstrap git \