Installation & Setup

Cline CLI brings the full power of Cline to your terminal. In just a few minutes, you can install the CLI, authenticate with your preferred AI provider, and start running tasks from any directory on your machine.

Prerequisites

Cline CLI requires Node.js version 20 or higher. We recommend Node.js 22 for the best experience.

Check your Node.js version:

node --version

If you need to install or update Node.js, visit nodejs.org or use a version manager like nvm.

Install Cline CLI

Install globally via npm:

npm install -g cline

Verify the installation:

cline version

Authenticate

After installation, run the authentication wizard:

cline auth

This launches an interactive wizard with multiple options. Choose the method that works best for your workflow.

Option 1: Sign in with Cline (Recommended)

Select "Sign in with Cline" to authenticate with your Cline account via OAuth. Your browser opens automatically to complete sign-in.

Option 2: Sign in with ChatGPT Subscription

If you have a ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription, select "Sign in with ChatGPT Subscription". This uses OpenAI's Codex OAuth to authenticate with your existing subscription.

Option 3: Import from Existing Tools

Already using another AI coding CLI? Cline can import your existing configuration:

• Import from Codex CLI - Imports credentials from ~/.codex/auth.json
• Import from OpenCode - Imports configuration from ~/.local/share/opencode/auth.json

Option 4: Bring Your Own API Key

Select "Bring your own API key" to manually configure any supported provider. Or skip the wizard entirely with flags:

# Anthropic (Claude)
cline auth -p anthropic -k sk-ant-api-xxxxx -m claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

# OpenAI
cline auth -p openai-native -k sk-xxxxx -m gpt-4o

# OpenRouter
cline auth -p openrouter -k sk-or-xxxxx -m anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

# Moonshot
cline auth -p moonshot -k sk-xxxxx -m kimi-k2.5

# OpenAI-compatible provider with custom base URL
cline auth -p openai -k your-api-key -b https://api.example.com/v1

Quick Setup Flags:

Supported Providers

Verify Your Setup

Confirm everything is working with a simple test:

cline "What is 2 + 2?"

If Cline responds with an answer, your installation and authentication are complete.

Check your current configuration:

cline config

Quick Start

Now you're ready to use Cline. Choose how you want to work:

Interactive Mode

Launch the interactive CLI for development:

cline

You'll see the Cline welcome screen. Type your task and press Enter. Use:

• Tab to toggle between Plan and Act modes
• Shift+Tab to enable auto-approve
• /help for available commands

Learn more about interactive mode →

Direct Task Execution

Run a task directly from your shell:

cline "Add error handling to utils.js"

For non-interactive execution (perfect for scripts and CI/CD):

cline -y "Run tests and fix any failures"

Learn more about headless mode →

Switching Providers

To change your configured provider at any time:

cline auth

You can also use the settings panel in interactive mode:

cline
# Then type: /settings
# Navigate to the API tab

Updating

Check for updates and install the latest version:

cline update

Or update manually via npm:

npm update -g cline

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

If cline is not found after installation:

1. Ensure npm global bin is in your PATH:

   bashCopy

   npm bin -g
   

2. Add the path to your shell configuration (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.):

   bashCopy

   export PATH="$PATH:$(npm bin -g)"
   

3. Restart your terminal or source your shell config.

Permission Errors

If you get permission errors during installation:

# Option 1: Use a Node version manager (recommended)
# nvm, fnm, or volta handle permissions automatically

# Option 2: Fix npm permissions
# See: https://docs.npmjs.com/resolving-eacces-permissions-errors-when-installing-packages-globally

OAuth Flow Issues

If the browser doesn't open automatically during OAuth:

1. Copy the URL from the terminal
2. Paste it in your browser manually
3. Complete the sign-in flow
4. Return to the terminal

API Key Validation

If your API key is rejected:

1. Verify the key is correct and hasn't expired
2. Check that you've selected the correct provider
3. Ensure your API account has the necessary permissions

Provider-specific tips:

• Anthropic: Keys start with sk-ant-
• OpenAI: Keys start with sk-
• AWS Bedrock: Requires AWS credentials configured separately. See AWS Bedrock documentation.

Uninstallation

To remove Cline CLI:

npm uninstall -g cline

To also remove configuration data:

rm -rf ~/.cline

Next Steps