Install the CLI

The installer downloads the release build for your platform from software.cortex.foundation, verifies its SHA-256 checksum against the release manifest, and installs the binary. Nothing is written until the checksum matches.

Cortex CLI welcome splash for v0.1.10 with the empty composer — A fresh install: Welcome to Cortex, the coding agent CLI · v0.1.10 · / commands · @ files · ! shell · & cloud, with the empty Agent composer and the token counter at 0 / 500K.

macOS and Linux

curl -fsSL https://software.cortex.foundation/install.sh | sh

Installs Cortex into ~/.local/bin, plus cortex and agent symlinks. Add that directory to your PATH if it is not there already. Python 3.8 or later is required by the installer. Prefer to read the script first:

curl -fsSL https://software.cortex.foundation/install.sh | less

What the installer does and refuses to do:

Behaviour	Detail
Selects the right asset	GNU or musl Linux for x86_64 and AArch64; macOS for Intel and Apple silicon
Fails closed	Unknown architectures, unknown libc, or a missing platform asset stop the install
Bounded downloads	Redirects are rejected; extraction accepts only the release binary
Protects your `bin`	Refuses to overwrite unrelated commands or binary symlinks
Keeps a recovery copy	An existing binary is kept as `Cortex.old`; a failed post-install check restores it

Options

Variable	Effect
`CORTEX_VERSION=0.1.8`	Pin a version, for example `curl … \| CORTEX_VERSION=0.1.8 sh`
`CORTEX_INSTALL_DIR=…`	Change the prefix; the binary goes in its `bin`
`CORTEX_CHANNEL=stable\|beta\|nightly`	Pick a release channel

Windows

irm https://software.cortex.foundation/install.ps1 | iex

Installs into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Cortex\bin after the same checksum check. Add that folder to your user PATH yourself — the installer does not edit your profile. Windows x64 only; ARM64 and 32-bit builds are not published, and the installer does not silently substitute another architecture. An existing binary is kept as Cortex.old.exe.

Check it worked

cortex --version

Update

cortex upgrade            # latest on your channel
cortex upgrade --check    # report only
cortex upgrade 0.1.10     # a specific version

cortex upgrade fetches the release manifest from software.cortex.foundation, verifies SHA-256 before replacing the binary, keeps a .old recovery copy, and checks the new binary’s --version before finishing. A lookup failure returns a non-zero exit status — an unavailable release is never reported as already installed. Installations made through a package manager are directed back to that package manager. The TUI also offers /upgrade, and check_for_update_on_startup in configuration controls the launch-time check.

Homebrew and WinGet

The release pipeline publishes assets that a Homebrew formula in CortexLM/homebrew-tap and a WinGet package CortexLM.Cortex reference. Coverage varies by platform; the shell and PowerShell installers above are the supported path.

Build from source

# Linux only: headers for the optional audio/desktop crates
sudo apt-get install -y libasound2-dev pkg-config

cargo build -p cortex-cli --release
# binary: target/release/Cortex

Use the Rust toolchain pinned in the repository’s rust-toolchain.toml.

Uninstall

cortex uninstall --dry-run     # show what would be removed
cortex uninstall               # remove the binary and data
cortex uninstall --keep-config --keep-data
cortex uninstall --backup      # archive data first

Sign in — cortex login.
Quickstart — a first session.

⌘I

Getting started

Working in the terminal

Automation

Customize

Help

macOS and Linux

Options

Windows

Check it worked

Update

Homebrew and WinGet

Build from source

Uninstall

Next

​macOS and Linux

​Options

​Windows

​Check it worked

​Update

​Homebrew and WinGet

​Build from source

​Uninstall

​Next

macOS and Linux

Options

Windows

Check it worked

Update

Homebrew and WinGet

Build from source

Uninstall

Next