Install the CLI

Install with npm

The evidence CLI is distributed as an npm package. Install it globally to use the evidence command from anywhere.

npm install -g @evidence-oss/cli

Alternative package managers:

# Using pnpm
pnpm add -g @evidence-oss/cli

# Using yarn
yarn global add @evidence-oss/cli

Verify Installation

Confirm the CLI is installed correctly:

evidence --version

Expected output:

0.1.0

Check available commands:

evidence --help

You should see:

evidence <command>

Commands:
  evidence init      Initialize configuration
  evidence collect   Collect evidence
  evidence verify    Verify bundle integrity
  evidence upload    Upload bundle to platform

Options:
  --version  Show version number
  --help     Show help

System Requirements

• Node.js: v18.0.0 or higher
• Operating Systems: macOS, Linux, Windows (WSL recommended)
• Disk Space: ~50MB for CLI, plus space for evidence bundles

Check your Node.js version:

node --version
# Should be v18.0.0 or higher

Troubleshooting

Permission Errors (npm)

If you see EACCES permission errors during installation:

# Fix npm permissions (recommended approach)
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'

# Add to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.)
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

# Reload shell
source ~/.bashrc  # or source ~/.zshrc

# Try installation again
npm install -g @evidence-oss/cli

Command Not Found

If evidence --version returns command not found:

1. Check npm global bin path:

   npm bin -g

2. Add to PATH (if not already):

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

3. Verify again:

   evidence --version

Outdated Node.js

If your Node.js version is below v18.0.0:

# Using nvm (recommended)
nvm install 18
nvm use 18

# Verify
node --version

Next Steps

Now that you have the CLI installed, you're ready to collect your first evidence bundle.

Continue: Collect Your First Evidence →

Need more help? See the Troubleshooting Guide for installation issues.

Want to understand how it works first? Read How It Works to learn about the architecture.