# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/sypha-cli-standalone
cd sypha-cli-standalone/cli

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Build the project
pnpm run build

# Link globally
npm link

# Now you can use sypha
sypha

First Run Setup

When you launch Sypha CLI for the first time, you'll be greeted with a welcome screen:

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                   Welcome to Sypha CLI                     ║
║                                                            ║
║  Enterprise AI-powered terminal for developers            ║
║                                                            ║
║  40+ AI Providers | Auto-save | Session Management        ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Authentication Setup

If you're using the Sypha provider (intelligent routing), you'll need to authenticate:

# Launch Sypha
sypha

# You'll be prompted to authenticate
# Follow the on-screen instructions to:
# 1. Visit the authentication URL
# 2. Enter your email
# 3. Verify your account
# 4. Return to the CLI

For other providers, you'll need to set up API keys (see Configuration section below).

Selecting Your First Model

After authentication, choose your AI model:

# List available models
/model list

# Select a model
/model claude-sonnet-4-5

# Or switch provider first
/provider anthropic
/model claude-sonnet-4-5

Not sure which model to choose? We recommend Claude Sonnet 4.5 for a great balance of capability, speed, and cost.

Configuration

API Keys

Sypha CLI supports multiple providers. Set up API keys for the providers you want to use:

# Anthropic (Claude)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

# OpenAI (GPT)
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."

# Google (Gemini)
export GEMINI_API_KEY="..."

# Mistral AI
export MISTRAL_API_KEY="..."

# DeepSeek
export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="..."

Add these to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.) to persist them across sessions.

Configuration File

Sypha stores configuration in ~/.sypha/cli/config.json:

{
  "provider": "anthropic",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "theme": "Sypha Blue",
  "autoSave": true,
  "autoSaveInterval": 5000,
  "analytics": {
    "enabled": true,
    "track_usage": true
  },
  "gitIntegration": {
    "enabled": true,
    "autoCheckpoint": true
  }
}

Edit configuration:

/config

This opens your default editor with the configuration file.

Environment Variables

Advanced configuration options via environment variables:

# API Configuration
export SYPHA_API_BASE_URL="https://api.sypha.ai"
export SYPHA_API_KEY="your-api-key"

# Analytics
export SYPHA_CLI_ANALYTICS_ENABLED=true
export SYPHA_CLI_ANALYTICS_DEBUG=false

# Session Management
export SYPHA_SESSION_AUTO_SAVE=true
export SYPHA_SESSION_SAVE_INTERVAL=5000

# Git Integration
export SYPHA_GIT_INTEGRATION_ENABLED=true

# Debug Mode
export SYPHA_CLI_DEBUG=false

Quick Start

Now that Sypha is installed, let's start your first session:

Interactive Mode

Launch Sypha and start a conversation:

sypha

Type your request at the prompt:

> Help me refactor this authentication module

Sypha will analyze your codebase, understand the context, and help you refactor.

Direct Mode

Execute a task directly without entering interactive mode:

sypha "Add unit tests to utils.js"

Sypha will complete the task and exit.

Shell Mode

Run shell commands directly:

# In Sypha CLI, prefix with !
> ! git status

# Or enter shell mode
> /mode shell

Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential shortcuts to know:

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl+Y`	Toggle Auto-Edit mode (auto-approve file changes)
`Shift+Tab`	Quick switch to Plan mode
`Ctrl+D`	Show TODOs
`Ctrl+E`	View reasoning history
`Ctrl+X`	Cancel streaming response
`Ctrl+C`	Exit Sypha CLI

Verify Installation

Check that Sypha is installed correctly:

# Check version
sypha --version

# View help
sypha --help

# List available commands
sypha
/help

You should see output showing the version and available options.

Updating Sypha CLI

Keep Sypha up to date with the latest features and fixes:

# If installed globally
npm update -g sypha-shell

# If installed from source
cd sypha-cli-standalone/cli
git pull
pnpm install
pnpm run build

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

If you get command not found: sypha after global installation:

Check npm global bin path:

npm bin -g

Ensure the path is in your $PATH:

echo $PATH

Add npm global bin to your PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

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

Reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors during installation:

# Use sudo (not recommended)
sudo npm install -g sypha-shell

# Better: Fix npm permissions
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

API Key Issues

If models aren't available:

Verify API keys are set:

echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

Check provider configuration:

/provider list

Test API key validity by making a simple request

Session Not Saving

If auto-save isn't working:

# Check session status
/session show

# Manually save
/session save

# Verify configuration
/config
# Ensure "autoSave": true

Debug Mode

Enable debug mode for troubleshooting:

export SYPHA_CLI_DEBUG=true
export SYPHA_CLI_ANALYTICS_DEBUG=true
sypha

This will show detailed logs of what Sypha is doing.

Uninstalling

To remove Sypha CLI:

# If installed globally
npm uninstall -g sypha-shell

# Remove configuration (optional)
rm -rf ~/.sypha

Now that you're set up, learn the Three Core Flows to become productive with Sypha CLI immediately.

🔄

Core Workflows Master essential development patterns

💡

CLI Samples See Sypha in action with examples

📚

CLI Reference Complete command documentation

Installation

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