CLI

The estelle CLI connects a local checkout to your Estelle account. Use it when you need to index uncommitted work, configure an editor without editing MCP files by hand, capture coding-agent sessions, or run repository checks from a terminal.

It runs natively on macOS and Linux on x86_64 and arm64. On Windows, install both the CLI and your coding agent inside WSL.

#Install and sign in

1. Install the CLI

   With npm on Node.js 18 or later:

   bash

   npm i -g @fatelabs/estelle

   Or use the release installer, which selects the build for your machine and verifies its checksum:

   bash

   curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -fsSL \
     https://github.com/uqeu/estelle-cli/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh

2. Authenticate

   Create a key in Settings → API keys, then run:

   bash

   estelle login

   Paste the key when prompted. Commands use the stored key or ESTELLE_API_KEY from the environment. init and sweep also accept a one-time --key option.

3. Configure and index

   From the repository root:

   bash

   estelle init
   estelle sweep --dry-run
   estelle sweep

   init detects supported editors, writes their MCP configuration, and checks the connection. The dry run lists files without sending them; the sweep indexes the checkout, including uncommitted content visible to git.

For the guided version of this workflow, run estelle setup. It configures the repository, sweeps it, and checks a real symbol from your code. Add --dry-run to preview the actions.

#Command reference

Run estelle <command> --help for the flags supported by your installed version.

#Keep an index current

cd path/to/your/repo
estelle reindex

Use reindex after ordinary edits and sweep again after substantial changes. Navigation answers come from the last content you indexed; an older index can be reported as stale. To index code available through GitHub instead, use the GitHub connection.

Check one file before sharing or committing it:

estelle verify src/api/routes.py

For a fuller review of a change, use /review in an Estelle session or open a pull request for Prism. Your own build and test commands still belong in CI.

#Capture Claude Code and Codex sessions

estelle install-hooks

This writes Estelle's hooks to ~/.claude/settings.json and ~/.codex/hooks.json, or $CODEX_HOME/hooks.json when CODEX_HOME is set. Restart Claude Code or open /hooks to activate them. In Codex, run /hooks and trust Estelle's hooks; untrusted hooks cannot record sessions.

Captured sessions appear under Sessions and can feed Memory.

#Configure a model for the terminal

Run estelle without a subcommand to open the terminal interface. Use /login to connect a model account and /model to select a model. You can also configure one from the shell:

estelle login --provider anthropic-api

Other supported provider names include openai-api, gemini, deepseek, openrouter, ollama, and lmstudio. For another OpenAI-compatible endpoint:

estelle login --provider openai-compatible \
  --base-url "YOUR_PROVIDER_API_BASE" \
  --model "YOUR_MODEL_ID"

#What leaves your machine

• sweep sends repository content; the dry run sends none.
• verify sends the file you name.
• ask and recall send your question and relevant account context.
• init, connect, and remove change local configuration, apart from the connection check performed by init.
• leaked runs fully offline.

Use estelle doctor after changing credentials or client configuration. estelle upgrade only checks for a release; reinstall with npm or the installer to apply one.

#Limits

• There is no native Windows build. Use WSL for both the CLI and the coding agent so session hooks can find the executable.
• An index does not update itself after local edits. Reindex or sweep before relying on current code navigation.
• The hooks record sessions only after they are installed and, in Codex, trusted.

#Related