Install and Verify Setup - BoldCreate Documentation

What you’ll learn

What you need before you install
How to install BoldCreate CLI on macOS and Windows
How to check that the installation worked

Before you install

A supported computer: macOS on Apple silicon, Windows x64, or Windows ARM64. Intel Macs are not supported.
An internet connection.
On macOS, curl (included with macOS).
On Windows, PowerShell (included with Windows).

You do not need administrator rights or sudo. BoldCreate installs for your user only.

Install on macOS

Open the Terminal app.

Run:

curl -fsSL https://downloads.boldcreate.ai/cli/install.sh | bash

Wait for the installer to finish. Output looks similar to:

Installing BoldCreate CLI 1.0.0 (darwin-arm64) into /Users/you/.local/bin
Installed boldcreate 1.0.0: /Users/you/.local/bin/boldcreate
Get started: boldcreate login

If the installer says the folder is not on your PATH, add ~/.local/bin to your PATH.

The installer puts the program at ~/.local/bin/boldcreate. The ~ means your home folder.

Note: If you run the installer from a Rosetta terminal on an Apple silicon Mac, it still installs the Apple silicon version. That is expected.

Install on Windows

Open PowerShell from the Start menu. Do not choose Run as administrator.

Run:

irm https://downloads.boldcreate.ai/cli/install.ps1 | iex

Wait for the installer to finish. Output looks similar to:

Installing BoldCreate CLI 1.0.0 (windows-x64) into C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Programs\boldcreate
Added C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Programs\boldcreate to your user PATH. Open a new terminal to use it.
Installed boldcreate 1.0.0: C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Programs\boldcreate\boldcreate.exe
Get started: boldcreate login

On an ARM64 computer, the output says windows-arm64 instead of windows-x64.

Close PowerShell and open a new window. PATH changes only reach new windows.

The installer puts the program at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\boldcreate\boldcreate.exe and adds that folder to your user PATH.

Note: The installer detects ARM64 Windows correctly, even when PowerShell itself runs in x64 emulation.

What the installer checks

Before it installs anything, the installer:

Picks the right file for your computer.
Checks the download’s checksum (a fingerprint that helps verify the file was not damaged or changed). If it does not match, nothing is installed.
Starts the downloaded program once to make sure it works.

Running the installer again is safe. Use it to reinstall or switch versions.

Check the installation

Open a new terminal window and run:

boldcreate --version

The command prints the installed version, for example:

0.1.0

To see all commands and options:

boldcreate --help

Note: When a CLI update is available, BoldCreate installs it in the background during a chat. You don’t need to download or install it manually. Automatic updates are enabled by default; see Configuration to change the autoUpdate setting.

Common installation mistakes

Mistake	What to do
Running the installer with `sudo` on macOS	Don’t. It installs for the root user, not for you. Run it as your own user.
Typing `boldcreate` in the same window right after installing on Windows	Open a new PowerShell window first.
`command not found: boldcreate` on macOS	The install folder may not be on your `PATH`. Add `~/.local/bin` to your `PATH`.
Running the macOS command on Windows	Use the PowerShell installation command instead.

For more help, see Troubleshooting.