Canvas CLI

A command-line interface for managing Canvas workspaces, contexts, dotfiles and documents with integrated AI assistance.

Installation

Method 1: Download Standalone Binary (Recommended)

No dependencies required! Download the latest release for your platform:

Platform	Architecture	Download
Linux	x64	📦 canvas-linux-x64.tar.gz
Linux	ARM64	📦 canvas-linux-arm64.tar.gz
macOS	x64	📦 canvas-macos-x64.tar.gz
macOS	ARM64 (Apple Silicon)	📦 canvas-macos-arm64.tar.gz

Quick install with our script:

# One-liner installation (Linux/macOS)
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/canvas-ai/canvas-cli/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

# (Optional) Install prompt update script
mkdir -p ~/.canvas/scripts
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/canvas-ai/canvas-cli/refs/heads/main/scripts/update-prompt.sh -o ~/.canvas/scripts/update-prompt.sh
chmod +x ~/.canvas/scripts/update-prompt.sh

# Add to bashrc
if [ -f $HOME/.canvas/scripts/update-prompt.sh ]; then
  . $HOME/.canvas/scripts/update-prompt.sh
fi; 

# Manual installation
tar -xzf canvas-*.tar.gz
chmod +x canvas-*
sudo mv canvas-* ~/.local/bin/canvas

Method 2: Manual Install (Cross-Platform)

Platform Requirements:

• Node.js: v20 LTS or higher
• Operating Systems: Linux, macOS, Windows 10/11
• Optional: PM2 for local server management (npm install -g pm2)

Git clone this repository

git clone https://github.com/canvas-ai/canvas-cli ~/path/to/canvas-cli cd ~/path/to/canvas-cli

Linux/Mac

# Create symlinks to your local bin directory
ln -sf $(pwd)/bin/canvas.js ~/.local/bin/canvas
ln -sf $(pwd)/bin/context.js ~/.local/bin/context
ln -sf $(pwd)/bin/ws.js ~/.local/bin/ws
ln -sf $(pwd)/bin/q.js ~/.local/bin/q

# Make binaries executable
chmod +x bin/*

# Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Install PM2 for server management (optional)
npm install -g pm2

Windows

# Option 1: PowerShell (Run as Administrator)
# Add Canvas CLI bin directory to your PATH
$CanvasPath = (Get-Location).Path + "\bin"
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", $env:PATH + ";$CanvasPath", [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)

# Restart your terminal for PATH changes to take effect

:: Option 2: Command Prompt (Run as Administrator)
:: Add Canvas CLI bin directory to your PATH
setx PATH "%PATH%;%CD%\bin"

:: Restart your terminal for PATH changes to take effect

# Option 3: Development Environment
# For development, you can run directly:
node bin/canvas.js --help
node bin/context.js list
node bin/ws.js list
node bin/q.js "test query"

Method 3: Global NPM Installation

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Link globally (works on all platforms)
npm link

This creates global symlinks:

• canvas → Canvas CLI main command
• context → Context management shortcut
• dot → Dotfile Manager
• q → AI assistant shortcut
• ws → Workspace management shortcut

Method 4: Direct Execution (Development)

# Linux/Mac
node bin/canvas.js --help
./bin/canvas.js workspace list

# Windows
node bin\canvas.js --help

Usage

# Show help
canvas --help

Configuration

Configuration is stored in ~/.canvas/config/canvas-cli.json:

{
    "server": {
        "url": "http://localhost:8001/rest/v2",
        "auth": {
            "type": "token",
            "token": "canvas-server-token"
        }
    },
    "session": {
        "context": {
            "id": "default",
            "clientArray": ["client/app/canvas-cli", "..."]
        }
    },
    "connectors": {
        "anthropic": {
            "driver": "anthropic",
            "apiKey": "",
            "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
            "maxTokens": 4096
        },
        "openai": {
            "driver": "openai",
            "apiKey": "",
            "model": "gpt-4o",
            "maxTokens": 4096
        },
        "ollama": {
            "driver": "ollama",
            "host": "http://localhost:11434",
            "model": "qwen2.5-coder:latest"
        }
    },
    "ai": {
        "defaultConnector": "anthropic",
        "priority": ["anthropic", "openai", "ollama"],
        "contextTemplate": "canvas-assistant"
    }
}

License

Licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later. See main project LICENSE file.