Skip to main content

​
Installer internals

Clawdia ships two installer scripts (served from clawdia.cc):
  • https://clawdia.cc/install.sh — “recommended” installer (global npm install by default; can also install from a GitHub checkout)
  • https://clawdia.cc/install-cli.sh — non-root-friendly CLI installer (installs into a prefix with its own Node)
  • https://clawdia.cc/install.ps1 — Windows PowerShell installer (npm by default; optional git install)
To see the current flags/behavior, run: 
curl -fsSL https://clawdia.cc/install.sh | bash -s -- --help
Windows (PowerShell) help: 
& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://clawdia.cc/install.ps1))) -?
If the installer completes but clawdia is not found in a new terminal, it’s usually a Node/npm PATH issue. See: Install. What it does (high level):
  • Detect OS (macOS / Linux / WSL).
  • Ensure Node.js 22+ (macOS via Homebrew; Linux via NodeSource).
  • Choose install method:
    • npm (default): npm install -g clawdia@latest
    • git: clone/build a source checkout and install a wrapper script
  • On Linux: avoid global npm permission errors by switching npm’s prefix to ~/.npm-global when needed.
  • If upgrading an existing install: runs clawdia doctor --non-interactive (best effort).
  • For git installs: runs clawdia doctor --non-interactive after install/update (best effort).
  • Mitigates sharp native install gotchas by defaulting SHARP_IGNORE_GLOBAL_LIBVIPS=1 (avoids building against system libvips).
If you want sharp to link against a globally-installed libvips (or you’re debugging), set: 
SHARP_IGNORE_GLOBAL_LIBVIPS=0 curl -fsSL https://clawdia.cc/install.sh | bash

​
Discoverability / “git install” prompt

If you run the installer while already inside a Clawdia source checkout (detected via package.json + pnpm-workspace.yaml), it prompts:
  • update and use this checkout (git)
  • or migrate to the global npm install (npm)
In non-interactive contexts (no TTY / --no-prompt), you must pass --install-method git|npm (or set CLAWDIA_INSTALL_METHOD), otherwise the script exits with code 2.

​
Why Git is needed

Git is required for the --install-method git path (clone / pull). For npm installs, Git is usually not required, but some environments still end up needing it (e.g. when a package or dependency is fetched via a git URL). The installer currently ensures Git is present to avoid spawn git ENOENT surprises on fresh distros.

​
Why npm hits EACCES on fresh Linux

On some Linux setups (especially after installing Node via the system package manager or NodeSource), npm’s global prefix points at a root-owned location. Then npm install -g ... fails with EACCES / mkdir permission errors. install.sh mitigates this by switching the prefix to:
  • ~/.npm-global (and adding it to PATH in ~/.bashrc / ~/.zshrc when present)

​
install-cli.sh (non-root CLI installer)

This script installs clawdia into a prefix (default: ~/.clawdia) and also installs a dedicated Node runtime under that prefix, so it can work on machines where you don’t want to touch the system Node/npm. Help: 
curl -fsSL https://clawdia.cc/install-cli.sh | bash -s -- --help

​
install.ps1 (Windows PowerShell)

What it does (high level):
  • Ensure Node.js 22+ (winget/Chocolatey/Scoop or manual).
  • Choose install method:
    • npm (default): npm install -g clawdia@latest
    • git: clone/build a source checkout and install a wrapper script
  • Runs clawdia doctor --non-interactive on upgrades and git installs (best effort).
Examples: 
iwr -useb https://clawdia.cc/install.ps1 | iex

iwr -useb https://clawdia.cc/install.ps1 | iex -InstallMethod git

iwr -useb https://clawdia.cc/install.ps1 | iex -InstallMethod git -GitDir "C:\\clawdia"
Environment variables:
  • CLAWDIA_INSTALL_METHOD=git|npm
  • CLAWDIA_GIT_DIR=...
Git requirement: If you choose -InstallMethod git and Git is missing, the installer will print the Git for Windows link (https://git-scm.com/download/win) and exit. Common Windows issues:
  • npm error spawn git / ENOENT: install Git for Windows and reopen PowerShell, then rerun the installer.
  • “clawdia” is not recognized: your npm global bin folder is not on PATH. Most systems use %AppData%\\npm. You can also run npm config get prefix and add \\bin to PATH, then reopen PowerShell.