---
title: "Hamster OSS CLI (system)"
description: "Install system, the Hamster OSS CLI, with one curl command. It checks a signed release catalog and installs a build for macOS on Apple silicon or Linux on x86-64."
canonical: "https://tryhamster.dev/cli"
last-updated: "2026-11-05"
---

# Hamster OSS CLI

> Install system, the Hamster OSS CLI, with one curl command. It checks a signed release catalog and installs a build for macOS on Apple silicon or Linux on x86-64.

*`system` is the Hamster OSS command-line tool. It installs, starts, stops and updates Hamster OSS on your own machine or server.*

## Install

```sh
curl -fsSL https://dl.tryhamster.dev/install.sh | sh
```

The script downloads the release catalog from `https://dl.tryhamster.dev/channels/tracks.json` and checks its signature against a public key built into the script. It downloads the `system` build for your platform, checks its size and SHA-256 against the catalog, and copies it to `bin/system` under `~/.local`. It needs `curl`, `openssl`, `python3` and `tar`.

The CLI ships only through this script today; it isn't on npm, PyPI or Homebrew.

## Platforms

- `darwin-arm64` — macOS on Apple silicon
- `linux-amd64` — Linux on x86-64

The installer also recognizes `linux-arm64`, but no release track has a build for it yet.

The script installs only a build made for your exact platform. If the release track you chose has none, the script stops.

## Release tracks and install location

The catalog has three tracks: `general-release`, `early-release` and `developer-preview`. The script installs `general-release` under `~/.local` unless you choose otherwise: set the track with `SYSTEM_TRACK` or `--track`, and the install directory with `SYSTEM_PREFIX` or `--prefix`.

```sh
curl -fsSL https://dl.tryhamster.dev/install.sh | sh -s -- --track early-release --prefix "$HOME/.local"
curl -fsSL https://dl.tryhamster.dev/install.sh | SYSTEM_TRACK=early-release sh
```

Run the script with `--help` for its usage.

## First commands

```sh
system install
system status
system update --track general-release
```

`system install` sets up a complete installation, native by default; `docker` and `cloud` are the other options. `system start`, `system stop` and `system status` manage it afterwards. Run `system` with no arguments for the full command list.

To connect an agent to a hosted instance instead, see [Hamster OSS MCP server](https://tryhamster.dev/docs/mcp).