Beton CLI

BETON is a local-first command-line utility for everyday computer actions: opening apps and URLs, searching the web, saving notes, managing timers, reading the clipboard, and controlling supported system actions.

Install

After beton-cli is published to npm, install it globally with:

npm install -g beton-cli

Then verify the installation:

beton doctor
beton --version

The npm package is a cross-platform launcher. It downloads the matching official Beton source release from GitHub, creates an isolated Python virtual environment in the user data directory, and installs the Python backend there. Python 3.10 or newer is required; Git is not required for the npm path. Node.js 18 or newer and npm are also required.

Windows PowerShell and Command Prompt

The npm workflow does not require Activate.ps1, an execution-policy change, or a VS Code terminal. Install from ordinary PowerShell or Command Prompt:

npm install -g beton-cli
beton doctor
beton note "installed from npm"

If Windows reports that Python is missing, install Python 3.10+ from python.org and rerun the npm command. The Python launcher (py) is supported automatically.

Updating

For an npm-installed Beton instance, use:

beton version --upgrade

The wrapper updates itself through npm and then refreshes the matching Python runtime. You can also update directly with:

npm install -g beton-cli@latest

A source-checkout installation continues to use Beton’s Git-based upgrade flow.

Source installation

The npm channel is the recommended one-line installation method. Beton remains available from the source repository for contributors and users who prefer a Git checkout:

git clone --branch v0.5.0 --depth 1 https://github.com/itsjustayush/beton-cli.git
cd beton-cli
python3 -m venv .venv
. .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install -e .

See the complete documentation at beton-cli.vercel.app/documentation.

License

MIT © Ayush Bhattacharya and BETON contributors.