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Installation

This guide covers different ways to install the Proton Pass CLI on your system.

Quick Install

The easiest way to install Proton Pass CLI is using the official installation script:

macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.sh | bash

Windows:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.ps1 -OutFile install.ps1; .\install.ps1

The installation script will:

  • Detect your operating system and architecture
  • Download the latest stable release
  • Verify the binary integrity
  • Install the binary to a directory in your PATH (or prompt you to add it)
  • Check for required system dependencies

Homebrew (macOS only)

If you're on macOS and use Homebrew, you can install Proton Pass CLI via our official tap:

brew install protonpass/tap/pass-cli

To update to the latest version:

brew update
brew upgrade pass-cli

Installing via Homebrew

When installed via Homebrew (or any package manager):

  • The pass-cli update command will not work: you must use brew upgrade pass-cli instead
  • Track switching is not available: you cannot switch between stable and beta tracks
  • Updates are managed entirely by Homebrew

Installation options

Custom installation directory

You can specify a custom installation directory:

macOS and Linux:

export PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_DIR=/custom/path
curl -fsSL https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.sh | bash

Windows:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.ps1 -OutFile install.ps1
$env:PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_DIR="C:\custom\path"; .\install.ps1

Beta channel

To install from the beta channel:

macOS and Linux:

export PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_CHANNEL=beta
curl -fsSL https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.sh | bash

# Or as a one-liner
curl -fsSL https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.sh | PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_CHANNEL=beta bash

Windows:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.ps1 -OutFile install.ps1
$env:PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_CHANNEL="beta"; .\install.ps1

Track Switching for Manual Installations

If you install the Pass CLI by selecting an install channel, you will automatically be switched to that release track. You can switch between tracks later or revert to the stable track using the update command.

Important: Track switching is only available for manual installations. If you install via a package manager, you cannot switch tracks.

System requirements

Supported platforms

  • macOS: Intel (x86_64) and Apple Silicon (arm64)
  • Linux: x86_64 and aarch64 architectures
  • Windows: x86_64 architectures

Dependencies

macOS:

  • curl and jq for the installation script

Linux:

  • curl and jq for the installation script

Windows:

  • No extra dependencies are needed.

Manual installation

If you prefer to install manually, you can download the binary listing file directly from:

https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/versions.json
  1. Download the versions listing file
  2. Download the appropriate binary for your platform
  3. (Optional but recommended): Verify the hash by running sha256sum on the binary you downloaded and compare it against the one listed in the versions listing file
  4. Make it executable (on Unix systems): chmod +x pass-cli
  5. Move it to a directory in your PATH (e.g., /usr/local/bin on Unix, or add to PATH on Windows)
  6. Verify installation: pass-cli --version

Verify installation

After installation, verify that the CLI is working:

macOS/Linux:

pass-cli --version

Windows:

pass-cli.exe --version

You should see the version number. If you get a "command not found" error, make sure the installation directory is in your PATH.

Shell completions

Proton Pass CLI can generate shell completion scripts on demand:

pass-cli completions <shell>

Supported shells: bash, zsh, and fish.

macOS and Linux

Bash:

mkdir -p ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions
pass-cli completions bash > ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/pass-cli

Zsh:

mkdir -p ~/.zfunc
pass-cli completions zsh > ~/.zfunc/_pass-cli

If ~/.zfunc is not in your fpath, add this to your ~/.zshrc:

fpath=(~/.zfunc $fpath)
autoload -Uz compinit && compinit

Fish:

mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions
pass-cli completions fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/pass-cli.fish

Windows

Shell support on Windows

The CLI currently generates completion scripts for bash, zsh, and fish. If you use Git Bash, you can install the Bash completion script with the same steps as in the macOS/Linux Bash section.

After installing completion scripts, restart your shell session.

Next steps

Once installed, proceed to the Getting started guide to learn how to authenticate and configure the CLI.