Install the CLI

The CLI is distributed as two programs: uniclip, which you run, and uniclipd, the background service it talks to. Keep them from the same release and in the same installation directory. You normally never run uniclipd yourself.

Recommended: npm

The npm package supports macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, Linux on arm64 and x64, and Windows on x64. It requires Node.js 18 or later.

# Stable channel
npm install -g @uniclipboard/cli

# Preview channel
npm install -g @uniclipboard/cli@alpha

The installer selects the package for your operating system and processor and keeps uniclip and uniclipd together. Do not install with --omit=optional or --no-optional; those options omit the programs.

Verify the installation:

uniclip --version
uniclip --help

If the shell cannot find uniclip, open a new terminal and check that npm's global binary directory is on PATH.

Update or remove

# Update the stable channel
npm install -g @uniclipboard/cli@latest

# Update the preview channel
npm install -g @uniclipboard/cli@alpha

# Remove the CLI and daemon programs
npm uninstall -g @uniclipboard/cli

Removing the package does not erase your UniClipboard data. Data removal is a separate, destructive action.

Homebrew on macOS

The Homebrew formula follows the stable release line and may lag preview releases. The npm package is the recommended way to follow the CLI described in these pages.

brew tap UniClipboard/tap
brew trust UniClipboard/tap  # Homebrew 6.0+, one-time
brew install uniclipboard

After installation, run uniclip --version. If a command documented here is missing, the formula is still on an older stable release; use the npm preview channel or download a matching preview archive instead.

Download a release archive

Every CLI release also publishes a standalone archive on GitHub Releases. Its name starts with uniclipboard-cli- and includes the version and target.

1. Download the archive for your operating system and processor.
2. Extract both uniclip and uniclipd (or both .exe files on Windows).
3. Put both files in the same directory.
4. Add that directory to PATH.

On macOS or Linux, make both files executable if your archive tool did not preserve permissions:

chmod +x uniclip uniclipd

Stable and preview channels

• Use the stable channel when you prefer fewer changes and commands supported by the current stable release.
• Use the alpha channel when following the current documentation and testing features before their stable release.
• Do not mix uniclip and uniclipd from different versions. Reinstall or replace both together when switching channels.

Continue with Getting started after uniclip --version and uniclip --help both work.