Get Started
Up and running in five minutes.
One install command. One init. Then governed AI execution with a full audit trail from the first keystroke.
Governed execution
Every action proposed by the model is evaluated against policy, approved by you, and bound to a permit before execution.
Audit chain
An append-only, cryptographically-linked event log records every proposal, approval decision, permit, and execution outcome.
Operator authority
Approval is human-gated. No action executes without a permit issued after explicit operator decision.
Requirements
| OS | macOS 13+, Ubuntu 20.04+, Windows 10 (1809+) |
| Architecture | x86-64 or arm64 |
| RAM | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended |
| Disk | 200 MB for binary and database |
| Network | Required for provider calls |
| Provider | API key for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or a local model endpoint |
Installation
Choose your trust level. All tiers install the same binary — the difference is how much you verify the install script before running it.
Convenience Install
Executes the install script without prior verification
macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell)
irm https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.ps1 | iex
Executes the script immediately without integrity verification. Use Tier 2 or 3 for environments where script integrity must be confirmed before execution.
Inspectable Install
Download, review, then execute
macOS / Linux
curl -O https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.sh less install.sh bash install.sh
Verified Install
RecommendedSHA-256 integrity check before execution
macOS / Linux
curl -O https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.sh curl -O https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.sh.sha256 sha256sum -c install.sh.sha256 bash install.sh
SHA-256 verifies integrity during transfer — it confirms the script was not modified in transit. It does not verify source authenticity.
Need Homebrew, direct download, or source build? Full install options →
First run
Two commands to get from install to governed session.
Initialize your workspace
$ syndicate init
Creates .syndicate/ in your project directory — the workspace state database, config, and context file.
Launch the TUI
$ syndicate
On first launch, the onboarding wizard runs automatically. It walks through provider selection and API key configuration, then exits into the full five-pane TUI.
Verify installation
syndicate doctor
syndicate --version
Headless and CI usage
Skip the TUI for scripted or CI environments:
syndicate run --no-tui --objective "summarize dependency drift" --output json
In headless mode, mandatory checkpoints produce denial output and exit code 2. Use --checkpoint never to skip checkpoints where policy allows, or --dry-run to evaluate policy without executing.
What Syndicate Code does not do
Not a security product. It records and governs — it does not prevent harm if operators approve harmful actions.
Not fire-and-forget. Governance quality is proportional to operator attention. Approvals bind you to outcomes.
Not a compliance checkbox. Attribution is only valid if enforcement boundaries are respected end-to-end.
Not a correctness guarantee. A clean audit chain proves governance behavior — not model-output correctness.
Next steps
How do I install Syndicate Code?
Run: curl -fsSL https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.sh | bash (macOS/Linux) or irm https://install.syndicatecode.ca/install.ps1 | iex (Windows PowerShell). Then run syndicate init to initialize your workspace, and syndicate to launch the TUI and complete onboarding.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Tier 1, 2, and 3 install?
All tiers install the same binary. Tier 1 executes the install script immediately. Tier 2 downloads the script first so you can inspect it. Tier 3 additionally verifies the script's SHA-256 integrity checksum before execution. Tier 3 is recommended.
What do I need before installing?
A model provider API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or another supported provider). The onboarding wizard prompts for configuration on first run. No server or external infrastructure required for local deployment.
What does syndicate init do?
syndicate init creates the .syndicate/ directory in your project root — including the control plane database (control.db), workspace config, and context file. You only need to run this once per workspace.
How do I use Syndicate Code without a terminal UI?
Pass --no-tui to any syndicate run command. In headless mode, mandatory checkpoints produce denial output and exit code 2. Use --output json for machine-readable output in CI pipelines.