Install and setup

Install the Vibe CLI, run vibe in your project, and complete the setup prompt.

Tip

On a different surface? This page covers the CLI specifically. If you'd rather work inside your editor or against a remote repo, jump to VS Code extension or Vibe Code Web. See Choose CLI, VS Code, or web sessions for a side-by-side comparison.

Prerequisites

Before you install the CLI, make sure you have:

macOS, Linux, or Windows.
Python 3.12 or later for manual installation.
(Optional) a Mistral account to use Mistral-hosted models. The CLI also works fully offline with local models, or against any compatible API key you provide.

If you choose to use Mistral-hosted models, you have two ways to get an API key, depending on your plan:

With a Mistral plan (Free, Pro, or higher), Vibe Code is included; usage and rate limits apply.
With an API plan, you manage the API key yourself from the console.

Install the CLI

Use the one-line installer:

curl -LsSf https://mistral.ai/vibe/install.sh | bash

curl -LsSf https://mistral.ai/vibe/install.sh | bash

The installer:

Checks whether uv is installed and installs it if needed.
Installs or upgrades mistral-vibe with uv tool install or uv tool upgrade.
Makes the vibe and vibe-acp commands available, provided your PATH is configured.

If the installer reports that vibe is not on your PATH, add the displayed directory to your shell profile and restart your terminal.

Start Vibe in your project

Open a terminal in your project root and run:

vibe

vibe

On first launch, Vibe:

Creates a default configuration file at ~/.vibe/config.toml if it does not already exist.
Walks you through a setup wizard to register your API key.

Choose your access path

The setup wizard asks for an API key. Pick the path that matches your plan:

Sign in with a Mistral account: pick a Mistral plan (Free, Pro, or higher). Vibe Code is included; usage and rate limits apply, with pay-as-you-go beyond the included budget when available.
Use your API plan: generate an API key from Studio or use one you already manage.

Paste your API key when prompted. The wizard saves it for future sessions in the Vibe home directory. You can also set MISTRAL_API_KEY in your shell environment if you prefer not to use the interactive prompt.

Tip

You can rerun the setup wizard at any time using vibe --setup.

Verify the setup

Your setup is ready when:

vibe --version returns a version.
vibe opens the interactive terminal interface from your project root.
Vibe accepts a prompt without asking for an API key again.

Try a small first prompt:

Find TODO comments in this project.

Find TODO comments in this project.

Reset your configuration

If the CLI fails to start or behaves unexpectedly after editing the config, move the file aside and restart Vibe. A fresh ~/.vibe/config.toml is generated on the next launch:

mv ~/.vibe/config.toml ~/.vibe/config.toml.bkp
vibe

mv ~/.vibe/config.toml ~/.vibe/config.toml.bkp
vibe