Installation & Setup
Relevant source files
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Scoutline provides an agent-first Command Line Interface (CLI) for multimodal source investigation. You use it to perform web research, repository exploration, and visual media analysis with built-in provider routing and caching. The system supports installation via npm or local development builds.
Sources: packages/scoutline/tests/agent-registration-docs.test.js:33-40, packages/scoutline/package.json:3-5
System Requirements
You must meet the following technical requirements before installing the project.
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Runtime Environment | Node.js version 24.0.0 or higher |
| Package Manager | npm |
| Build Tools | TypeScript Compiler (tsc) |
Sources: packages/scoutline/package.json:30-32, packages/scoutline/package.json:52
Standard Installation
You install the stable version of Scoutline directly from the npm registry. This provides the scoutline binary for your shell.
NPM Install
npm install -g scoutline
The package manifest specifies bin/scoutline.js as the executable entry point. After installation, you run scoutline --help to verify the command surface and available flags.
Sources: packages/scoutline/package.json:6-8, packages/scoutline/tests/agent-registration-docs.test.js:39-40
Initialization & Agent Registration
Once installed, you run the initialization wizard to configure the CLI.
- Run
scoutline init. - The wizard detects available agent tools.
- Register with detected tools to enable agent-first research capabilities.
- If needed, use
scoutline init --unregisterto reverse the registration.
Sources: packages/scoutline/tests/agent-registration-docs.test.js:146-160
Development Setup
For developers contributing to the project or building from source, follow these steps to set up the local environment.
Setup Procedure
- Clone and Navigate: Navigate to the package directory.
cd packages/scoutline - Install Dependencies: Fetch required node modules.
npm install - Build: Compile the TypeScript source into the
dist/directory.npm run build - Test: Execute the test suite to ensure environment integrity.
npm test
Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:5-10, RELEASING.md:15-18
Build and Test Architecture
The following diagram illustrates the workflow for setting up a development environment from source code to verified build.
The build process triggers a script to generate vision revisions before invoking the TypeScript compiler.
Sources: packages/scoutline/package.json:19-25, CONTRIBUTING.md:5-10
Configuration and Credentials
Scoutline manages settings and artifacts within a specific directory structure.
Config Root
The default configuration root is located at ~/.scoutline. You can override this by setting the SCOUTLINE_CONFIG_DIR environment variable.
Sources: packages/scoutline/tests/package.test.js:215-217
Artifacts and Backups
- Artifacts Store: Located at
<ConfigRoot>/artifactsor defined bySCOUTLINE_ARTIFACTS_DIR. - Backups: During configuration changes, the system creates
.scoutline-bakfiles. These are intended for disaster recovery only and should not be used as a manual uninstall mechanic.
Sources: packages/scoutline/tests/agent-registration-docs.test.js:168-175
Release Verification
Before publishing or deploying a new version, the system requires an offline verification gate.
The verification process ensures that the dist/index.js surface loads without side effects and that all devDependencies, such as mmx-cli version 1.0.16, are pinned exactly.
Sources: RELEASING.md:10-33, packages/scoutline/tests/package.test.js:14-25
Summary
Installation of Scoutline is achieved through a standard global npm install or a local TypeScript build process. The setup includes an initialization wizard for agent registration and requires Node.js 24+. Configuration is managed via the ~/.scoutline directory or environment variable overrides, ensuring that research artifacts and credentials remain isolated and secure.