Installation
Install the Tensile CLI from npm and get it on your PATH.
The CLI is published to npm as @asymmetric-ai/hone-cli and is free to use. Install
it, make sure Docker is running, and you're ready to spin clones. Clone images are
pulled for free on first use — nothing is built locally.
Requirements
| Tool | Version | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Docker | running | Clones run as containers; spin shells out to docker and docker compose. |
| Node.js | >= 18 | Runs the CLI (npx / npm install -g). |
psql client | any | Only if you run hone env db and want a local shell; query runs psql inside the container, so it's optional. |
An ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is needed only for AI seeding.
Install
Run it with no install at all:
npx --package @asymmetric-ai/hone-cli hone env quickstartOr install it globally:
npm install -g @asymmetric-ai/hone-cliThe package installs the hone command (used throughout these docs);
environment commands live under hone env <cmd>. It also installs asym as a
deprecated alias for the retired standalone CLI — it prints a rename notice and
then delegates, so old scripts keep working.
Verify the install
hone --version
hone env doctordoctor reconciles your local registry against Docker and reports the basics:
home: /Users/you/.asymmetric (local)
docker: available
shared: postgres unknown
clones: 0 environments: 0If doctor runs, you're set. Head to the Quickstart.
Where state lives
The CLI keeps everything under ~/.asymmetric/:
| File | Holds |
|---|---|
config.json | Your profile, control-plane URL/token, and the port range (default 3000–3999). |
registry.json | Every clone and environment, with ids, ports, database names, state, and seed. Schema-versioned; migrated on read. |
Override the location with the ASYM_HOME environment variable — useful for
isolating CI runs from your local clones.