Get started
Install Lineman
One command installs the lineman CLI, adds the plugin to Claude Code, and signs you in. It takes about a minute, and you only do it once per machine.
Install in one command
Run this in any terminal. It is safe to re-run: it repairs a broken install rather than duplicating one.
npx -y @lineman-io/cli@latest setupWhat the installer does
- 1Preflight checks. Confirms your machine has what Lineman needs before changing anything.
- 2Installs the lineman command. A small wrapper you can run instead of
claude. - 3Installs the plugin for Claude Code. This is the part that compresses large tool results.
- 4Signs you in. Your browser opens, you approve, and a token is written to your machine.
- 5Verifies everything works and prints what it found.
Where your settings live
Everything Lineman stores about you sits in ~/.lineman/config.json, shared by every session on that machine. It holds your sign-in token, your account id and your plan. Delete the file and the next sign-in recreates it.
Session logs go to ~/.lineman/mcp.log. That is the first place to look if something is not behaving.
Installing from inside Claude Code
If you would rather not leave your session, you can add Lineman from the Claude Code plugin marketplace instead. This installs the plugin only, without the lineman wrapper.
claude plugin marketplace add https://lineman.io/marketplace.jsonclaude plugin install lineman@linemanThen reload plugins and sign in with /lineman:auth.
Check it worked
This prints a checklist: whether the plugin is running, whether your token is present and valid, whether your plan was recognised, whether the hooks are installed, and how fast the last call was.
npx -y @lineman-io/cli@latest doctorWhat you get without paying
Installing is free and so is cost reporting. Every plan, including Free, sends usage so your spend appears in the Cost Explorer. The token-saving compressor is the part that needs a paid plan.