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sentry cli setup

Configures shell integration for the Sentry CLI, including PATH modification, shell completions, and agent skills for AI coding assistants.

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Usage

sentry cli setup [flags]
This command is called automatically by the install script, but can also be run manually after downloading the binary.

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What It Does

The setup command performs the following steps:
  1. PATH Configuration - Adds the binary directory to your shell’s PATH (if not already present)
  2. Shell Completions - Installs tab completion scripts for your shell (bash, zsh, fish)
  3. Agent Skills - Installs skill files for AI coding assistants (e.g., Claude Code)
  4. Installation Metadata - Records installation method and version for upgrade functionality

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Flags

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Installation

  • --install - Install the binary from a temp location to the system path (used by install script)
  • --method <method> - Record installation method (curl, npm, pnpm, bun, yarn, brew)
  • --channel <channel> - Persist release channel (stable or nightly)

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Configuration Control

  • --no-modify-path - Skip PATH modification
  • --no-completions - Skip shell completion installation
  • --no-agent-skills - Skip agent skill installation for AI coding assistants

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Output

  • --quiet - Suppress output (for scripted usage)

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Examples

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Auto-detect and Configure

sentry cli setup
Detects your shell and configures everything automatically.

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Record Install Method

sentry cli setup --method curl
Useful after a manual download to enable sentry cli upgrade.

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Place Binary and Configure (Install Script Flow)

sentry cli setup --install --method curl --channel stable
Moves the binary from a temp location and configures the environment.

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Skip PATH Modification

sentry cli setup --no-modify-path
Useful if you manage PATH manually or use a custom installation directory.

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Skip Completions

sentry cli setup --no-completions
Skips shell completion installation (faster for CI/CD environments).

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Skip Agent Skills

sentry cli setup --no-agent-skills
Skips AI coding assistant integration.

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Quiet Mode (For Scripts)

sentry cli setup --quiet
Suppresses all output, useful for automated installation scripts.

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Shell Support

Setup automatically detects your shell and configures it appropriately:

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Supported Shells (Completions)

  • bash - Installs to ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/sentry
  • zsh - Installs to ~/.zsh/completions/_sentry (may require fpath configuration)
  • fish - Installs to ~/.config/fish/completions/sentry.fish

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Unsupported Shells (Bash Fallback)

For shells without native completion support (xonsh, nushell, etc.), setup installs bash completions as a fallback since many shells can load bash completion scripts.

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Shell Config Files

PATH modification is added to the appropriate config file:
  • bash - ~/.bashrc
  • zsh - ~/.zshrc
  • fish - ~/.config/fish/config.fish

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AI Agent Integration

Setup automatically detects supported AI coding assistants and installs skill files:

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Supported Agents

  • Claude Code - Installs to ~/.config/claude-code/plugins/sentry-cli/skill.md
Skill files are version-pinned to ensure the AI agent has accurate command reference for your installed version.

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GitHub Actions Integration

When running in GitHub Actions, setup automatically adds the binary directory to $GITHUB_PATH, making the CLI available to subsequent workflow steps without manual PATH modification.

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Installation Metadata

The --method flag records how you installed the CLI, which enables:
  • Automatic upgrade via sentry cli upgrade using the same method
  • Version checking against the appropriate package registry

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Best-Effort Behavior

All configuration steps after binary installation are best-effort:
  • Permission errors (e.g., root-owned config directories) produce warnings but don’t fail the command
  • Failed steps are logged to stderr
  • The binary is functional even if post-install steps fail
This is especially important for:
  • Homebrew post-install hooks (may run as root)
  • Restricted environments (CI/CD, containers)
  • Systems with custom directory permissions

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Environment Variables

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Read by Setup

  • SHELL - Detected shell type (e.g., /bin/bash, /bin/zsh)
  • HOME - User home directory
  • XDG_CONFIG_HOME - Config directory (falls back to ~/.config)
  • XDG_DATA_HOME - Data directory (falls back to ~/.local/share)
  • PATH - Current PATH (checked for existing binary location)
  • GITHUB_PATH - GitHub Actions PATH file (auto-detected)
  • SENTRY_INSTALL_DIR - Override install directory (advanced usage)

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Set by Setup (GitHub Actions)

  • Appends to $GITHUB_PATH when running in GitHub Actions

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Welcome Message

On fresh install (not upgrades), setup displays a welcome message with quick-start commands: 
Installed sentry v0.5.0 to /Users/you/.local/bin/sentry

Get started:
  sentry auth login  Authenticate with Sentry
  sentry --help      See all available commands

https://cli.sentry.dev