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The tensor9 CLI is the primary tool for managing your Tensor9 BYOC control plane, publishing origin stacks, creating releases, and managing appliances.

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Prerequisites

No separate Java installation is required - the CLI bundles its own runtime.

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Installation

This installs the CLI with a bundled Java runtime. No other dependencies needed. Homebrew 7 and later loads formulae from third-party taps only after you trust the tap, so brew trust is needed once per machine, including on machines that installed the CLI earlier and now run brew upgrade tensor9.

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Shell script

Alternatively, install via the install script:

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Authenticate

Get your API key, then export it and set up your control plane:
Setup writes a controller profile to ~/.tensor9/config.json as your default, so later commands need no API key or profile options.

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Updating

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Homebrew

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Shell script

Run the install script again:
It replaces the installed CLI with the latest release and leaves your account configuration, profiles and enrolled identity in place. If you installed with a custom T9_INSTALL_DIR, set the same value again when you rerun it.

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Uninstallation

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Homebrew

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Shell script

The shell installer puts the command in ~/.tensor9/bin/tensor9 by default. If you chose a custom T9_INSTALL_DIR when installing, use that directory instead. For the default installation, confirm that this is the launcher installed by the shell script, then remove only that file:
Remove the corresponding ~/.tensor9/bin entry that the installer added to your shell’s PATH, then open a new terminal. For a custom installation, remove its corresponding bin entry instead. Keep your account configuration, profiles and enrolled identity so you can use them if you reinstall. Do not delete the whole ~/.tensor9 directory. This removes the command while retaining its bundled Java runtime and downloaded jars. Those files may share the installation directory with other Tensor9 tools. If you need to reclaim that space, contact Tensor9 to identify which runtime files belong only to this installation before removing them.

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Platform support

The tensor9 CLI is supported on:
  • macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel)
  • Linux (arm64 and amd64)
Windows users can use the CLI through WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

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Environment variables

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Common installation issues

Problem: tensor9: command not found after installation.Solution: If installed via Homebrew, try opening a new terminal. If the issue persists, ensure the Homebrew bin directory is in your PATH:
For Homebrew on Apple Silicon, the default path is /opt/homebrew/bin. For Intel Macs and Linux, it is /usr/local/bin.
Problem: “API key required” or authentication errors.Solution:
  1. Run tensor9 whoami. After control-plane setup, it reports your vendor through your default controller profile.
  2. Before control-plane setup, export your key again as described in Export your API key.
  3. Do not print the key or store it in a shell profile. Contact [email protected] if authentication still fails.

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What’s next?

After installing the CLI:
  1. Set up your control plane: Follow the Quick Start guide
  2. Learn common workflows: See Common Workflows for typical tasks
  3. Reference documentation: Check the CLI Reference for all commands

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Getting help

If you encounter issues:
  • Run tensor9 help to see available commands
  • Run tensor9 <command> -help for command-specific help
  • Contact support at [email protected]