Get Started with the CLI

This tutorial shows you how to install the Done Bear CLI, authenticate with OAuth, choose a workspace, and create your first task. When you finish, you will have a working donebear command and a repeatable terminal workflow.

Before you begin

• Install Node.js 18 or newer.
• Make sure you can open a browser on the same machine where you run the CLI.

1. Install the CLI

Run:

npm install -g @donebear/cli
donebear --version

You can also inspect the available commands right away:

donebear --help
donebear spec

2. Sign in

Run:

donebear auth login

The CLI opens your browser and waits for the OAuth callback on http://127.0.0.1:8787/auth/callback.

If you need to copy the URL into a browser yourself, run:

donebear auth login --no-open

If the default callback port is busy, run:

donebear auth login --port 8788 --timeout 300

3. Verify your auth state

Run:

donebear auth status --json
donebear whoami

auth status confirms whether the CLI is using a stored session, an explicit token, or no auth at all.

4. Pick a workspace

List the workspaces you can access:

donebear workspace list

Set the default workspace:

donebear workspace use personal
donebear workspace current

You can still target another workspace later with --workspace or the workspace=<slug> prefix.

5. Create your first task

Run:

donebear task add "Ship the new docs" --when today
donebear task list --state open
donebear task done <task-id>

For a task with more fields, run:

donebear task add "Review API docs" \
  --when anytime \
  --deadline 2026-03-20 \
  --notes "Check REST and GraphQL examples." \
  --json

6. Explore the rest of the surface

Use the machine-readable command spec when you need exact flags:

donebear spec task add
donebear spec import things

Use the workspace snapshot when you want a compact summary for automation or agents:

donebear context --json
donebear context --markdown

Next steps

• Read CLI overview for the full command surface.
• Read Automate with tokens, JSON, and context if you want CI or agent workflows.
• Use Command reference when you need supported flags and aliases.