Install

Choose the environment where you normally launch your AI coding host. WSL and native Windows have separate home directories and host config files, so install Flywheel in the same environment that starts Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another host.

The canonical local install for macOS, Linux, and WSL uses the Flywheel installer:

curl -fsSL https://flywheel.paradigma.inc/install | sh

The installer places the CLI in the managed user prefix ${FLYWHEEL_INSTALL_PREFIX:-$HOME/.local}, updates PATH when needed, and starts guided setup.

After installation, use flywheel help for the command list or browse the CLI reference for generated command pages.

Windows with WSL

Use this path when your normal AI coding workflow starts inside WSL.

From PowerShell, install WSL if needed:

wsl --install

Restart Windows if the installer asks you to, then launch your distro from the Start menu or from PowerShell:

wsl -d Ubuntu

To inspect or choose a distro:

wsl --list --online
wsl --install -d Ubuntu
wsl -l -v
wsl -d Ubuntu

Inside the WSL distro, install Node.js 20+ and npm. Node.js and npm installed only on the Windows side are not available to the WSL installer.

Then run the Linux installer inside WSL:

curl -fsSL https://flywheel.paradigma.inc/install | sh

Flywheel writes WSL-side config, so launch your AI coding host from the same WSL environment. If browser auth does not open automatically from WSL, copy the printed approval URL and setup code into your Windows browser.

Native Windows PowerShell

Use this path when your normal AI coding workflow starts in native PowerShell, Command Prompt, or a native Windows desktop app.

$prefix = "$env:USERPROFILE\.local"
npm install -g --prefix $prefix @paradigma-inc/flywheel@latest
$userPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
if (($userPath -split ";") -notcontains $prefix) {
  $nextUserPath = if ($userPath) { "$prefix;$userPath" } else { $prefix }
  [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $nextUserPath, "User")
}
if (($env:Path -split ";") -notcontains $prefix) {
  $env:Path = "$prefix;$env:Path"
}

# MCP host wiring for native Windows hosts
& "$prefix\flywheel.cmd" setup --mode mcp

Use --mode mcp when your native Windows host should call Flywheel tools directly. Use --mode cli instead when your workflow should call the flywheel binary directly and you do not want MCP host config written.

Do not install in both WSL and native Windows unless you intentionally want two separate Flywheel setups.

MCP mode

curl -fsSL https://flywheel.paradigma.inc/install | sh -s -- --mode mcp

Use MCP mode when your host should call Flywheel tools natively. On native Windows, use the PowerShell command in the section above instead of the POSIX curl | sh installer.

CLI mode

curl -fsSL https://flywheel.paradigma.inc/install | sh -s -- --mode cli

Use CLI mode when your workflow should call the flywheel binary directly. See flywheel setup for the full setup flag reference.

Uninstall

curl -fsSL https://flywheel.paradigma.inc/uninstall | sh

Uninstall removes local Flywheel runtime files and host wiring. It does not delete remote account data, graphs, nodes, artifacts, billing data, GitHub connections, or remote resources. See flywheel uninstall for the full uninstall flag reference.