Install the CLI and connect an MCP client

Verified Apple-silicon installation and explicit repository-scoped MCP access.

CLI and MCP setup

CodeVetter runs locally on Apple-silicon macOS 14 or later. The CLI and MCP server need no CodeVetter account. An agent client may have its own account requirements. MCP exposes existing evidence read-only; it does not execute checks or run an agent on your behalf.

Install without opening the desktop app

Review the installer, then run:

curl --fail --silent --show-error --location \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Codevetter/codevetter/main/scripts/install-cli.sh \
  | bash

The installer verifies the GitHub release SHA-256 digest, CodeVetter’s Developer ID signature and macOS Gatekeeper acceptance before installing. It preserves the signed app payload and runtime resources under ~/.local/share/codevetter/<version>/; only codevetter and codevetter-mcp are linked into ~/.local/bin. It never launches the app or changes shell startup files. This is a headless install of the qualified app payload, not a claim that a stripped binary has all required resources.

Add ~/.local/bin to your shell’s PATH if needed, or use the full paths:

~/.local/bin/codevetter --version
~/.local/bin/codevetter capabilities --json

Set CODEVETTER_PREFIX to choose another absolute installation directory and CODEVETTER_VERSION to pin a stable release. Existing unrelated commands are never replaced. Upgrades retain older version payloads; reinstalling the same version stops without changing it. Download staging directories are retained for inspection, and the installer prints their exact path.

Prepare one repository

The new --index-history option is unreleased. Version 1.14.1 requires opening the repository in the app and selecting Index history first; after that, the existing mcp --enable command works. Do not run the new flag against 1.14.1 and infer successful setup from an error.

With a build containing the headless index option, change into the repository you want to expose and run:

codevetter mcp --repo "$PWD" --index-history --enable --json > codevetter-mcp-setup.json

This builds the bounded local history index using the same engine as the app, then explicitly enables one repository’s opaque MCP scope. It does not fetch from Git remotes, install dependencies, run project scripts or call a model. Without --enable, indexing alone leaves access disabled. Re-run indexing after the repository changes; unavailable or incomplete evidence stays marked.

The receipt contains settings.enabled, settings.indexed, settings.stale and a generated settings.client_config. Use the generated command and arguments exactly: --repo-id is an opaque identifier, not a filesystem path. The receipt contains machine-local paths; keep it private and out of Git.

Claude Code

From that repository, register the generated entry in local scope:

claude mcp add-json --scope local codevetter-history \
  "$(plutil -extract settings.client_config.mcpServers.codevetter-history json \
    -o - codevetter-mcp-setup.json)"
claude mcp get codevetter-history

Alternatively, merge settings.client_config.mcpServers into the client’s existing .mcp.json; preserve other servers. Do not overwrite a populated configuration with the full receipt. The equivalent entry has this shape:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codevetter-history": {
      "command": "/absolute/install/path/CodeVetter.app/Contents/MacOS/codevetter-mcp",
      "args": ["--database", "/absolute/path/codevetter.db", "--repo-id", "generated-id"]
    }
  }
}

Reconnect the client, inspect its MCP tool list, and ask it to call capability_catalog. Successful registration alone is not a successful tool call. The automated fresh-database test exercises initialization, tools/list and a real catalog call using the built CLI and server; it does not claim a live authenticated Claude conversation. A separate empty Claude configuration directory was also registered with add-json; claude mcp get reported Connected, without opening an app or requesting account signup.

Revoke access

codevetter mcp --repo "$PWD" --disable --json
claude mcp remove --scope local codevetter-history

Disable the scope before removing the client entry. Existing server processes recheck access. Each additional repository requires its own enable step and generated entry. See the MCP reference for tools, redaction, freshness and response limits.