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The Veto CLI provides both interactive and headless workflows for managing AI agent safety policies.

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Installation Methods

Install globally to use the veto command from anywhere: 
npm install -g veto-cli
Verify installation: 
veto version

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Run Without Installing

Use npx to run the latest version without installing: 
npx veto-cli@latest
This is useful for:
  • Trying Veto without committing to an install
  • CI/CD pipelines that need the latest version
  • One-off commands on different machines

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Project-Local Install

Install as a dev dependency in your project: 
npm install --save-dev veto-cli
Add scripts to your package.json: 
{
  "scripts": {
    "veto": "veto",
    "veto:studio": "veto studio",
    "veto:scan": "veto scan --fail-uncovered"
  }
}
Run via npm scripts: 
npm run veto:studio

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System Requirements

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Node.js Version

Node.js 20 or higher is required. Check your Node.js version: 
node --version
If you need to upgrade, use nvm or download from nodejs.org.

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Terminal Requirements

For the best experience with Veto Studio (interactive TUI):
  • Terminal emulator with 256-color support
  • Minimum dimensions: 80 columns × 24 rows
  • Recommended: 120 columns × 40 rows or larger

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Supported Platforms

  • ✅ macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
  • ✅ Linux (x64, arm64)
  • ✅ Windows (via WSL2 or Git Bash)
  • ⚠️ Windows CMD/PowerShell (limited - ANSI fallback renderer)

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Verify Installation

Run the doctor command to check your setup: 
veto doctor
Expected output: 
Veto Doctor
===========

✓ Runtime: Node.js v20.11.0
✓ Veto directory: /path/to/project/veto
✓ Config file: veto.config.yaml
✓ Rules loaded: 12 rules from 3 files

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First Run

After installation, initialize Veto in your project: 
veto init
This creates: 
veto/
  veto.config.yaml    # Main configuration
  rules/
    defaults.yaml     # Default rules
  .env.example        # Example environment variables
Launch the interactive Studio: 
veto studio

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Configuration

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Environment Variables

Veto reads configuration from environment variables: 
# Cloud mode (optional)
VETO_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
VETO_API_URL=https://api.veto.so

# Local mode (default)
# No environment variables needed
Create a .env file in your project: 
cp veto/.env.example .env

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Renderer Selection

Veto Studio supports multiple renderers: 
# Auto-detect (default)
veto studio

# Force Ink renderer (best for most terminals)
veto studio --renderer ink

# Force ANSI renderer (fallback for limited terminals)
veto studio --renderer ansi

# Force OpenTUI renderer (experimental)
veto studio --renderer opentui

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Theme Selection

# Default Veto theme
veto studio

# Claude theme
veto studio --theme claude

# High contrast theme
veto studio --theme high-contrast

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Updating

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Global Install

npm update -g veto-cli

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Project-Local Install

npm update veto-cli

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Check for Updates

veto version
npm view veto-cli version

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Troubleshooting

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Command Not Found

If veto is not found after global install: 
# Check npm global bin directory
npm bin -g

# Add to PATH (bash/zsh)
export PATH="$(npm bin -g):$PATH"

# Add to PATH (fish)
set -gx PATH (npm bin -g) $PATH

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Permission Errors

If you get EACCES errors during global install: 
# Option 1: Use nvm (recommended)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

# Option 2: Fix npm permissions
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

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Studio Rendering Issues

If Veto Studio doesn’t render correctly: 
# Try ANSI renderer
veto studio --renderer ansi

# Check terminal size
tput cols  # Should be >= 80
tput lines # Should be >= 24

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Node Version Issues

# Check Node version
node --version

# Should be >= 20.0.0
# Install/upgrade with nvm:
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

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Uninstall

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Global Install

npm uninstall -g veto-cli

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Project-Local Install

npm uninstall veto-cli
Remove Veto files: 
rm -rf veto/
rm ~/.veto/cloud-session.json  # If using cloud

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Next Steps

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