Local CLI

Use the CLI when you want Ernest to inspect local work before opening or updating a pull request.

The CLI uses the same Ernest account as the dashboard. Authenticate once, then run inspections from a Git repository.

Install

Install the latest CLI release:

curl -fsSL https://ernest.kubeply.com/install.sh | sh

Confirm the binary is available:

ernest --version

Authenticate

Run device authentication:

ernest auth login

Ernest tries to open GitHub in your browser and prints a one-time code. If the browser does not open, use the URL shown in the terminal, approve the device flow, then return to the terminal.

Inspect a worktree

From a Git repository, run:

ernest inspect .

Ernest prepares a temporary inspection branch from your current changes, uploads the review context, runs the hosted inspection, and prints the result.

Expected output

A clean inspection looks like this:

Base main | Branch feature-branch | files changed: 2

Findings: none

When Ernest finds issues, each finding is shown with a severity label, title, explanation, and file location.

Use JSON output when another tool needs to parse the result:

ernest inspect . --format json

Working tree rules

Ernest refuses to inspect unexpected untracked files because they are easy to include by accident.

If a new file should be inspected, add it intentionally:

git add path/to/file
ernest inspect .

If a file should not be inspected, remove it or add it to .gitignore.

Common options

ernest inspect .
ernest inspect . --base origin/main
ernest inspect . --format json

Most users should start with ernest inspect . and let Ernest choose the pull request-style base automatically.

When to use the CLI

Use the CLI before pushing when you want feedback on a local change. Use the GitHub App review when the change is already in a pull request and should be visible to the whole team.