Installing
You can install Bob Shell with an installation script or your package manager.
System requirements
Operating systems
macOS, Linux, or Windows
Memory
Minimum 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)
Storage
Minimum 500 MB available disk space
Network
Active internet connection
Node.js
Version 22.15.0 or later
Installation
Bob Shell 2.0.0 requires a fresh install. Currently there is no automated upgrade path from 1.0.x. Your existing settings and configurations will be preserved during the install.
Choose to install Bob Shell with an installation script or your package manager.
Using installation scripts
Select your operating system, then copy and run the command to install Bob Shell.
curl -fsSL https://bob.ibm.com/download/bobshell.sh | bashcurl -fsSL https://bob.ibm.com/download/bobshell.sh | bashpowershell -c "irm -Uri https://bob.ibm.com/download/bobshell.ps1 | iex"Installing from the downloaded package
If you have manually downloaded the Bob Shell package from the Releases page, you can install it by using one of the following package managers:
You must revise the following commands to use the actual path where you downloaded the file.
You must run the following Windows commands with PowerShell.
Authentication
Bob Shell uses the same login entry point as all other Bob clients: bob.ibm.com/login. When you first run Bob Shell, or after your session expires, Bob opens your browser to this page.
For a full overview of how login works, including IBMid, SSO, and session management, see Signing in.
Choose from 2 authentication methods, depending on your use case.
| Method | Use case | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| SSO / IBMid | Interactive sessions | Valid IBMid or corporate SSO account, browser access |
| API key | Automation, CI/CD pipelines, non-interactive environments | API key from the Bob web portal, environment variable |
SSO / IBMid authentication (default)
When Bob Shell needs to authenticate, it opens bob.ibm.com/login in your browser. Enter your IBMid email address and click Continue to be routed to the right identity provider automatically.
- If your organization has configured SSO, you are redirected to your company's login page.
- Otherwise, you are redirected to IBMid.
After completing authentication in your browser, return to Bob Shell. Your session is established automatically.
API key authentication
API key authentication is ideal for automation, CI/CD pipelines, and non-interactive environments where browser-based authentication is not available.
Create an API key with Scope set to Inference in the Bob web portal. For detailed instructions, see API keys.
After generating the key, download it or copy the key value. Store it securely as you won't be able to view it again.
Never share your API key with anyone.
Set the BOB_API_KEY environment variable with your API key value:
export BOB_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"To make this permanent, add it to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.):
echo 'export BOB_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"' >> ~/.bashrc$env:BOB_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"To make this permanent, use:
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('BOB_API_KEY', 'your-api-key-here', 'User')Run Bob Shell with your API key set:
bob run "your prompt"Or start an interactive session:
bob chatIf your API key is of type general (rather than Inference), you must also pass --team-id <team-id> when running Bob Shell.
If you experience network issues during installation or authentication, you might need to configure your proxy settings. For more information, see Configuring proxy settings or the Troubleshooting section.