> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cerulion.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Installation
> Get closed-alpha access to Cerulion, then install the CLI from source and verify it works.
Cerulion is in **closed alpha** — curated early access for teams building
high-performance robotics. This page shows how to get access and, once you have
it, get the `cerulion` CLI building and verified on your machine.
Cerulion runs on **Linux and macOS**.
## Get access
During the closed alpha, we onboard teams directly so you start with the right
setup and a fast path to your first running graph. Book a 15-minute call and the
team will set you up with the source and walk you through it.
Tell us about your use case and we'll get you access to Cerulion and up and
running fast.
The prerequisites and install steps below use the Cerulion source you'll
receive during onboarding. Once you have access, continue here.
## Prerequisites
Rust **1.88 or later** (stable), with `cargo`. Install via
[rustup](https://rustup.rs).
Required at runtime. `cerulion node build` shells out to `cargo`, and
`cerulion graph run` loads the compiled node libraries it produces.
`cargo` must be on your `PATH` even after installation. The CLI shells out to
`cargo build` when you build a node, and it loads the resulting compiled
libraries (`.dylib` on macOS, `.so` on Linux) when you run a graph. Without
`cargo`, those commands fail.
Install the Rust toolchain with rustup if you do not already have it:
```bash theme={null}
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
```
Confirm `cargo` is available:
```bash theme={null}
cargo --version
```
## Install the CLI
Once you have access to the Cerulion repository, build the CLI from source and
install the `cerulion` binary onto your `PATH`. Building from source gives you
the full toolchain in a single `cargo install --path` step; a one-line installer
(Homebrew / `curl | sh`) is coming as Cerulion opens up.
Clone the Cerulion repository to your machine. You should have the workspace
that contains the `cerulion_cli` crate.
From the repository root, build and install the CLI with `cargo`:
```bash theme={null}
cargo install --path cerulion_cli
```
This compiles the `cerulion_cli` crate and places the `cerulion` binary in
your Cargo bin directory (`~/.cargo/bin`), which rustup adds to your `PATH`.
Open a new shell so the updated `PATH` takes effect, then check that the
binary resolves:
```bash theme={null}
which cerulion
```
Generated node crates depend on `cerulion_core` and `native_ros2_messages`,
which the CLI resolves relative to the Cerulion source tree: an absolute path
to your checkout when it can be located, otherwise a sibling `../cerulion_core`
(with a warning). Create your workspaces near the source checkout so node
crates resolve their dependencies and build cleanly. Packaged dependencies are
on the way as Cerulion opens up.
## Verify the installation
Confirm everything is wired up in three quick checks: print the version, list
the available commands, and scaffold a throwaway workspace.
```bash theme={null}
cerulion --version
```
Confirm the CLI runs and prints its help:
```bash theme={null}
cerulion --help
```
You should see the top-level commands: `workspace`, `node`, `graph`,
`topic`, `schema`, `tui`, `trace`, and `clean`.
Create a scratch workspace to confirm the CLI can scaffold a project:
```bash theme={null}
cerulion workspace create install_check
```
Expected output:
```text theme={null}
Created workspace at install_check
```
`cerulion --version` printed a version, `cerulion --help` listed the commands,
and `cerulion workspace create install_check` created a new workspace. Your
installation is working. You can delete the `install_check` directory once you
are satisfied.
## Next steps
Build and run your first two-node graph end to end.
Understand workspaces, nodes, graphs, topics, and schemas.