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Install the CLI ​

The CLI is distributed as an npm package and requires Node.js ≥ 18.

Install ​

bash
npm install -g @thinremote/thinr-cli

This puts thinr on your PATH. See update and uninstall for moving to a new version, switching to pre-release builds, or removing it.

Permission denied (EACCES) on the global install?

This means your npm global prefix is root-owned, which happens when Node was installed with the official macOS/Linux installer. The clean fixes are using a Node version manager (nvm, fnm, volta) or moving the npm prefix to a user directory; sudo npm install -g also works, but npm itself recommends the former. Homebrew and version-manager installs of Node don't have this problem.

To install from source instead:

bash
git clone https://github.com/Thin-Remote/thinr-cli
cd thinr-cli && npm install && npm link

Authenticate ​

Run the CLI without arguments to start the first-time setup:

bash
thinr

You'll be asked for the ThinRemote server and can authenticate using one of:

  • OAuth 2.0 device flow (browser), the recommended option.
  • Username and password.
  • Pre-issued bearer token.

The profile is saved at ~/.config/thinr-cli/config.json and marked as the default. While you keep using the CLI, expired access tokens are refreshed transparently in the background, so you stay signed in without doing anything.

Verify everything works:

bash
thinr device list

Re-authenticating an expired session ​

If a profile goes unused for a long time (weeks or months), its refresh token eventually expires and the CLI can no longer renew the session on its own. You'll see:

Token refresh failed; re-authenticate.

This is expected: like any credential, an idle login eventually has to be renewed by signing in again. Running thinr alone won't do it, because with an existing profile it opens the dashboard instead of prompting for login. To renew, recreate the profile.

First find its name (the one shown in the top bar of the dashboard):

bash
thinr profile list

Then delete that profile and add it again, which triggers a fresh login:

bash
thinr profile delete <name>
thinr profile add <name>
thinr device list          # confirm you're back in

profile add runs the same interactive login as first-time setup (browser, credentials, or token), and points at the same server. If it's your only profile, thinr logout followed by thinr does the same thing.

Multiple accounts and environments ​

The config file holds any number of named profiles, one per server or account. Add more with thinr profile add <name> and switch with thinr profile use <name>, or override per invocation with --profile <name> / the THINR_PROFILE environment variable. See the thinr profile reference.

Troubleshooting certificates ​

When talking to a development server with a self-signed certificate, set:

bash
THINR_INSECURE=1 thinr device list

localhost and 127.0.0.1 are always accepted without this flag; THINR_INSECURE=1 extends the exception to any host. Don't use it against production servers.

Next steps ​

Released under the MIT License.

© ThinRemote