Installation

CVMI is distributed as an NPM package and can be run directly using npx without requiring a global installation.

Prerequisites

Node.js 18 or higher
A package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm, or bun)

Installing via npx (Recommended)

The easiest way to use CVMI is with npx, which downloads and runs the latest version on demand:

# Install ContextVM skills interactively
npx cvmi add

# Install a specific skill
npx cvmi add --skill overview

Using npx ensures you always have the latest version without managing global installations.

Quick Start Examples

Install Skills

Browse and install skills interactively:

npx cvmi add

Install a specific skill directly:

npx cvmi add --skill overview
npx cvmi add --skill typescript-sdk
npx cvmi add --skill server-dev

Run a Gateway

Expose an MCP server to the Nostr network:

# Expose a local filesystem server
npx cvmi serve -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp

# Or with a remote HTTP MCP server
npx cvmi serve

Use a Remote Server

Connect to a Nostr-based MCP server:

npx cvmi use npub1q...

Verifying Installation

To verify CVMI is working correctly, try running the help command:

npx cvmi --help

You should see a list of available commands and options.

Check Installed Skills

List all installed skills:

npx cvmi list

This will show you which skills are currently available in your environment.

Global Installation (Optional)

If you prefer, you can install CVMI globally:

# Using npm
npm install -g cvmi

# Using yarn
yarn global add cvmi

# Using pnpm
pnpm add -g cvmi

After global installation, you can use cvmi directly without npx:

cvmi add
cvmi serve -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp

Next Steps

Now that you have CVMI installed, explore:

Commands Reference - Learn about all available commands
Configuration - Set up your environment and preferences