Use the CLI

inseam is the command-line client: the same engine as the macOS app, for a terminal, a server or a script.

Install

One line installs it on macOS and Linux, into ~/.local/bin:

curl -fsSL https://app.inseam.io/install.sh | sh

The builds, and the app for a Mac, are on app.inseam.io/downloads.

Connect this device

inseam enrol --name "work laptop"

It prints a code, opens the approval page in your browser, and waits until you approve. On a server, add --no-open and open the printed URL anywhere you are signed in.

The device’s key and settings are saved in its data directory (INSEAM_HOME, by default under your home folder). You do this once per device.

Index folders

inseam host add ~/Notes
inseam host add /srv/shared --name "shared drive"
inseam host ls
inseam run

run keeps the device connected: it walks every folder, watches for changes, sends the index and serves reads. Leave it running (a launch agent or a systemd unit works) and stop it with Ctrl-C. host add works while run is active in another terminal; the running process picks the new folder up.

Search and read

inseam search "quarterly report" --top 5
inseam search "error 500" --host h1a2b3c4d5e6 --json
inseam get inseam://net/host/Notes/plan.md      # the catalog record: address, size, dates, title
inseam cat inseam://net/host/Notes/plan.md      # the file's bytes

Search covers the whole network, not only this device. --json prints the same shape the search API returns.

Status

inseam status      # this device: connection, each folder's progress; and the network's view
inseam whoami      # device id, network, data directory

Held removals

When a walk finds that a large part of a folder is gone, the removals are held, the same as in the app. inseam status shows held-sweep on that folder. Release it only when the files are really gone:

inseam host sweep <host id> --confirm

Remove a folder

inseam host rm <host id>

The host is removed from your network and its index is cleaned up later. Your files are not touched.

Commands

command	does
enrol [--name] [--no-open]	join a network with a device code
run	run the device in the foreground
host add <path> [--name]	index a folder
host ls	list folders and their state
host rm <id>	stop indexing a folder
host sweep <id> --confirm	release held removals
search <query> [--host] [--top] [--json]	search the network
get <address>	print a catalog record
cat <address>	print a file’s bytes
status [--json]	device and network state
whoami	identity and paths

Global options: --data-dir PATH. Logs go to stderr.