Question 1

Do I need the desktop app?

Accepted Answer

In the default mode, yes. The CLI does no indexing of its own; it connects to the desktop app's MCP service and finds the port through ~/.linkly/port. If the desktop app runs on another machine, you can reach it over your LAN or through a remote tunnel instead, and skip installing a second copy locally.

Question 2

Which systems are supported?

Accepted Answer

Prebuilt binaries exist for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Linux (x86_64 and ARM64) and Windows (x64). You can also install it with Homebrew or cargo install.

Question 3

How do I reach files on another computer?

Accepted Answer

Two ways. On the same network, take the address and token from the desktop app under Settings → MCP and pass them with --endpoint and --token. Off the network, store an API key once with linkly auth set-key, then add --remote to your commands to go through the remote tunnel.

Question 4

Can I plug it into Claude Code, Codex or Cursor?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and there is nothing to configure. Those agents can already run terminal commands, so once the CLI is installed you can simply tell it to “use linkly to search my files” and it will call the CLI itself. This is the integration path we recommend — no MCP, no config changes.

Question 5

How do the CLI and Skills relate? Should I install both?

Accepted Answer

Install both — that is the practice we recommend. The CLI supplies the capability; Skills supply the know-how. Skills teach an agent the retrieval strategy: when to search, how to combine the flags, and how to keep reading once results come back, so you do not have to spell it out in every prompt. The CLI alone works, but an agent will usually settle for the plainest keyword search. With Skills it learns to search first, then outline, and reach for grep when it needs an exact line. Install with: npx skills add LinklyAI/linkly-ai-skills.

Question 6

So when is the linkly mcp bridge needed?

Accepted Answer

Only when your client cannot run terminal commands and speaks MCP exclusively. Running linkly mcp starts an MCP service in stdio mode; in the client config, set command to linkly and args to ["mcp"]. The vast majority of agents with a shell never need this step — calling the CLI directly is simpler.

Question 7

Can I script against the output?

Accepted Answer

Every command takes --json and emits structured JSON, so a bit of jq drops it straight into your own pipeline.

Question 8

Nothing comes back, or it will not connect. How do I debug?

Accepted Answer

Start with linkly doctor: it checks the port file, whether the service is reachable, authentication, and one full MCP round trip, and suggests a fix for each. linkly status is also useful for confirming the desktop version and how many documents are indexed.

Question 9

How do I update?

Accepted Answer

Run linkly self-update to upgrade in place. If you installed through Homebrew or cargo, their own upgrade commands work too.

Search Your Own Files From the Terminal

A Second Brain in Your Terminal

One Command Searches Everything

Filter as Finely as You Like

From Hit to Full Read Without Opening a File

The Tool Agents Handle Best

Local, LAN or Remote

Diagnoses Itself

Frequently Asked Questions