Installer Internals

The PraisonAI installer automatically picks the best isolation backend (uv tool → pipx → venv fallback) so you get a working praisonai CLI without touching your global Python environment.

install.sh (macOS / Linux / WSL)

How It Works

Detect OS

Identifies macOS, Linux distro, or WSL via uname -s and /proc/version.

Detect isolation backend

Checks PRAISONAI_BACKEND / --backend first. In auto mode (default), prefers uv tool → pipx → venv fallback.

Build package spec

Defaults to praisonai[all] for a full install. Respects PRAISONAI_EXTRAS / --extras and PRAISONAI_VERSION / --version.

Install via chosen backend

uv: uv tool install --force praisonai[all] + uv tool update-shell
pipx: pipx install --force praisonai[all] + pipx ensurepath
venv: Python check → python -m venv ~/.praisonai/venv → pip install praisonai[all] → symlink ~/.local/bin/praisonai → ~/.praisonai/venv/bin/praisonai

Ensure ~/.local/bin on PATH

Adds ~/.local/bin to the current shell session and appends an idempotent block to your shell rc (unless --no-modify-path):

# >>> PraisonAI PATH >>>
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
# <<< PraisonAI PATH <<<

Verify installation

venv backend: imports praisonaiagents via the venv python.
uv / pipx backends: checks that the resolved praisonai CLI runs (isolated env, not system Python).

Offer shell completions

Prompts once (TTY only, skipped under --no-prompt / --no-onboard / --dry-run) to install tab-completions for bash, zsh, or fish.

Interactive onboarding

Runs praisonai setup for LLM API key configuration, then offers praisonai onboard for Telegram / Discord / Slack / WhatsApp bot setup.

User Interaction Flow

CLI Flags

curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --help

Flag	Description
`--version VERSION`	Install specific version (default: `latest`)
`--extras EXTRAS`	Install with extras, e.g. `ui,chat` (default: `all`)
`--backend BACKEND`	Force isolation backend: `uv`, `pipx`, `venv`, `system`, or `auto`
`--install-dir DIR`	Base dir for the venv fallback (default: `~/.praisonai`)
`--no-modify-path`	Do not append a PATH block to your shell rc
`--no-venv`	Skip isolation — install into the active Python environment
`--no-onboard`	Skip interactive onboarding after install
`--python PATH`	Use a specific Python executable
`--dry-run`	Print what would happen without making any changes
`--no-prompt`	Non-interactive mode — skip all prompts
`-h, --help`	Show help

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`PRAISONAI_VERSION`	`latest`	Version to install
`PRAISONAI_EXTRAS`	`""`	Comma-separated extras (defaults to `all`)
`PRAISONAI_BACKEND`	`auto`	Force backend: `uv` / `pipx` / `venv` / `system` / `auto`
`PRAISONAI_INSTALL_DIR`	`~/.praisonai`	Base dir for the venv fallback
`PRAISONAI_NO_MODIFY_PATH`	`0`	Skip shell rc PATH modification (`1` to enable)
`PRAISONAI_SKIP_VENV`	`0`	Skip isolation entirely (`1` to enable, same as `--no-venv`)
`PRAISONAI_PYTHON`	auto-detect	Path to Python executable
`PRAISONAI_DRY_RUN`	`0`	Preview mode (`1` to enable)
`PRAISONAI_NO_PROMPT`	`0`	Skip all prompts (`1` to enable)
`PRAISONAI_NO_ONBOARD`	`0`	Skip interactive onboarding (`1` to enable)

Power-User Alternatives (No Installer Needed)

These are first-class supported paths — no installer required:

# Zero-install one-shot via uv
uvx praisonai "2+2"

# Isolated persistent install
pipx install praisonai

# Install into the active Python environment
pip install praisonai

Shell Completions

The installer offers to install tab-completions after a successful install:

Install bash shell completions for praisonai? [Y/n]

The prompt is auto-skipped when any of the following apply: --no-onboard, --no-prompt, --dry-run, or no TTY is available (e.g. CI). Re-run anytime:

praisonai completion bash    # append to ~/.bashrc
praisonai completion zsh     # append to ~/.zshrc
praisonai completion fish    # write ~/.config/fish/completions/praisonai.fish

Idempotency: bash/zsh completions are only appended if _praisonai_completion or #compdef praisonai is not already present. Fish completions are overwritten.

Choosing a Backend

Not sure which backend to pick? The installer chooses the best one automatically. Read more in Isolation Backends.

CI/CD Usage

GitHub Actions
GitLab CI
Docker

- name: Install PraisonAI
  run: curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-prompt
  env:
    PRAISONAI_SKIP_VENV: "1"

install:
  script:
    - curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-prompt
  variables:
    PRAISONAI_SKIP_VENV: "1"

FROM python:3.12-slim
RUN curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-venv

Uninstall

uv
pipx
venv
pip only

uv tool uninstall praisonai

pipx uninstall praisonai

# Remove venv and shim
rm -rf ~/.praisonai
rm -f ~/.local/bin/praisonai

# Remove the PATH block from your shell rc
# Edit ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc and remove the lines between:
# # >>> PraisonAI PATH >>> ... # <<< PraisonAI PATH <<<

pip uninstall praisonaiagents praisonai

Troubleshooting

praisonai not found after install

Restart your terminal or source your shell rc:

source ~/.zshrc   # zsh
source ~/.bashrc  # bash

Or add ~/.local/bin to PATH manually:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Force a specific backend

# Via flag
curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --backend pipx

# Via env var
PRAISONAI_BACKEND=pipx curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash

Don't want PATH modified

curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-modify-path
# or
PRAISONAI_NO_MODIFY_PATH=1 curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash

Then add ~/.local/bin to PATH manually in your shell rc.

I have both uv and pipx — which runs?

The installer picks uv first in auto mode. Override with --backend pipx or PRAISONAI_BACKEND=pipx.

Python version too old

The installer requires Python 3.10+. If auto-install fails:

# macOS
brew install python@3.12

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install python3.12

# Then re-run installer
curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash

Permission denied on Linux

# Install into active env without root
curl -fsSL https://praison.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-venv
# or
pip install --user praisonai

install.ps1 (Windows)

What It Does

Detect Package Manager

Checks for winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop.

Check Python

Looks for Python 3.10+ using the py launcher.

Install Python (if needed)

winget: winget install Python.Python.3.12
Chocolatey: choco install python
Scoop: scoop install python

Create Virtual Environment

Creates at %USERPROFILE%\.praisonai\venv.

Install PraisonAI

Runs pip install praisonai[all].

Configure PATH

Adds venv Scripts folder to user PATH.

PowerShell Parameters

& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://praison.ai/install.ps1))) -Help

Parameter	Description
`-Version`	Install specific version
`-Extras`	Install with extras
`-NoVenv`	Skip virtual environment
`-Python`	Use specific Python
`-DryRun`	Preview without changes
`-Help`	Show help

Post-Install Flow

After installation and verification, the installer runs an interactive onboarding sequence:

Shell completions — offered once, idempotent
Setup wizard (praisonai setup) — configure LLM API keys
Bot onboarding (praisonai onboard) — set up Telegram / Discord / Slack / WhatsApp (default: Yes). See the onboard guide.
Final summary — the onboard wizard’s ✅ Done panel, or the installer’s Next Steps block if onboarding was skipped.

If you skip the setup wizard (--no-prompt), the next praisonai invocation will detect missing credentials and offer to launch the wizard — or exit with a clear error in CI.

Quick Install

One-liner install with options

Isolation Backends

Choose between uv, pipx, and venv

Onboarding

Bot setup wizard

Scripts Reference

All developer scripts

​install.sh (macOS / Linux / WSL)

​How It Works

​User Interaction Flow

​CLI Flags

​Environment Variables

​Power-User Alternatives (No Installer Needed)

​Shell Completions

​Choosing a Backend

​CI/CD Usage

​Uninstall

​Troubleshooting

​install.ps1 (Windows)

​What It Does

​PowerShell Parameters

​Post-Install Flow

​Related

Quick Install

Isolation Backends

Onboarding

Scripts Reference

install.sh (macOS / Linux / WSL)

How It Works

User Interaction Flow

CLI Flags

Environment Variables

Power-User Alternatives (No Installer Needed)

Shell Completions

Choosing a Backend

CI/CD Usage

Uninstall

Troubleshooting

install.ps1 (Windows)

What It Does

PowerShell Parameters

Post-Install Flow

Related