Install the sp command line

sp is the Softprobe command line. You need it to script Softprobe, run it from CI, let AI agents drive it, or run the web workbench on your own machine. People who only use the web console that has already been set up for them don't need it.

You need a reachable Softprobe backend first — see Choose a deployment if you don't have one.

Install

With internet access:

curl -fsSL https://install.softprobe.ai/install.sh | bash

This installs the sp command line, the Java agent, and the web workbench. On a machine without internet access, get the install package from your Softprobe implementation team.

Check that sp is available:

sp version

sp -v and sp --version do the same.

Point it at your backend

sp setup

Without --api-url, sp setup asks for the backend URL. On Linux it may also ask whether to install the shared web workbench (below). The URL is saved to ~/.config/softprobe/config.jsonc.

For scripts:

sp setup --api-url http://127.0.0.1:8090 --json

Flag	Description
--api-url	Backend URL (skips the prompt)

Model providers are configured in sp code, not in sp setup.

Open the web workbench on your machine

To run a private web workbench on your own laptop or workstation:

sp code web --port 4096

Then open http://127.0.0.1:4096. It uses your settings and backend URL from sp setup. To use the terminal instead of the browser:

sp code

	On your machine	Shared web workbench
Who	You	Your team, at one URL
How	sp code web	sp setup --install-spcode-service (below)
Settings	Yours, from sp setup	Those of the account that installed the service

Install a shared web workbench (Linux only)

On Linux, sp setup can install Spcode Service, a web workbench your team opens in the browser from one address on the internal network.

# Interactive: backend URL → opt in → port (default 4096)
sp setup

# Non-interactive
sp setup --api-url http://sp-backend.corp:8090 --install-spcode-service
sp setup --install-spcode-service --spcode-service-port 5000

# Without a TTY
sudo sp setup --api-url http://sp-backend.corp:8090 --install-spcode-service

Flag	Description
--install-spcode-service	Install the shared web workbench (Linux only)
--uninstall-spcode-service	Stop and remove it
--spcode-service-port	Listen port when installing (default 4096)

--install-spcode-service and --uninstall-spcode-service can't be combined.

Run the install and sp setup as the account that should own the machine's Softprobe settings; the service uses the same settings (backend URL, MCP, agent instructions, skills). Restart the service after changing them.

Task	Command
Status	systemctl status spcode-web.service
Stop / start	systemctl stop spcode-web.service / systemctl start spcode-web.service
Logs	journalctl -u spcode-web -n 50 --no-pager

To uninstall:

sp setup --uninstall-spcode-service

This removes the systemd unit. Softprobe config files under the install account stay unless you delete them.

MCP tools, agent instructions and skills: Client configuration.

Check the installation

sp doctor
sp doctor --json

sp doctor checks that the backend is reachable and the workbench engine is installed, and suggests a fix for each failure. If the shared web workbench is installed, it also checks that the service is running and can reach the backend.

If any check fails, the command exits 1, but the results are still written to stdout with "ok": true. To see which check failed, look at data.status and each check's status:

{
  "ok": true,
  "command": "doctor",
  "data": {
    "status": "failed",
    "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8090",
    "checks": [
      {
        "name": "backend",
        "status": "failed",
        "detail": "backend is unreachable",
        "remediation": "Check the API URL and that sp-backend is running"
      },
      {
        "name": "spcode",
        "status": "healthy",
        "detail": "/home/user/.local/share/softprobe/bin/spcode"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Upgrade

sp upgrade

This reruns the installer to update the command line, the Java agent and the workbench engine together; if it fails, the command exits 1. It does not upgrade the backend or restart applications that already run with the agent.

If the shared web workbench is installed, restart it afterwards:

sudo systemctl restart spcode-web.service
journalctl -u spcode-web -n 20 --no-pager

Next

• Command reference
• Client configuration — MCP, AGENTS.md, skills
• Attach the Java agent