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Installation

Install Vectra Guard on your system with a one-line command or from source.

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Prerequisites

  • curl or wget (for downloading the installer)
  • bash shell (for running the installer)
Most systems have these installed by default.

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Quick install

The installer defaults to user-space installation (no admin/sudo required).
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/install.sh | bash

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What the installer does

1

Detects your system

Automatically detects your OS (macOS, Linux, Windows) and architecture (x86_64, arm64).
2

Downloads the binary

Downloads the latest pre-built release binary from GitHub.
3

Verifies the download

Performs checksum verification to ensure the binary hasn’t been tampered with.
4

Installs to user-space

Unix: Installs to $HOME/.local/binWindows: Installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VectraGuard
5

Updates PATH

Adds the install directory to your PATH in shell configuration files (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, ~/.profile).
6

Creates aliases

Sets up convenient aliases:
  • vg → vectra-guard
  • vectraguard → vectra-guard

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Verify installation

After installation, verify Vectra Guard is available: 
vectra-guard --help
Expected output: 
Vectra Guard - Security guard for AI coding agents & development workflows

Usage:
  vectra-guard [command]

Available Commands:
  exec        Execute a command with protection
  validate    Validate a script for security risks
  explain     Explain security risks in a script
  session     Manage sessions
  audit       Audit commands and sessions
  cve         CVE scanning commands
  ...
Check the version: 
vectra-guard version
Verify the location: 
which vectra-guard
Expected output (Unix): 
/Users/yourname/.local/bin/vectra-guard

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Installation methods

This is the fastest and easiest method for most users. 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/install.sh | bash
What gets installed:
  • Binary: $HOME/.local/bin/vectra-guard
  • Aliases: vg, vectraguard
  • PATH updated in: ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, ~/.profile

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Full setup (dependencies + tool)

Installs Vectra Guard and common dependencies: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/scripts/install-all.sh | bash

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From source

Build the latest version from source: 
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard.git
cd vectra-guard

# Build the binary
go build -o vectra-guard .

# Move to PATH
mv vectra-guard ~/.local/bin/

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Go install

For Go developers: 
go install github.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard@latest
This builds from source and requires Go 1.21 or later.

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Custom install directory

Install to a custom directory: 
INSTALL_DIR="/custom/path" curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/install.sh | bash

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Post-installation setup

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Initialize configuration

Create a global configuration file: 
vectra-guard init
This creates ~/.config/vectra-guard/config.yaml with default settings. Or create a local configuration for a specific project: 
cd ~/my-project
vectra-guard init --local
This creates .vectra-guard/config.yaml in your project directory.

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Enable shell tracker (optional)

The shell tracker automatically logs all commands: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/scripts/install-shell-tracker.sh | bash
What it does:
  • Adds a lightweight hook to your shell
  • Automatically starts sessions
  • Logs all commands (not just those run with vg exec)
  • Works in Cursor, VSCode, Terminal, and SSH sessions

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Set up aliases (if not automatic)

If the installer didn’t add aliases automatically: 
# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
echo 'alias vg="vectra-guard"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'alias vectraguard="vectra-guard"' >> ~/.zshrc

# Reload shell configuration
source ~/.zshrc

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Verify setup

1

Test the command

vg --help
Should display the help message.
2

Check PATH

echo $PATH | grep -o "$HOME/.local/bin"
Should output: $HOME/.local/bin
3

Run a test command

vg exec -- echo "Installation successful!"
Should output: Installation successful!

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Upgrade

Upgrade to the latest version by re-running the installer: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/install.sh | bash
The installer will detect the existing installation and prompt to upgrade.

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Uninstall

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Interactive uninstall

Run the uninstall script: 
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/scripts/uninstall.sh | bash
This will:
  • Remove the binary
  • Remove shell integration
  • Optionally remove data (~/.vectra-guard)

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Manual uninstall

Remove files manually: 
# Remove the binary
rm -f ~/.local/bin/vectra-guard

# Remove data (optional)
rm -rf ~/.vectra-guard

# Remove configuration (optional)
rm -rf ~/.config/vectra-guard

# Remove aliases from shell config
# Edit ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, and remove Vectra Guard section

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Troubleshooting

Problem: The vectra-guard command is not found after installation.Solution:
  1. Verify the binary exists: 
    ls -l ~/.local/bin/vectra-guard
  2. Check if ~/.local/bin is in your PATH: 
    echo $PATH | grep -o "$HOME/.local/bin"
  3. Add to PATH manually: 
    export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"
  4. Add to shell config permanently: 
    echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
Problem: Installation fails with permission errors.Solution:
  1. Don’t use sudo - the installer uses user-space by default: 
    # Wrong
sudo curl -fsSL ... | bash

# Right
curl -fsSL ... | bash
  2. If installing to a custom directory, ensure you have write access: 
    INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/bin" curl -fsSL ... | bash
Problem: The installer reports checksum verification failure.Solution:
  1. This usually indicates a download issue. Try again: 
    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/install.sh | bash
  2. Check your internet connection.
  3. If the problem persists, install from source: 
    git clone https://github.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard.git
cd vectra-guard
go build -o vectra-guard .
mv vectra-guard ~/.local/bin/
Problem: PowerShell blocks script execution.Solution:
  1. Run PowerShell as Administrator
  2. Set execution policy: 
    Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
  3. Run the installer again: 
    irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard/main/scripts/install-windows.ps1 | iex
Problem: vg command doesn’t work.Solution:
  1. Check if alias exists: 
    alias | grep vg
  2. Add alias manually: 
    echo 'alias vg="vectra-guard"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
  3. Make sure you’re using the correct shell config file:
    • zsh: ~/.zshrc
    • bash: ~/.bashrc
    • fish: ~/.config/fish/config.fish
Problem: No binary found for your architecture.Solution:
  1. The installer should auto-detect ARM64. Verify: 
    uname -m
# Should output: arm64
  2. If auto-detection fails, install from source: 
    git clone https://github.com/xadnavyaai/vectra-guard.git
cd vectra-guard
GOARCH=arm64 go build -o vectra-guard .
mv vectra-guard ~/.local/bin/

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Platform-specific notes

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macOS

  • Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): Fully supported with native ARM64 binaries
  • Intel Macs: Fully supported with x86_64 binaries
  • Minimum version: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later
  • Install location: $HOME/.local/bin

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Linux

  • Distributions: All major distributions supported (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, Arch, etc.)
  • Architectures: x86_64, arm64
  • Install location: $HOME/.local/bin
  • Note: Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH

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Windows

  • Minimum version: Windows 10 or later
  • PowerShell: 5.1 or later (included with Windows)
  • Architectures: x86_64, arm64
  • Install location: %LOCALAPPDATA%\VectraGuard

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Next steps

Quickstart

Run your first protected command

Configuration

Configure Vectra Guard for your workflow

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