Install Lemon

Last reviewed: 2026-05-12

This page is the short install landing page for the public docs site. For the full setup walkthrough, including provider details and Telegram configuration, use the Setup Guide.

Supported Path Today

The verified path today is a source install on a developer machine with Elixir, Erlang/OTP, and a model provider key.

Requirements:

• Elixir 1.19.5+
• Erlang/OTP 28.5+
• Node.js 24 LTS+ if you want TUI or web client work
• An Anthropic, OpenAI, or compatible provider credential

git clone https://github.com/z80dev/lemon.git
cd lemon
mix local.hex --force
mix deps.get
mix compile
./bin/lemon setup
./bin/lemon channels
./bin/lemon config validate
./bin/lemon doctor
./bin/lemon media --limit 5
./bin/lemon models --provider anthropic
./bin/lemon providers --provider openai
./bin/lemon policy list
./bin/lemon proofs --limit 5
./bin/lemon readiness --limit 5
./bin/lemon secrets status
./bin/lemon skill list
./bin/lemon usage

Start Lemon locally:

./bin/lemon-dev /path/to/your/project

If you want a repeatable local proof of the source path after building, run:

scripts/verify_source_install --skip-compile

Without --skip-compile, the verifier also runs MIX_ENV=test mix compile --warnings-as-errors. It checks the BEAM toolchain, locked dependency resolution, non-interactive setup dispatch, promoted Telegram/Discord channel readiness, stage-1 local update dry-run dispatch, doctor JSON diagnostics, model catalog listing, provider readiness listing, model policy listing, redacted proof artifact listing, media diagnostics, readiness summary, secrets status, skill listing, usage diagnostics, plus redacted support-bundle generation.

For source-checkout maintenance outside the verifier:

./bin/lemon update --check

This delegates to mix lemon.update --check. It is a local maintenance check, not a remote binary updater.

For route-specific model defaults, use the source wrapper:

./bin/lemon models --provider anthropic
./bin/lemon providers --provider openai
./bin/lemon policy list
./bin/lemon proofs --limit 5
./bin/lemon media --limit 5
./bin/lemon readiness --limit 5
./bin/lemon channels
./bin/lemon secrets status
./bin/lemon skill list
./bin/lemon usage
./bin/lemon policy set telegram --account default --model anthropic:claude-sonnet-4-20250514

Use ./bin/lemon readiness --strict when a script should fail unless all compact launch-readiness gates are ready.

Configure One Provider

Use the setup wizard when possible:

./bin/lemon setup provider

For manual setup, create ~/.lemon/config.toml and reference secrets by name:

[providers.anthropic]
api_key_secret = "llm_anthropic_api_key_raw"

[defaults]
provider = "anthropic"
model    = "anthropic:claude-sonnet-4-20250514"
engine   = "lemon"

Store the secret:

./bin/lemon secrets set llm_anthropic_api_key_raw "sk-ant-..."

Verify the Install

Run doctor after setup:

./bin/lemon doctor

Generate a redacted support bundle if you need help:

./bin/lemon doctor --bundle

The bundle is designed to exclude provider keys, tokens, passwords, private prompts, memory contents, and tool outputs. Review it before sharing.

For release-candidate source installs, use the full source verifier:

scripts/verify_source_install

Release Artifacts

Linux release profiles exist in the repository build system, but source install remains the primary supported path today. The product ledger tracks artifact and setup proof under Hermes-on-BEAM Readiness.

Stable 1.0 is scoped to source install plus Linux x86_64 release tarballs. A one-line remote install script is not part of the initial support promise; add one only after it has the same artifact verification, rollback, and support bundle coverage as the tarball path.

Current release profiles:

• lemon_runtime_min
• lemon_runtime_full

Build locally:

MIX_ENV=prod mix release lemon_runtime_full

Next Pages

Next step	Page
Full setup details	Setup Guide
Configuration reference	Config Reference
Runtime and release behavior	Versioning and Channels
Troubleshooting and quality gates	Testing