# via
[](https://crates.io/crates/via-cli)
[](https://docs.rs/via-cli)
via is a secure CLI for running commands and API requests with credentials from your secret provider without exposing secrets to your shell.
Define services in a config file, store only `op://` secret references, and let via resolve credentials at runtime. 1Password is supported today; more providers can be added behind the same config-driven model.
## Status
via is early and currently focuses on 1Password-backed credentials.
The first provider backend is the 1Password CLI. via uses the official local CLI instead of an unofficial Rust SDK wrapper so the core CLI stays small, portable, and compatible with normal 1Password desktop/CLI auth flows.
The crates.io package is `via-cli`; the installed binary is `via`.
## Install via
Download and install the latest prebuilt release binary:
```sh
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tee8z/via/master/scripts/install-release.sh | bash
```
To pin a specific release:
```sh
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tee8z/via/master/scripts/install-release.sh | VERSION=v0.2.0 bash
```
The installer selects the macOS or Linux asset for your machine, installs `via`
to `${INSTALL_DIR:-$HOME/.local/bin}`, and prints a PATH update if that
directory is not already available in your shell. Releases built with
verification metadata are checked against `SHA256SUMS`; signed checksum
verification can be required with `VERIFY=required`. See
[docs/release-signing.md](docs/release-signing.md).
To install manually, open the [latest release](https://github.com/tee8z/via/releases/latest)
and download the asset for your platform:
- Linux x86_64: `via-linux-x86_64.tar.gz`
- Linux arm64: `via-linux-arm64.tar.gz`
- macOS Intel: `via-macos-x86_64.tar.gz`
- macOS Apple Silicon: `via-macos-arm64.tar.gz`
- Windows x86_64: `via-windows-x86_64.zip`
- Windows arm64: `via-windows-arm64.zip`
Extract the archive and place `via` or `via.exe` in a directory on your PATH.
Then verify the install:
```sh
via --help
```
If you already have Rust installed, you can also install from crates.io:
```sh
cargo install via-cli
```
## Human Setup Requirements
- 1Password CLI installed.
- Provider authentication handled through `via login`.
- Secrets stored in 1Password and referenced by `op://...` URIs.
Install 1Password CLI:
```sh
# macOS CLI
brew install --cask 1password-cli
# Windows CLI
winget install -e --id AgileBits.1Password.CLI
```
For Linux, follow the official 1Password CLI install guide for APT, YUM, Alpine, NixOS, or manual installation: <https://developer.1password.com/docs/cli/get-started/>.
Install the 1Password desktop app if it is not already installed:
```sh
# macOS desktop app
brew install --cask 1password
# Windows desktop app
winget install -e --id AgileBits.1Password
```
For Linux desktop app setup, follow the official 1Password Linux install guide: <https://support.1password.com/install-linux/>.
Then verify:
```sh
op --version
```
Open and unlock the 1Password desktop app, add your account if needed, then enable the CLI integration in Settings > Developer > Integrate with 1Password CLI.
Sign in through via:
```sh
via login
via config doctor
```
`via login` runs the configured provider's official login flow with an interactive terminal. For 1Password, it delegates to `op signin` and passes the configured account when `[providers.onepassword] account = "..."` is set.
If 1Password lists multiple accounts, choose the account that contains the configured vault. To see which accounts the CLI can access:
```sh
op account list
```
If needed, pin via to a specific account:
```toml
[providers.onepassword]
type = "1password"
cache = "daemon"
account = "<account-id-or-sign-in-address>"
```
Run the guided setup:
```sh
via config
```
`via config` creates a generic service config from values you type in. It does not assume GitHub or any other specific service.
Run:
```sh
via config doctor
```
to check that the secret provider, configured secret references, and any delegated tools are available. `via config doctor` verifies that secrets are readable by via, but never prints secret values.
## Security Model
via has two execution modes:
`rest`
via makes the HTTP request itself. The resolved secret stays inside the via process and is not passed to a shell, child process, environment variable, argv, or temp file. This is the preferred mode for AI agents.
`delegated`
via runs a configured trusted binary, injects configured secrets only into that child process, captures stdout/stderr, redacts known secret values, and then forwards the sanitized output. This is higher risk than `rest`: the child binary receives the secret and must be trusted not to write it elsewhere, transform it before printing, send it over the network, or spawn other processes with it.
Use delegated capabilities only when the binary's native behavior is required. Prefer REST APIs when practical.
via never invokes configured commands through a shell.
## Usage
The command shape is:
```sh
via <service> <capability> [args...]
```
For example, with the config below:
```sh
via github api /user
via github api GET /repos/OWNER/REPO/issues --query state=open
via github api POST /repos/OWNER/REPO/pulls --json @pull-request.json
```
If the configured capability delegates to a trusted CLI, everything after the capability name is passed to that binary:
```sh
via github gh issue list --repo OWNER/REPO --state open --limit 10 --json number,title,url
```
Discover what is configured:
```sh
via config path
via login
via config doctor
via capabilities
via capabilities --json
via skill print
```
`via skill print` emits concise instructions an AI agent can use for the current config.
## Example Config
Create `via.toml`:
```toml
version = 1
[providers.onepassword]
type = "1password"
cache = "daemon"
[services.github]
description = "GitHub REST API access through a GitHub App installation"
hint = "via github api /user"
provider = "onepassword"
[services.github.secrets]
app = "op://Private/Example GitHub App/metadata"
private_key = "op://Private/Example GitHub App/github-app.private-key.pem"
[services.github.commands.api]
description = "Call the GitHub REST API. Prefer this for agents."
mode = "rest"
base_url = "https://api.github.com"
method_default = "GET"
[services.github.commands.api.auth]
type = "github_app"
credential = "app"
private_key = "private_key"
[services.github.commands.api.headers]
Accept = "application/vnd.github+json"
X-GitHub-Api-Version = "2022-11-28"
```
REST capabilities accept paths, not arbitrary absolute URLs. The configured `base_url` is the trust boundary for that service.
Service-level `hint` values are optional example commands shown by `via capabilities` and `via skill print`. They should demonstrate a safe, minimal call for the configured service without embedding secrets.
`cache = "daemon"` is the default on macOS and Linux. `via` auto-starts a per-user local daemon that owns `op read` calls and caches resolved 1Password secrets in memory for a short TTL. There is no separate service to install or manage for normal use. Use `via daemon status`, `via daemon clear`, and `via daemon stop` to inspect, clear, or stop it; the next command auto-starts it again. Set `cache = "off"` to always call `op read` directly. See [docs/daemon-architecture.md](docs/daemon-architecture.md) for the daemon flow, commands, and verification steps.
Config changes do not require a daemon reload. Each `via` invocation reads the config file again and registers the current allowed secret references with the daemon. Discovery commands such as `via capabilities` and `via skill print` show config-only changes immediately. If you changed a secret value in 1Password or want to drop cached OAuth/token state, run `via daemon clear`; use `via daemon stop` to restart the daemon completely on the next command.
On Windows, the cache currently defaults to `off` because the daemon needs a named-pipe backend that is not implemented yet. The config shape is already feature-ready: once Windows daemon support exists, `cache = "daemon"` can use the same provider setting.
For GitHub App installation-token auth, store the app metadata and private key as separate 1Password secrets and use:
```toml
[services.github.secrets]
app = "op://Private/Example GitHub App/metadata"
private_key = "op://Private/Example GitHub App/github-app.private-key.pem"
[services.github.commands.api.auth]
type = "github_app"
credential = "app"
private_key = "private_key"
```
See [docs/github-app-setup.md](docs/github-app-setup.md) for the full GitHub App setup flow.
The GitHub App metadata field must be valid JSON with `type`, numeric `app_id`, and `installation_id`. Store the PEM as a 1Password file attachment so it does not need JSON escaping.
For OAuth-backed REST capabilities, store the OAuth credential bundle in 1Password and use:
```toml
[services.service.secrets]
oauth = "op://Private/OAuth/credential"
[services.service.commands.api.auth]
type = "oauth"
credential = "oauth"
```
OAuth credential bundles use `type = "service_oauth"`, the service's REST OAuth `token_url`, and the grant fields needed by that service. Prefer `client_credentials` for bot, agent, service-account, or app-actor connections whenever the OAuth service supports it. For Linear:
```json
{
"type": "service_oauth",
"token_url": "https://api.linear.app/oauth/token",
"grant_type": "client_credentials",
"client_id": "client_id",
"client_secret": "client_secret",
"scope": "read,issues:create"
}
```
via asks the local daemon to mint OAuth access tokens through the provider's REST token endpoint, keeps access tokens and refresh-token state only in daemon memory while the daemon is running, and sends API requests with a bearer token. Nothing from the OAuth token exchange is written to disk. Use `refresh_token` only for services that need user-actor OAuth and cannot issue bot/app credentials. See [docs/linear-oauth-setup.md](docs/linear-oauth-setup.md) for the Linear app-actor setup flow.
For APIs that need one or more secret-backed headers:
```toml
[services.example.secrets]
api_key = "op://Private/Example/api-key"
tenant = "op://Private/Example/tenant"
[services.example.commands.api.auth]
type = "headers"
[services.example.commands.api.auth.headers.Authorization]
secret = "api_key"
prefix = "Token "
[services.example.commands.api.auth.headers.X-Tenant]
secret = "tenant"
```
## Agent Rules
Agents using via should:
- Start with `via capabilities --json`.
- Prefer configured `rest` capabilities.
- Use delegated capabilities only when the configured binary is needed.
- Never ask the user for tokens or passwords.
- Never call the underlying secret provider directly.
- Never print environment variables or credentials.
- Run `via config doctor <service>` when a service fails.