# Install

## Install the CLI

```bash
# download CLI version 0.42.1 (Note the "v"):
bash -c "$(curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cortexlabs/cortex/v0.42.1/get-cli.sh)"
```

By default, the Cortex CLI is installed at `/usr/local/bin/cortex`. To install the executable elsewhere, export the `CORTEX_INSTALL_PATH` environment variable to your desired location before running the command above.

## Install the CLI and Python client via pip

To install the latest version:

```bash
pip install cortex
```

To install or upgrade to a specific version (e.g. v0.42.1):

```bash
pip install cortex==0.42.1
```

To upgrade to the latest version:

```bash
pip install --upgrade cortex
```

## Changing the CLI/client configuration directory

By default, the CLI/client creates a directory at `~/.cortex/` and uses it to store environment configuration. To use a different directory, export the `CORTEX_CLI_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable before running any `cortex` commands.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.cortexlabs.com/clients/install.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.