Guides

When Helicon cannot find the muse CLI

Helicon drives the muse CLI and cannot work without one that is installed and logged in. Check muse --version in the shell that holds your install, run muse login there, and confirm which route Helicon took: native on Windows, inside WSL2, or the system PATH on macOS and Linux.

Last updated 19 September 2026 · Markdown version

Check the CLI first

muse --version
muse login

Run both in the shell where you installed Muse Code. Helicon stores no credentials, so a CLI that is installed but not signed in will fail in exactly the same way as one that is missing. If muse is not installed at all, download Muse Code first.

Per platform

Platform	Where to check	Common cause
Windows, native	PowerShell	Installed for a different user, or not on PATH
Windows, WSL2	The WSL2 shell	Logged in on Windows but not inside the distribution
macOS	Terminal	Installed under a version manager the app does not see
Linux	Your shell	Installed for root, running as your user

If the version answers but Helicon still complains

Confirm you are signed in: muse login in that same shell.
On Windows, check whether you have both a native and a WSL2 install. Helicon prefers native.
Click Check again in Helicon; it re runs detection. Restart only after changing PATH on Windows.
Check that the project directory you added actually exists on the machine running the daemon.

Fix Helicon not finding the muse CLI

1
Ask the CLI directly. Run this in the shell where you installed Muse Code. On Windows that is PowerShell for a native install, or the WSL2 shell for a WSL2 one.
```
muse --version
```
2
Sign in from that same shell. An installed but signed-out CLI fails in exactly the same way as a missing one, because Helicon stores no credentials.
```
muse login
```
Check which route Helicon took. On Windows, Helicon prefers a native install over WSL2. If you have both, it is talking to the native one.
4
Install it if it is missing. On macOS and Linux, use Meta's installer below. On Windows, use PowerShell: irm https://dev.meta.ai/install.ps1 | iex
```
curl -fsSL https://dev.meta.ai/install.sh | bash
```
Click Check again. The setup screen's Check again button re runs detection without a restart. Restart only after changing PATH on Windows.
Check the project path exists. The directory you added has to exist on the machine running the daemon, which is not your laptop when you are using a remote daemon.

Frequently asked questions

Does Helicon install the muse CLI for me?

No. It drives an install you own, using your own login. That is deliberate: it keeps credentials out of Helicon entirely.

Can I point Helicon at a specific muse binary?

Detection prefers a native install and falls back to WSL2 on Windows. Making the right binary reachable on PATH in the shell Helicon starts from is the reliable fix.

Do I need Node.js?

Not for the desktop app, which bundles its own. Running the daemon from source needs Node 22 or newer, and on Windows that means on the Windows host.