generated: '2026-07-20'
method: searched
source: https://perseus.computer/docs
name: perseus
summary: >-
  First-party command-line tool for Perseus semantic code search. Indexes a working tree (including
  uncommitted edits) and answers plain-English queries with ranked file:line results. This is the
  primary developer surface — Perseus publishes no REST/HTTP API; the CLI is the client.
binary: perseus
install:
  methods:
  - platform: macos-linux
    command: curl -fsSL https://perseus.computer/install.sh | sh
    kind: shell-installer
  - platform: windows
    command: irm https://perseus.computer/install.ps1 | iex
    kind: powershell-installer
  packaging:
  - standalone PyInstaller-frozen binary (preferred; no python/uv/pip required)
  - uv tool venv from a self-hosted wheel (fallback; requires uv + python >= 3.12)
  env_overrides:
  - PERSEUS_INSTALL_METHOD=wheel|binary
  - PERSEUS_WHEEL_URL
  - PERSEUS_BINARY_URL
auth:
  style: token
  commands:
  - perseus login
  - perseus login --device   # headless / remote environments
commands:
- name: login
  description: Authenticate the CLI (supports --device for headless environments).
- name: index
  description: Re-index the current checkout (incremental; includes uncommitted edits).
- name: watch
  description: Auto-reindex as files change (preferred during active work).
- name: query
  description: "Plain-English semantic search over the index. Flags: --no-summary, --json, --files-only, -k <n>. Exit code 1 on zero hits."
- name: research
  description: Deeper research query over the codebase.
- name: impact
  description: Assess the impact/blast-radius of a change.
- name: eval
  description: Evaluate search quality / run evaluations.
- name: path
  description: Resolve paths related to a query.
- name: status
  description: Show CLI / index status.
- name: indexes
  description: Manage indexed repositories.
- name: billing
  description: View billing and plan usage.
- name: feedback
  description: Send feedback to Perseus.
- name: rules
  description: Manage search rules / configuration.
agent_mode_example: perseus query --no-summary --json "auth enforcement on the login route" | jq '.hits[]'
notes:
- No REST/OpenAPI/MCP surface published as of this pass; the CLI (and the packaged Agent Skill) is the integration point.
- A man page is installed best-effort (man perseus).