Runtime Commands
Prepare a host to run Cursor or Pi through the experimental ThinkingMach Runner. Runtime setup downloads and verifies the pinned runtime; it makes no model calls.
thinkingmach runtime setup cursor
thinkingmach runtime setup pi
Set up Cursor
Run the command as the same OS user that runs ThinkingMach, on the machine where the agent executes. It requires an installed ThinkingMach server package. The supported targets are macOS ARM64, macOS x64, and Linux x64.
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
thinkingmach runtime setup cursor |
Download, materialize, and verify the pinned Cursor distribution for this host, or verify an existing installation. |
The supported provider arguments are cursor and pi. There are no provider-specific flags for this command.
The installation uses the OS account's cache under ~/.paperclip/runtimes/cursor. Runtime identity includes the platform, architecture, and verified content hash. An existing invalid installation is rejected rather than replaced automatically. A packaged runtime supplied by the execution image remains authoritative.
Set up Pi
thinkingmach runtime setup pi downloads, materializes, and verifies the pinned Pi distribution for this host, or verifies an existing one. Run it as the OS user that runs ThinkingMach, from an installed ThinkingMach distribution. The supported targets are macOS ARM64, macOS x64, and Linux x64. Any other platform fails with Pi is not qualified for platform <target>.
The Pi files are stored inside the installed server package rather than in your home directory. Setup passes your proxy and certificate settings (HTTPS_PROXY, HTTP_PROXY, NO_PROXY, SSL_CERT_FILE, SSL_CERT_DIR, NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS) through to the download, but never provider keys, npm configuration, or your HOME. If it doesn't finish, review the reported error; an existing invalid installation is never replaced automatically.
Import a Linux Pi companion
For remote Linux execution, you can import a Pi companion you've already downloaded, with no downloads at all:
thinkingmach runtime import-remote <directory> --sha256 <digest>
| Argument or flag | Use |
|---|---|
<directory> |
Directory holding the unpacked companion, including its companion.json. |
--sha256 <digest> |
Required. The SHA-256 of companion.json, taken from the trusted release. |
The command checks every file against the manifest before it imports the companion into the installed server, and prints the result as JSON. Press Ctrl+C to cancel.
Configure the agent
After setup, enable ThinkingMach Runner in Experimental settings if required by your deployment. Choose the paperclip_runner adapter, ACP agents, and Cursor, then select an explicit model and a Cursor session mode.
Setup does not sign you in to Cursor, change an agent's adapter, or migrate a legacy cursor agent. Configure Cursor credentials separately and use Test Environment before starting work. See Cursor on ThinkingMach Runner.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Next step |
|---|---|
| The command is missing | Use a CLI build that includes runtime setup. |
| The server package cannot be resolved | Run the command from an installed ThinkingMach distribution with its published server layout. |
| The platform has no pinned distribution | Use one of the supported execution targets. |
| Verification fails | Review the reported installation error. Repeating setup does not overwrite invalid files. |
| The agent still requests authentication | Runtime installation and Cursor authentication are separate steps. |