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Getting Started with Movement CLI

Movement uses Aptos Move for smart contracts. Aptos Move is a compiled language, so you need to install a compiler to be able to write and run Move programs.

The compiler is included in both the Aptos and Movement binaries and this guide will walk you through the installation and basic usage of Movement CLI, with a focus on inter operability between Aptos and Movement.

Installing Movement CLI On macOS and Linux

You can easily install Movement CLI on Windows, macOS and Linux. Here are the step-by-step instructions for each platform.

Step 1: Clone the CLI Repository

First, clone the repository from GitHub:

Terminal
git clone https://github.com/movementlabsxyz/aptos-core/ && cd aptos-core

Step 2: Build the Movement CLI

Next, build the Movement CLI using Cargo (You'll need to have Cargo: Rust's package manager installed in this case):

Terminal
cargo build -p movement

This command will generate the target/debug/movement executable.

Step 3: Add Movement CLI to Your PATH

To make the movement command available globally, you need to add it to your system's PATH. Here’s how you can do it

Terminal
sudo cp target/debug/movement /usr/local/bin/

If this doesn't work, you can install Aptos CLI via Homebrew.

Step 4: Install Aptos via Homebrew

If you don't have Homebrew installed, execute this command to install it:

Terminal
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Now, execute this command to install Aptos CLI via Homebrew

Terminal
brew install aptos

You can use the Aptos CLI to work with Movement in the same vein.

Step 5: Using Movement CLI

Movement CLI commands are analogous to those of Aptos CLI. You can always replace aptos with movement like this:

Aptos
aptos move build

To get help with the CLI tool, you can use:

Aptos
aptos --help

Or, for help with a specific subcommand:

Aptos
aptos <subcommand> --help

Now that you've installed Movement or Aptos CLI, you can now publish and interact with smart contracts on the Movement Network.

Installing Aptos CLI on Windows

Step 1: Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following requirements:

  • Python 3.6+ installed
  • PowerShell access

Step 2: Install via Python Script (Recommended Method)

Verify Python installation:

Terminal
python3 --version

If Python is not installed, download it from python.org.

Run the Aptos CLI installation script:

Command Line
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://aptos.dev/scripts/install_cli.py" -OutFile "$env:TEMP\install_cli.py"; python "$env:TEMP\install_cli.py"

Step 3: Update PATH

Copy and run the PATH update command provided in the terminal:

Command Line
setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\Users\<your_account_name>\.aptoscli\bin"

Step 4: Verify Installation

Open a new terminal and run:

Terminal
aptos help

You should see a list of available CLI commands.

Step 5: Update Aptos CLI (Optional)

To update to the latest version:

Terminal
aptos update

Alternative Installation Method: Pre-Compiled Binaries

If the Python script method doesn't work, you can install via pre-compiled binaries:

Step 1: Download Binaries

  1. Visit the Aptos CLI release page
  2. Expand "Assets"
  3. Download the Windows zip file (e.g., aptos-cli-<version>-Windows-x86_64.zip)

Step 2: Install Binaries

  1. Unzip the downloaded file
  2. Move the file to your preferred directory
  3. Copy the path to the executable (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\aptos-cli-3.1.0-Windows-x86_64\aptos.exe)

Step 3: Verify Installation

In PowerShell, use the full path to run:

C:\Users\<username>\Downloads\aptos-cli-3.1.0-Windows-x86_64\aptos.exe help

Step 4: Update (Manual Method)

To update with pre-compiled binaries:

  1. Delete the existing installation
  2. Repeat the download and installation steps

Next Steps

Now that you have Movement CLI installed, you can start building and testing Move contracts.

Step 1: Compile and Test Move Contracts

Use the following command to compile your Move contracts:

Terminal
movement move compile

Step 2: Publish Contracts to the Network

To publish your contracts to the network, use:

Terminal
movement move publish

Step 3: Interact with the Blockchain

You can interact with the blockchain by creating accounts, querying account information, and more:

Terminal
movement account create

Following these steps should help you to get started with Movement CLI, build and deploy Move contracts efficiently.