Install and upgrade

Preview

This feature is in preview and is subject to change.

Quick install

macOS

curl -s https://install.motherduck.com | SKIP_DUCKDB_CLI=1 sh

Runs on Apple silicon (aarch64) and Intel (x86_64).

Linux

curl -s https://install.motherduck.com | SKIP_DUCKDB_CLI=1 sh

Runs on aarch64 and x86_64, and needs glibc. Only glibc builds are published, so musl-based distributions such as Alpine stop with an error rather than a failed exec. 32-bit hosts do the same.

Windows

powershell -c "$env:SKIP_DUCKDB_CLI=1; irm https://install.motherduck.com | iex"

Runs on aarch64 and x86_64. Where PowerShell's execution policy blocks this, see Windows without PowerShell.

The installer downloads the build for your platform, installs it under ~/.motherduck/, and puts it on your PATH.

Open a new shell so the PATH change applies, then check the install:

motherduck --version

note

The MotherDuck CLI bundles the DuckDB library. The minimal version of DuckDB bundled is 1.5.5.

Windows without PowerShell

On hosts where PowerShell's execution policy blocks the quick install, install.bat installs the DuckDB CLI only, then points at the PowerShell installer for the MotherDuck CLI:

curl -sfL -o install.bat https://install.motherduck.com/install.bat && install.bat

It can't detect ARM64 or install the MotherDuck CLI, so use the PowerShell script wherever you can.

Upgrade

motherduck upgrade

Replaces the MotherDuck CLI binary on your PATH. It does not upgrade the DuckDB CLI in ~/.duckdb/, which has its own version: update that through DuckDB's own installation. On a CLI that's already current, upgrade says so rather than downloading again.

Next steps

• Sign in, or create an account with motherduck new
• Quickstart
• Command reference