Install help

Installing on Windows takes two steps

The first command saves the installer to your temp folder and prints nothing. The second runs it and shows its progress. Paste both into PowerShell:

irm https://shiplua.com/cli/install.ps1 -OutFile $env:TEMP\shiplua-install.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File $env:TEMP\shiplua-install.ps1

Windows Security blocked the install

A one-line command that downloads a script and runs it straight from memory is what Windows Security is most cautious about, so shipLua uses the two steps above instead. The shipLua installer is a short, readable script that only saves the CLI in your user folder; you can open the saved file in Notepad before running it.

Requirements

• Node.js 20 or newer

  • Check with node -v in a terminal; it should say v20 or higher.
  • Get the LTS version from https://nodejs.org, then open a new terminal.

• PowerShell on Windows

  • It comes with Windows: Start menu, type PowerShell.

• HTTP requests on in Roblox Studio

  • Studio asks the first time the plugin connects; choose Allow.
  • Or: Home › Game Settings › Security › Allow HTTP Requests.

Troubleshooting

• “irm is not recognized” or “running scripts is disabled”

  • Run the commands in PowerShell, not Command Prompt.
  • If scripts are disabled for your account, run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned, answer Y, then try again.

• “shiplua is not recognized” after installing

  • Close the terminal and open a new one: the installer added shipLua to your PATH, and only new windows see it.
  • On Windows, check that %USERPROFILE%\.shiplua\bin is in your user Path.

• macOS or Linux: “command not found: shiplua”

  • Add it to your PATH: echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.shiplua/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bashrc), then open a new terminal.

• Node is missing or too old

  • The installer says so and stops. Install the LTS version from https://nodejs.org, open a new terminal, and run the install again.

• Checksum or download failed

  • Run the install again; nothing was installed.
  • If it keeps failing, a proxy, VPN or antivirus may be changing downloads: try another network or pause the VPN.

• `npm i -g shiplua` doesn’t work

  • There is no npm package. Use the install commands from shipLua (the two Windows steps, or the curl line on macOS and Linux).

• shipLua doesn’t show up in Codex, Claude Code or Cursor

  • Restart the AI tool after adding shiplua-mcp; most read their MCP settings only at start.
  • Check the config is in the right file (see the settings for your tool) and that shiplua --version works in a new terminal.
  • On Windows, use the cmd /c shiplua-mcp form.

• The plugin can’t reach the CLI

  • Make sure shiplua bridge (or your AI tool with shiplua-mcp) is running, and enter the code it shows in shipLua panel › Agent.
  • Turn on HTTP requests in Studio (Game Settings › Security).
  • If a firewall asks about Node.js, allow it on private networks; the bridge only listens on this computer (127.0.0.1).

Still stuck? Write to us from the contact page.