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New to terminals? Start here

A no-jargon, ten-minute path from opening a terminal to safely reading your first coin.

This guide is for you if you have never used a terminal. Your first win is simple: install dexterm, open one real coin in read-only mode (display information without changing anything or trading), understand the safety and holder panels, save the result, and quit. It is not a trade and it does not require a wallet.

Never paste a seed phrase, private key, password, API key, login token, or authentication token into a terminal, dexterm, a chat, a command, a URL, or a log. dexterm never needs your wallet keys and never holds them. The experimental trading path asks Phantom to approve each wallet action. If anything claiming to be dexterm asks for a secret, stop.

Terminal, shell, prompt, command, output, and PATH#

A terminal is a text window for giving your computer instructions. macOS calls its built-in app Terminal. Windows users should use PowerShell inside Windows Terminal. Linux includes a terminal app with the desktop.
A shell is the program inside that window that reads what you type. PowerShell is a shell; zsh and bash are common macOS and Linux shells. You do not need to learn which one you have.
A prompt is the short text, often ending in $ or >, that means the shell is ready. Do not type the prompt itself.
A command is one line you type after the prompt, such as dexterm doctor.
Output is the text the computer prints after a command. Output is an answer, not another command to copy blindly.
PATH is the list of folders where the shell looks for commands. If it says dexterm: command not found, dexterm may be installed but its folder may not be on that list. The fix is below.

Press Enter after each command. Wait until the prompt returns before typing the next one.

Open the terminal#

Choose your computer below. Opening this app does not change anything; it only gives you a place to type a command.

macOS#

Press Command-Space, type Terminal, then press Return. Terminal.app is enough; iTerm2, Ghostty and WezTerm also work.

Linux#

Open your applications menu and search for Terminal. On many desktops, Ctrl-Alt-T also opens it.

Windows#

Open the Start menu, type Windows Terminal, and choose the PowerShell tab. Windows support is experimental and has not yet passed the project's test run; the known limits are listed under Windows expectations.

Copy and paste without surprises#

Copy only the text inside a code box. Do not copy a leading $; it represents the prompt. Paste one line, read it once, then press Enter.

computer	copy	paste
macOS Terminal	Command-C	Command-V
Linux terminal	Ctrl-Shift-C	Ctrl-Shift-V
Windows Terminal	Ctrl-Shift-C	Ctrl-Shift-V

Right-click and choose Paste if the shortcut does not work. A multi-line paste can run several commands, so this guide uses one command per box. Never paste a command you do not understand; read the sentence above it first.

Install Node.js first#

dexterm needs Node.js 22.18 or newer. Node.js is the program that runs dexterm. Check whether it is already installed:

node -v

Output such as v22.18.0 or a larger version is ready. If the command is missing or the number is lower, install the current Long-Term Support (LTS) release—the version maintained for ordinary users—from nodejs.org, close the terminal, reopen it, and run node -v again.

Choose a setup path#

Use one method for your computer. You do not need to run every method.

macOS or Linux: npm#

npm is the installer included with Node.js. This is the shortest path:

npm i -g dexterm-cli

Linux x64 with Node 22 and 24 and macOS on Intel processors have passed the full automated tests plus a clean install-and-start check. Apple Silicon macOS passed the same automated tests in CI for 0.1.4. No sudo (the command that grants administrator power) is required for this npm path.

macOS: Homebrew#

If you already use Homebrew, this tested macOS path also works:

brew tap dexterm-xyz/dexterm

brew trust dexterm-xyz/dexterm

brew install dexterm

Homebrew on Apple Silicon has not yet run the project's manual install test. On an Intel Mac it may spend a long time building Node; the npm path above is faster.

Windows: PowerShell (experimental)#

Install Node.js LTS first, reopen PowerShell, and run:

npm i -g dexterm-cli

The Windows path is experimental: the project's CI suite passed for 0.1.4, but nobody has used it much by hand. The core read-only screens are expected to work, but voice has no Windows engine, browser-opening shortcuts do not work, and some repair instructions are written for macOS/Linux. See Windows expectations.

Check the installation with doctor#

Run:

dexterm doctor

doctor is a read-only check. A check mark means that part is ready. A warning means an optional part is missing. A failure includes a suggested fix. It never asks for a wallet key, password, seed phrase, or token.

The Claude line may warn that Claude Code is missing. That is okay: the screener works without it. Only the optional analyst needs your own Claude Code installation and login.

Ten-minute first win#

The steps below are read-only. They do not connect a wallet or place a trade.

1. Start dexterm#

dexterm

The first launch shows a welcome card. Press any key once to reach the screener, the live list of coins. A screen is one full view inside dexterm.

2. Open a real coin by contract address#

A contract address, often shortened to CA, is the long public identifier for a coin. It is public information, not a wallet secret.

Press g. A small go-to prompt appears inside dexterm. Paste this DEXTERM project-token example and press Enter:

2huJ1cxDXpGrh2bPYxptaoLj89to8CnzdVC5aYTEpump

This is the verified address of the optional DEXTERM memecoin launched by the dexterm authors. It is not part of the software and has no utility or rewards. It appears here only as a stable public-address example, not as a recommendation or endorsement. Not financial advice. Verify the address before using it. You can instead use the verified public address of any Solana coin you choose.

3. Read the safety panel#

The coin's token screen opens. Find the ON-CHAIN / SAFETY area. “On-chain” means information read from Solana's public record. Read each source and its age.

Mint authority says whether someone can create more tokens.
Freeze authority says whether someone can freeze token accounts.
Liquidity is the pool available for buying and selling.
A risk flag points out a condition to inspect. It is not proof that a coin is safe or unsafe.

If a value says unavailable or stale, treat it as unknown. Never turn missing data into a pass.

4. Read the holder panel#

The holder panel describes how ownership is distributed. top 10 means the share held by the ten largest counted accounts. A pool or exchange account can distort that number, so read the labels and the sample note too. A concentrated supply is a reason to investigate, not a verdict.

Press ? at any time to see the keys that work on the current screen. Press Esc to close help or go back.

5. Optionally ask the analyst#

If doctor found Claude Code and you are logged into your own Claude account, press a. Ask a plain question such as:

Explain the safety and holder panels in beginner language. What is known, unknown, and stale?

The analyst uses your Claude account and may count toward that account's paid usage. Its answer is model output—text generated by an artificial-intelligence model—not a fact or financial advice. It can explain and navigate, but no voice or connected program can arm or sign a trade.

Press E to export the current screen. An export is a saved copy: dexterm writes a PNG image (a common image-file format) and a plain-text report under ~/.dexterm/exports/. The ~ means your home folder. Nothing is uploaded or posted.

Open that folder with your normal file manager if you want to share the files yourself. Check the image and text before sending them; a live coin view may contain a public wallet address or other details you would rather hide. dexterm never posts for you.

7. Quit safely#

Press q. dexterm restores the terminal and the prompt returns. Closing the window also ends the shell, but q is the normal exit.

That is the first win: one real, read-only coin review, one optional explanation, one local export, and no wallet connection.

Reopen dexterm later#

Open Terminal, a Linux terminal, or PowerShell again and run:

dexterm

You do not reinstall it each time. Run dexterm doctor again after changing Node.js, your terminal, or an optional data key.

Common mistakes and recovery#

Most first-run problems are a closed window, a missed prompt, or a command folder that is not on PATH. Use the matching recovery below.

If `dexterm` says command not found#

Close and reopen the terminal first. Then run npm prefix -g to see npm's global install folder. On macOS/Linux, npm's executable folder must be on your PATH; the installer output normally tells you the exact line for your setup. Do not paste a PATH fix from a stranger. On Windows, rerun the Node.js installer and keep its “Add to PATH” option enabled, then reopen Windows Terminal.

You can confirm whether the shell can find dexterm with command -v dexterm on macOS/Linux or Get-Command dexterm in PowerShell.

If the screen looks broken#

Make the terminal window wider, then run dexterm --calm for a simpler display. Press Ctrl-C once if the app is stuck; it should restore the terminal. Run dexterm doctor and read the failed line.

If paste does nothing or pastes twice#

Use the right-click Paste menu. Make sure the cursor is in the terminal or in dexterm's go-to prompt. Press Esc once and then g to reopen the correct prompt.

If data says unavailable, stale, or rate limited#

That is an honest degraded state, not a broken safety check. Wait, press r where the help overlay lists refresh, or try later. Do not assume a missing warning means a coin passed.

If optional help is unavailable#

The screener still works when the analyst does not start. Run dexterm doctor; the Claude line explains what is missing. Never enter a Claude password or authentication token into dexterm.

If you typed the wrong thing#

Press Esc to cancel an open prompt or return to the previous screen. Press ? for current keys. Press q to leave and start again. Merely opening and reading a coin cannot trade.

Windows expectations#

Windows x64 is experimental: the full CI suite passed for 0.1.4, though some file-permission checks are skipped. File permissions rely on your Windows user profile; voice has no Windows speech engine; browser-opening actions show a URL instead; doctor may print a macOS/Linux repair command; and the npm-installed claude.cmd is not detected as a usable analyst binary. These limits do not change the key rule: dexterm never holds your wallet keys.

Before any experimental trading#

Stop here until you are comfortable reading the app. Trading is experimental and has known bugs. It begins in PAPER simulation, which uses pretend funds. In the wallet path, Phantom shows and approves each wallet action, the keypress gate (a required physical key press) is on by default, and hard spending limits remain enforced in a separate signing process. No analyst, voice, or connected program can arm or sign.

Never enter a seed phrase, private key, password, API key, or authentication token. Read the paper and wallet guide before considering anything beyond the read-only walkthrough.

Where to go next#

Getting started has the complete install choices and tested-platform evidence.
Screens explains every panel.
Keyboard lists the exact keys generated from the app.
Troubleshooting covers doctor messages and reporting a problem.