On machines without a desktop session, Clipshot runs in CLI mode.
Starting the daemon
Start the background sync daemon:
clipshot daemon --port 19231
Useful optional flags include:
--hub-url--group-token--relay-url--password--http-port
Pairing via CLI
Generate a 6-digit pair code on this device:
clishot pair
# Pair code: 482 917
# Valid for 5 minutes.
#
# Waiting for other device.......
# ✓ Device connected!
# ✓ Confirmation digits: 7392
# (verify they match on both devices)
The CLI polls for the other device to join (up to 5 minutes). Once connected, 4 confirmation digits are displayed — compare them to verify no MITM.
Join with a code from another device:
clishot pair 482917
# ✓ Pair join accepted
# ✓ Confirmation digits: 7392
No account required; pair works via Portal relay or local mDNS automatically. The CLI communicates with the running daemon via DaemonClient IPC (localhost HTTP API).
Account setup via CLI
Set up a new account without a pair code. This creates a session on the portal, opens your browser for login or registration (Google OAuth supported), and polls until you authorize the device. The group token is saved automatically.
clipshot setup
If you already have a group token, clipshot setup tells you so and exits. To switch groups, use clipshot pair CODE instead.
Useful commands
Generate a share link for this node:
clipshot share-uri
clipshot share-uri --port 19231 --ttl 3600 --name mybox
Add a peer from a Clipshot link:
clipshot add-uri 'clipshot://node/...'
Copy text back to your local terminal clipboard over SSH:
clipshot push "hello"
Show recent sync history:
clipshot history
clipshot history --filter images --limit 10
Filters: all, files, images, text. Default limit is 20.
Check for or install updates:
clipshot update
clipshot update --check
clipshot update checks clipshot.cc for a newer release matching your platform. With --check it only reports availability without installing.
Other useful CLI commands:
clipshot status
clipshot pause
clipshot resume
clipshot toggle
clipshot doctor
clipshot list-peers
clipshot add-peer alice 192.168.1.5:19231
clipshot remove-peer alice
clipshot retry-transfer /path/to/file
Settings management
View or change settings from the command line:
clipshot config show
clipshot config get listen_port
clipshot config set max_file_size_mb 100
Manage saved peers:
clipshot peers list
clipshot peers add bob 10.0.0.5:19231
clipshot peers remove 10.0.0.5:19231
Shell completions
Generate completion scripts for your shell:
clipshot completions bash > ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/clipshot
clipshot completions zsh > ~/.zfunc/_clipshot
clipshot completions fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/clipshot.fish
systemd / launchd auto-start
Install Clipshot as a background service that starts on boot:
clipshot service install --port 19231 --http-port 18080
Manage it with:
clipshot service status
clipshot service logs
clipshot service uninstall
Notes:
- Linux uses a systemd user service (
~/.config/systemd/user/clipshot.service) withRestart=alwaysandloginctl enable-linger - macOS uses a launchd agent (
~/Library/LaunchAgents/cc.clipshot.daemon.plist) withRunAtLoadandKeepAlive - the one-line installer sets this up automatically (skip with
--no-autostart) - a PID lock (
~/.config/clipshot/daemon.lock) prevents duplicate daemon instances - auto-start is enabled by default — toggle it in Settings or with
clipshot service uninstall