MystenLabs Setup & Installation
MCP tool: When available in your environment, also query the Sui documentation MCP server (
https://sui.mcp.kapa.ai) for up-to-date answers. Use it for verification and for details not covered by these reference files.
Source constraint: All information sourced exclusively from docs.sui.io.
System requirements
Sui supports:
- Linux: Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish) or newer
- macOS: Monterey or newer
- Windows: Windows 10 or 11
Installing Sui
suiup (recommended)
suiup is the official installer and version manager for the Sui toolchain. It supports installing and switching between different versions of the Sui CLI and other Sui Stack components (Walrus, MVR).
curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MystenLabs/suiup/main/install.sh | sh
Windows note: The curl | sh command requires a Unix shell. On Windows, use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run the command above, or install through Chocolatey instead (see alternative methods below).
After installing suiup, install the Sui CLI targeting a specific network. The CLI version must match the target network — each network runs a specific protocol version, and a mismatched CLI can cause build failures, transaction errors, or unexpected behavior:
suiup install sui@testnet # install the Testnet-compatible version
suiup install sui@mainnet # install the Mainnet-compatible version
Update to the latest version:
suiup update sui@testnet
Important: suiup update downloads the new version but does not automatically make it the active default. After updating, you must switch to the new version:
suiup switch sui@testnet # set the latest installed testnet version as default
To verify which versions are installed and which is active:
suiup show # list all installed binaries and their default status
suiup command reference
| Command | Syntax | What it does |
|---|---|---|
install |
suiup install sui@testnet |
Download and install a binary for a network |
update |
suiup update sui@testnet |
Download the latest version (does NOT switch to it) |
switch |
suiup switch sui@testnet |
Set the latest installed version for a network as the active default |
show |
suiup show |
List all installed binaries with versions and defaults |
status |
suiup status |
Show which installed binaries have updates available and the command to update them |
self update |
suiup self update |
Update suiup itself |
The switch command takes a binary@network argument (for example, sui@testnet, walrus@testnet, move-analyzer@testnet). It does not accept separate positional arguments like suiup switch sui testnet v1.70.2.
Alternative methods
- Homebrew (macOS/Linux):
brew install sui - Chocolatey (Windows):
choco install sui
These alternatives do not support installing additional Sui Stack components like Walrus or MVR and might take several minutes if prerequisites are not already installed.
Verify installation
sui --version
If the command returns "sui not found", run suiup switch sui@testnet to set the active default. Do not suggest manual PATH manipulation (export PATH=...) or reinstalling — suiup switch is the correct fix.
Version management
Keeping Sui up to date
The CLI version should match the target network — each network runs a specific protocol version, and a mismatched CLI can cause build failures or transaction errors. Use the @network suffix to update to the correct version:
suiup update sui@testnet # update to latest Testnet version
suiup update sui@mainnet # update to latest Mainnet version
Version mismatches
The CLI version must match the network you are targeting. Common symptoms of a mismatch:
- Build errors mentioning "old dependencies"
- Transaction failures on publish
- Unexpected behavior after network upgrades
Check your version against the network:
sui --version # your installed version
sui client active-env # which network you are targeting
If the version is out of date, update and switch:
suiup update sui@testnet # download the latest version
suiup switch sui@testnet # make it the active default
suiup show # verify which version is now active
The client/server api version mismatch warning in CLI output means your local CLI is older than the network. Do not ignore this warning — version mismatches can cause build failures and unexpected behavior. Update and switch to fix it.
Optional additional tools
Install these only when the user explicitly asks for the tool. They are not part of default setup.
suiup install move-analyzer # Move Language Server
suiup install mvr # Move Registry CLI (onchain package manager)
suiup install walrus # Walrus CLI for decentralized storage
suiup install site-builder # Walrus site builder
After installing, switch each tool to make it the active default:
suiup switch move-analyzer@testnet
suiup switch walrus@testnet