Skip to content

README.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
227 lines (164 loc) · 8.98 KB

README.md

File metadata and controls

227 lines (164 loc) · 8.98 KB
Raw

LINE CLI: command-line client for personal LINE accounts

English | 繁體中文（台灣） | 日本語 | ภาษาไทย

LINE CLI is an unofficial Go CLI for your personal LINE account. Read chats, send messages and files, download attachments, and stream events from your terminal. Use interactive prompts or JSON output on macOS, Linux, and Windows. No bot account or LINE Messaging API setup is required.

CI Release Go License: MIT

Install · Quick start · Commands · Automation · Full guide

LINE CLI: personal LINE messages, files, and automation from the terminal

The README on main follows development. For a released version, use the README at its tag and line COMMAND --help. See the changelog.

Install LINE CLI

macOS: Homebrew

brew install kongesque/tap/line-cli

macOS and Linux: standalone installer

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kongesque/line-cli/main/scripts/install-release.sh | sh

The installer detects your OS and architecture, verifies the release checksum, and installs line into ~/.local/bin. Reopen your terminal if prompted to apply its PATH setup. To use it in the current shell, run export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH".

Linux desktop: on Debian or Ubuntu, install credential storage before login:

sudo apt install libsecret-tools gnome-keyring

Run line from a desktop session with the Secret Service keyring running and unlocked in the same D-Bus session. On a server or over SSH without a desktop keyring, use the headless login below.

Windows: PowerShell

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kongesque/line-cli/main/scripts/install-release.ps1 | iex

The installer verifies the checksum and adds line.exe to your user PATH. Reopen PowerShell if needed. Windows needs no additional keyring package.

You can also download a release or build from source. Release binaries are unsigned and not notarized.

Check your installation:

line version

Quick start: send your first LINE message

Important

Signing in may replace your existing LINE Chrome extension or another Chrome-style client session. LINE CLI saves one account per operating-system user.

1. Sign in with LINE on your phone

line login

Scan the terminal QR code with LINE's scanner on your phone, approve the login, and enter the displayed PIN if asked. Wait for Session saved securely. QR login requires Letter Sealing to be enabled.

If your LINE account has an email address and password configured, you can use this instead, including when QR login fails:

line login --email you@example.com

Enter your password at the private prompt and complete phone verification if asked. Your password is never saved.

Linux server or SSH: log in without a desktop keyring

Use your regular Unix account and an interactive terminal (ssh -t user@host when connecting remotely). Headless storage requires /usr/bin/systemd-creds from systemd 256–259 and a working user credential broker.

line login --headless

For email/password login, use line login --headless --email you@example.com instead. Accept Host key; no TPM when prompted: this storage does not protect against a complete disk copy or provide TPM protection. Initial enrollment still requires terminal interaction and phone approval.

Wait for Session saved securely, then run line auth status --check. Continue with the commands below as the same Unix user, without --headless.

2. Browse your chats and send a message

line whoami     # Confirm your account
line chats      # List conversations
line messages   # Choose a chat and read recent messages
line send       # Choose a recipient and enter your message

The CLI prompts for missing details in an interactive terminal. Use Ctrl-C to cancel, or pass a chat name directly as shown below.

A successful send prints Sent to … · end-to-end encrypted or Sent to … · transport encrypted (no E2EE).

LINE messaging commands

What you want to do Command
Find friends line contacts --search "Alice"
Read recent messages line messages "Alice" --limit 20
Send a text message line send "Alice" --text "Hello!"
Send a file line send "Alice" --file ./report.pdf
Download photos, video, audio, or files line download
Stream live events line watch

Replace Alice with a full chat ID or a complete chat name that matches only one chat (case-insensitive). If names are duplicated, run line chats --search "Alice" --show-ids and use the full ID shown. Run line COMMAND --help for options; the CLI guide covers replies, reactions, and pagination.

Automate LINE with JSON and shell scripts

Add --json for structured output on stdout; diagnostics go to stderr. --json and --stdin disable prompts, so supply all required arguments. Use full chat IDs in scripts because names can change.

line chats --search "Family" --json
line messages CHAT_ID --limit 20 --json
line send CHAT_ID --stdin --json < message.txt
line watch --json > events.ndjson

Get CHAT_ID from line chats --json. Watch output is NDJSON; consumers should deduplicate by revision. See the JSON reference for fields and errors.

Remote changes are attempted once. If a send or other action loses its response, check LINE before repeating it.

Letter Sealing encryption and session security

LINE CLI uses Letter Sealing, LINE's end-to-end encryption, for supported chats and message types. HTTPS/TLS protects messages in transit, including when LINE explicitly reports that Letter Sealing is unavailable. Letter Sealing also keeps message content private from LINE's servers. Use --require-e2ee if you need end-to-end encryption for every send.

See sending and encryption and session storage.

Limitations

  • Letter Sealing coverage depends on the chat and content type. If LINE explicitly reports no support, messages use HTTPS/TLS transport encryption. See LINE's Encryption Report 2025.
  • History contains up to 100 messages per page. Use --page --json and its cursor for older available history; full history is not guaranteed. Reading does not mark messages as read; some older encrypted messages may be unavailable.
  • File sending and media downloads are limited to 20 MiB. --file preserves original bytes and appears as an ordinary file. Encrypted native image sending is disabled; non-E2EE images require explicit LINE capability. Native audio/video and sticker sends, and external media URL downloads, are unsupported.
  • LINE CLI uses LINE's Chrome-style protocol. Server changes can affect compatibility, and some protocol paths need broader live validation.

Update LINE CLI

Stop running commands and watchers before upgrading; concurrent old and new versions are unsupported.

line update --check   # Check the latest release without installing
line update           # Update where supported, or show upgrade instructions

Homebrew users should run brew upgrade line-cli. See the update guide for supported installation methods.

Documentation and help

Read the CLI guide or browse the documentation index. Report bugs and request features through GitHub Issues. Include line version, your OS, the command, and a redacted error. Omit passwords, tokens, QR login values, and private messages.

Build and contribute

Source builds require Go 1.27.2; macOS also needs Xcode Command Line Tools and CGO. See build from source and contributing for setup and development checks.

License and provenance

LINE CLI is not affiliated with or endorsed by LINE. It is derived from beeper/line; shared protocol and crypto code retain their upstream copyright and provenance. The Matrix connector and Beeper deployment stack are not part of this project.

Distributed under the MIT License.