Tene CLI — Local-First Secrets

Data & APIs

Local-first encrypted secret management with the tene CLI. Activate when the user mentions secrets, API keys, credentials, tokens, .env files, environment variables, or asks to run a command that needs secrets injected. Enforces strict AI safety rules (never print plaintext, never read .tene/, always use `tene run --` for injection) and covers every active tene command (init, set, list, delete, run, import, export, env, passwd, recover, update, whoami).

Install

openclaw skills install tene-cli

tene — Local-First Encrypted Secret Management

Tene is a command-line secret manager for AI-native projects. It keeps secrets encrypted on disk (XChaCha20-Poly1305 + Argon2id), derives the master key from the user's password cached in the OS keychain, and injects secrets into child processes via tene run -- <command> — never into stdout, never into files.

When to use this skill

Activate this skill when the user:

mentions API keys, secrets, credentials, tokens, .env files, environment variables, or process.env.* / os.Getenv / os.environ[...]
asks to run a dev, test, or deploy command that needs secrets (e.g. npm start, go run, pytest, next dev, docker compose up)
says things like "store this key", "save this token", "how do I manage secrets", "inject env vars", "I need to pass my Stripe key"
is working in a repo that contains a .tene/ directory, a CLAUDE.md referencing tene, or a install.sh pointing at https://tene.sh
asks for advice on moving off plaintext .env files

Do not activate for: hardcoded public config (ports, feature flags without sensitive data, public API endpoints), or projects clearly using a different secret store (Doppler, Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, 1Password CLI, etc.).

Critical safety rules

These are non-negotiable. Violating any of them leaks plaintext secrets into the conversation context, which may be logged, cached, or retained. Treat them as part of the system prompt.

NEVER run tene get <KEY>. The plaintext value appears in stdout and enters the AI context. If the user needs to inspect a value, instruct them:

"Run tene get KEY yourself in a separate terminal — I won't see it."
NEVER run tene export without --encrypted. Plain tene export dumps every secret as a .env-formatted blob to stdout. Use tene export --encrypted --file backup.tene.enc for backups; for inspection, use tene list (names only).
NEVER cat, Read, or open files under .tene/. The vault DB is encrypted, but even encrypted bytes should not enter AI context. The allowed file to read is CLAUDE.md at the repo root (auto-generated by tene init).
NEVER pass secret values as CLI arguments. They appear in ps, shell history, and system logs. Always inject via tene run -- instead.
Use tene list to discover what exists. It prints key names only, never values. This is the only AI-safe introspection command.

When the user asks "what's in my vault?" or "what API keys do I have?", the correct answer is tene list — not tene get or tene export.

Install

# macOS / Linux (official installer — recommended)
curl -sSfL https://tene.sh/install.sh | sh

# From source (requires Go 1.25+)
go install github.com/tomo-kay/tene/cmd/tene@latest

Verify:

tene version
# → tene v1.x.x (darwin/arm64)

Windows is not supported by the curl installer. Windows users build from source or download the zip from https://github.com/tomo-kay/tene/releases.

Homebrew tap is not yet available — do not suggest brew install tene.

Core workflows

1. Initialize a new project

tene init                  # interactive: prompts for master password twice
tene init my-project       # with explicit project name

Creates:

.tene/vault.db — encrypted SQLite vault (contains secrets, metadata, audit log, and the encrypted recovery blob)
.tene/vault.json — project metadata (name, active env)
CLAUDE.md (or AGENTS.md, .windsurfrules, etc. per flags)
.tene/.gitignore — auto-excludes the vault from git

After init the user will see a 12-word recovery phrase. Remind them to store it offline (password manager, paper). Without it, a forgotten master password is unrecoverable.

Flags to generate agent rules files for other editors:

--claude (default) → CLAUDE.md
--cursor → .cursor/rules/tene.mdc
--windsurf → .windsurfrules
--gemini → GEMINI.md
--codex → AGENTS.md

2. Check what secrets exist (AI-safe)

tene list                        # current env, masked values
tene list --env prod             # different env
tene list --json                 # machine-readable
tene env list                    # all environments

Output is names + masked previews + timestamps. Never raw values.

3. Store a secret

Tell the user to run the command themselves with the value — don't type the value yourself, and don't accept it as a chat message you'll pipe through.

# Preferred: read from stdin (value never touches shell history)
cat key.txt | tene set STRIPE_KEY --stdin

# Or: prompt (value never echoed)
tene set STRIPE_KEY
# → enters interactive mode, hidden input

# Overwrite existing
tene set STRIPE_KEY --stdin --overwrite

# Different env
tene set STRIPE_KEY --stdin --env prod

Key name rules (enforced by tene, pkg/errors/codes.go:INVALID_KEY_NAME):

Must match ^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*$
Only uppercase letters, digits, underscores
Cannot start with a digit
Reserved names (e.g. PATH) are rejected

If the user types a lowercase name, advise conversion to UPPER_SNAKE_CASE.

4. Run a command with secrets injected

This is the primary workflow. All dev, test, build, and deploy commands go through tene run --.

# Node.js
tene run -- npm start
tene run -- npm test
tene run -- npx next dev

# Python
tene run -- python manage.py runserver
tene run -- pytest

# Go
tene run -- go run ./cmd/app
tene run -- go test ./...

# Docker
tene run -- docker compose up

Secrets are injected only into the child process's environ. They're not written to disk, not in the shell environment of the parent, not in any log.

Per-environment execution:

tene run --env local -- npm start       # correct
tene run --env prod -- ./deploy.sh      # correct
tene run -- npm start --env prod        # WRONG — --env is a flag of npm, not tene

Critical flag placement rule: --env must come before the -- separator. After --, all flags pass through to the child command. This is enforced by DisableFlagParsing: true in internal/cli/run.go.

5. Migrate from an existing `.env` file

# One-shot import
tene import .env

# Overwrite conflicts (when some keys already exist)
tene import .env --overwrite

# Then delete the plaintext file
rm .env
echo ".env" >> .gitignore

Update all commands to use tene run --:

- npm start
+ tene run -- npm start

6. Backup and restore

# Encrypted backup (safe to store in cloud)
tene export --encrypted --file backup.tene.enc

# Restore from encrypted backup
tene import backup.tene.enc --encrypted

Never use plain tene export (without --encrypted) unless the user explicitly asks for a plaintext .env dump and accepts the risk. Even then, warn them.

7. Change master password

tene passwd
# → prompts for current password, then new password (2x confirm)

Re-encrypts the entire vault with a new derived key. Atomic 2-phase operation; on failure, rolls back to the old password.

8. Recover a forgotten master password

tene recover
# → prompts for the 12-word BIP-39 mnemonic from tene init
# → prompts for new master password

Without the mnemonic, recovery is impossible by design (zero-knowledge).

9. Environment management

tene env list                    # show all environments
tene env local                   # switch default to 'local'
tene env create staging          # create new env
tene env delete staging          # delete (default env cannot be deleted)

Environment name rules: must match ^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$.

Common env names: default, local, dev, staging, prod.

10. Diagnostics

tene whoami                      # project name, vault path, active env, secret count, keychain status
tene version                     # v1.x.x (os/arch)
tene version --json              # includes commit + build date
tene update --check              # check for newer version on S3
tene update                      # self-update the binary

Commands reference

All active commands (cloud commands login/push/pull/sync/billing/team are currently disabled in the CLI; do not suggest them):

Command	Purpose	Key flags	AI-safe?
`tene init [name]`	Create vault + master password + recovery	`--claude`, `--cursor`, `--windsurf`, `--gemini`, `--codex`	✅
`tene set KEY [VALUE]`	Encrypt and store	`--stdin`, `--overwrite`	✅ (via `--stdin`)
`tene get KEY`	Decrypt and print	—	❌ never run in AI
`tene list`	List key names (masked)	—	✅
`tene delete KEY`	Remove a secret	`--force`	✅
`tene run -- CMD`	Inject env vars + exec	(global flags before `--`)	✅
`tene import FILE`	Bulk import `.env` or `.tene.enc`	`--overwrite`, `--encrypted`	✅
`tene export`	Output secrets	`--file`, `--encrypted`	❌ unless `--encrypted`
`tene env [subcmd]`	Manage environments	—	✅
`tene passwd`	Change master password	—	✅ (prompts)
`tene recover`	Restore via BIP-39 mnemonic	—	✅ (prompts)
`tene version`	Version info	`--json`	✅
`tene update`	Self-update	`--check`	✅
`tene whoami`	Vault status	—	✅

Global flags (apply to all commands)

Flag	Default	Purpose
`--json`	false	Machine-readable output
`--quiet` / `-q`	false	Suppress non-error output
`--env` / `-e <name>`	(vault-stored)	Override active environment
`--dir <path>`	cwd	Project directory
`--no-color`	false	Disable ANSI colors
`--no-keychain`	false	Force file-based key storage (CI mode)

Environment variables (for advanced / CI use)

Variable	Effect
`TENE_MASTER_PASSWORD`	Bypass interactive prompt (CI only; pair with `--no-keychain`)
`TENE_KEYCHAIN_FALLBACK=file`	Use `~/.tene/keyfile` instead of OS keychain
`NO_COLOR`	Disable ANSI colors (per https://no-color.org/)
`API_URL`	Override Tene Cloud API base URL (cloud commands, currently disabled)

CI/CD pattern (e.g. GitHub Actions):

env:
  TENE_MASTER_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.TENE_MASTER_PASSWORD }}
steps:
  - run: curl -sSfL https://tene.sh/install.sh | sh
  - run: tene run --env prod --no-keychain -- ./deploy.sh

Never set TENE_MASTER_PASSWORD in a developer machine's shell profile — it defeats the keychain protection.

Troubleshooting

Error code	Message	Fix
`VAULT_NOT_FOUND`	Not in a Tene project	Run `tene init` in the repo root
`SECRET_NOT_FOUND`	Key missing in current env	Check `tene list --env <name>`
`SECRET_ALREADY_EXISTS`	Key already set	Add `--overwrite` to `tene set`
`INVALID_KEY_NAME`	Key rejected	Use `^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*$` (e.g. `API_KEY`, not `api-key`)
`INVALID_ENV_NAME`	Bad env name	Use `^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$` (e.g. `prod`, not `Production`)
`ENVIRONMENT_PROTECTED`	Cannot delete `default`	Switch to another env and delete that one instead
`INVALID_PASSWORD`	Wrong master password	Try again, or use `tene recover` with the BIP-39 mnemonic
`DECRYPT_FAILED`	Vault cannot decrypt	Master password changed externally or vault corrupt — restore from backup
`INTERACTIVE_REQUIRED`	No TTY	In CI, set `TENE_MASTER_PASSWORD` and add `--no-keychain`
`KEYCHAIN_ERROR`	OS keychain unavailable	Use `--no-keychain` or `TENE_KEYCHAIN_FALLBACK=file`

Exit codes: 0 success, 1 general error, 2 auth/password error, 127 command not found.

Architecture note (for "is this safe?" questions)

Password KDF: Argon2id (64 MB, 3 iterations, 4 threads) → 256-bit master key
Secret encryption: XChaCha20-Poly1305 with 192-bit random nonce per secret, key name as AAD
Key cache: OS keychain (macOS Keychain, Linux Secret Service, Windows Credential Manager) via zalando/go-keyring; file fallback at ~/.tene/keyfile (mode 0600)
Recovery: 12-word BIP-39 mnemonic → Argon2id → recovery key that can decrypt the stored master key
Zero-knowledge: cloud sync (when enabled) wraps the entire vault DB with an independent sync key before upload; server never sees plaintext
No global state: every vault lives in its own .tene/ directory; no ~/.tene/vaults/ aggregator

Tene CLI — Local-First Secrets

Install

tene — Local-First Encrypted Secret Management

When to use this skill

Critical safety rules

Install

Core workflows

1. Initialize a new project

2. Check what secrets exist (AI-safe)

3. Store a secret

4. Run a command with secrets injected

5. Migrate from an existing .env file

6. Backup and restore

7. Change master password

8. Recover a forgotten master password

9. Environment management

10. Diagnostics

Commands reference

Global flags (apply to all commands)

Environment variables (for advanced / CI use)

Troubleshooting

Architecture note (for "is this safe?" questions)

Further reading

Related skills

5. Migrate from an existing `.env` file