layerbase

The Layerbase cloud CLI: connect to your managed cloud databases with their native clients, drop into local spindb, and never paste a connection string into your shell history.

layerbase is the bridge between spindb (the open-source local database manager) and your Layerbase cloud account. Think flyctl / heroku / neonctl, but it also wraps spindb for local work.

Install

npm i -g layerbase
# or
pnpm add -g layerbase
# or
bun add -g layerbase

This installs two commands, layerbase and a shorter lbase. For a two-letter lb, run layerbase alias (it only claims lb if nothing else owns it).

Quick start

layerbase              # open the interactive menu
layerbase login        # sign in through your browser
layerbase ls           # list your cloud databases
layerbase psql my-db   # connect with the right client, no password typed

Commands

Command	Description
layerbase	Interactive menu: a hub to sign in, list, connect, and run spindb.
layerbase login	Sign in via the browser; stores a token in ~/.layerbase-cli.
layerbase logout	Remove the stored credentials.
layerbase whoami	Show the signed-in account and token expiry (--json).
layerbase ls	List your cloud databases (--json for scripting).
layerbase connect <db>	Connect with the engine's native client.
layerbase psql <db>	Connect to a Postgres-family database.
layerbase redis-cli <db>	Connect to a Redis / Valkey database.
layerbase mysql <db>	Connect to a MySQL / MariaDB database.
layerbase connection-string <db>	Print the connection string (reveals the password).
layerbase spindb [args...]	Run the local spindb CLI (passes args through).
layerbase alias	Set up the short lb command (only if it is free).

<db> accepts a cloud database id or its name. Add --print to connect to show the connection details instead of launching a client.

Interactive menu

Run layerbase with no command for an arrow-key menu. It is a small hub: each action runs, then the menu returns, so you can sign in, list databases, drop into spindb, and keep going.

 ◆ Layerbase  cloud + local databases

 Signed in as [email protected]

 ❯ List cloud databases
   Connect to a database
   Run spindb               local databases
   Log out
   Quit

 Up/Down to move · Enter to select · q to quit

The menu is sugar over the commands above, so everything stays scriptable.

The spindb bridge

spindb manages local database containers; layerbase adds the cloud account layer around it.

layerbase spindb                  # open spindb's own menu
layerbase spindb create postgres  # run any spindb command locally

spindb is found on your PATH, or run through npx / pnpx / bunx if it is not installed. Local spindb commands need no login.

Connecting without a connection string

Passing psql "postgresql://user:SECRET@host/db" leaks the password into your shell history, into ps while the client runs, and into terminal scrollback. layerbase resolves the database over TLS and hands the credential to the client through an environment variable or a transient 0600 file that is deleted on exit. The password is never an argv value.

Engine	How the password is passed
Postgres family	PGPASSFILE (temp 0600 file), deleted on exit
MySQL / MariaDB	--defaults-extra-file (temp 0600 file), deleted on exit
Redis / Valkey	REDISCLI_AUTH environment variable
Other engines	layerbase connection-string / --print

Connecting requires the engine's native client (psql, mysql, redis-cli) on your PATH.

Authentication

layerbase login opens your browser, you sign in with GitHub or Google, and a 30-day token is returned to a loopback server the CLI runs on 127.0.0.1. A state nonce ties the response to your login, and the token is only ever delivered to a loopback address. It is stored at ~/.layerbase-cli/credentials.json (mode 0600). This mirrors how the Layerbase desktop app signs in. Run layerbase logout to remove it.

The lb shortcut

The CLI installs as layerbase and lbase. For a two-letter lb, run layerbase alias (or pick it from the menu). It creates lb next to the layerbase binary, but only when lb is not already taken on your system (for example, Debian's live-build ships an lb). If it is taken, the CLI leaves it alone and suggests a shell alias instead.

Configuration

Variable	Purpose
LAYERBASE_API_URL	Override the Layerbase API base (default https://layerbase.com).

Requirements

• Node.js 20 or newer.
• For connect / psql / redis-cli / mysql: the matching native client on your PATH.

License

ISC, Layerbase, LLC.