Linear Install & Auth

Name: linear-install-auth
Rating: 76
Author: vasic-digital

Overview

Set up Linear SDK and configure authentication credentials for API access.

Prerequisites

•Node.js 18+ (Linear SDK is TypeScript/JavaScript only)
•Package manager (npm, pnpm, or yarn)
•Linear account with API access
•Personal API key or OAuth app from Linear settings

Instructions

Step 1: Install SDK

bash

# npm
npm install @linear/sdk

# pnpm
pnpm add @linear/sdk

# yarn
yarn add @linear/sdk

Step 2: Generate API Key

•Go to Linear Settings > API > Personal API keys
•Click "Create key"
•Copy the generated key (shown only once)

Step 3: Configure Authentication

bash

# Set environment variable
export LINEAR_API_KEY="lin_api_xxxxxxxxxxxx"

# Or create .env file
echo 'LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_xxxxxxxxxxxx' >> .env

Step 4: Verify Connection

typescript

import { LinearClient } from "@linear/sdk";

const client = new LinearClient({ apiKey: process.env.LINEAR_API_KEY });
const me = await client.viewer;
console.log(`Authenticated as: ${me.name} (${me.email})`);

Output

•Installed @linear/sdk package in node_modules
•Environment variable or .env file with API key
•Successful connection verification output

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
`Authentication failed`	Invalid or expired API key	Generate new key in Linear settings
`Invalid API key format`	Key doesn't start with `lin_api_`	Verify key format from Linear
`Rate limited`	Too many requests	Implement exponential backoff
`Module not found`	Installation failed	Run `npm install @linear/sdk` again
`Network error`	Firewall blocking	Ensure outbound HTTPS to api.linear.app

Examples

TypeScript Setup

typescript

import { LinearClient } from "@linear/sdk";

const linearClient = new LinearClient({
  apiKey: process.env.LINEAR_API_KEY,
});

// Verify connection
async function verifyConnection() {
  try {
    const viewer = await linearClient.viewer;
    console.log(`Connected as ${viewer.name}`);
    return true;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Linear connection failed:", error);
    return false;
  }
}

OAuth Setup (for user-facing apps)

typescript

import { LinearClient } from "@linear/sdk";

// OAuth tokens from your OAuth flow
const client = new LinearClient({
  accessToken: userAccessToken,
});

Resources

Next Steps

After successful auth, proceed to linear-hello-world for your first API call.