How to Fix the “supabase init Zsh Command Not Found” Error

Hey everyone! So, you’re trying to get your Supabase project set up, maybe you’re diving into a new project or cloning an existing one, and you hit a roadblock. You type in supabase init in your Zsh terminal, and BAM! You get that dreaded command not found error. Ugh, right? It’s super frustrating when you’re just trying to get things rolling. But don’t sweat it, guys! This is a super common hiccup, and thankfully, it’s usually pretty straightforward to fix. We’re gonna walk through exactly why this happens and how to get your supabase init command working smoothly again. Let’s get this project cooking!

Understanding the “Command Not Found” Mystery

So, what’s the deal with this command not found error, especially with supabase init in Zsh? Basically, your Zsh shell is like your computer’s command-line assistant. When you type a command, Zsh looks through a list of directories (called the PATH environment variable) to find the executable file for that command. If it searches all those directories and can’t find anything named supabase , it throws up its hands and tells you command not found . The supabase init command specifically is part of the Supabase CLI (Command Line Interface) tool. If this tool isn’t installed correctly, or if its location isn’t included in your Zsh shell’s PATH , then Zsh won’t know where to find it, leading to that frustrating error message. It’s not that the command itself is broken, it’s just that your shell doesn’t know where to find it. Think of it like trying to find a specific book in a library, but the librarian doesn’t know which shelf or section it’s supposed to be on. The book is there, but you can’t access it!

Several things could be going on: maybe the Supabase CLI wasn’t installed at all, or perhaps it was installed but not added to your system’s PATH variable. Sometimes, especially after a fresh installation or an update, the shell might not pick up the new PATH settings until you restart your terminal or even your computer. In the Zsh world, configuration files like .zshrc play a big role in setting up your environment, including your PATH . If the Supabase CLI installation process didn’t automatically update these files, or if there’s a typo in your .zshrc file where the PATH is defined, that could also be the culprit. We’ll break down these common causes and show you the exact steps to diagnose and fix them, ensuring you can get back to building awesome apps with Supabase without any more command-line headaches.

Step 1: Verify Supabase CLI Installation

First things first, let’s make sure you’ve actually got the Supabase CLI installed on your machine. This might sound obvious, but sometimes in the rush of setting things up, a step might get missed, or an installation might not complete successfully. To check if the Supabase CLI is installed, you can try running a different Supabase command. A good one to try is supabase --version . If the CLI is installed and recognized by your system, this command should output the version number of the Supabase CLI. For example, you might see something like 1.x.x or 2.x.x . If you get the command not found error again, it’s a strong indicator that the CLI isn’t installed correctly, or at least not in a way that your Zsh shell can find it. Don’t worry if this is the case; we’ll cover installation in the next step.

If supabase --version does work, that’s great news! It means the CLI is installed. The problem then likely lies with how your PATH environment variable is configured. The PATH variable is a list of directories that your shell searches for executable commands. If the directory where the Supabase CLI executable is located isn’t included in your PATH , Zsh won’t be able to find it, even if it’s installed. You can check your current PATH by running echo $PATH . This will print out a colon-separated list of directories. You’ll need to compare this list to where the Supabase CLI was installed. If you’re unsure where it was installed, you might need to re-run the installation process or check the documentation for the installation method you used (e.g., Homebrew, npm, direct download). Identifying whether the problem is a missing installation or a PATH issue is crucial for solving the supabase init command not found error efficiently.

Remember, verifying the installation is the foundational step. Without the CLI being properly installed, no amount of PATH tweaking will help. So, take a moment to run supabase --version . If it works, great! Move on to checking your PATH . If it doesn’t, proceed to the next section where we’ll get that installation sorted out. This systematic approach helps us pinpoint the exact cause and apply the right fix, saving you time and frustration.

Step 2: Install or Reinstall Supabase CLI

If you confirmed in the previous step that the Supabase CLI isn’t installed or isn’t working correctly, it’s time to get it installed! The easiest and most recommended way to install the Supabase CLI is typically via a package manager. For macOS users, Homebrew is a fantastic choice. If you have Homebrew installed, you can open your Zsh terminal and run:

brew install supabase/tap/supabase

This command tells Homebrew to install the Supabase CLI from its official tap. If you don’t have Homebrew, you can find instructions on how to install it on the official Homebrew website. It’s a lifesaver for managing command-line tools.

Another common method, especially if you’re already using Node.js and npm (or yarn/pnpm), is to install it globally using npm:

npm install -g supabase

Or, if you prefer yarn:

yarn global add supabase

And with pnpm:

pnpm add -g supabase

Make sure you have Node.js installed first. If you choose the npm/yarn/pnpm route, the executables are usually placed in a global node_modules directory. Your system’s PATH needs to include this directory for Zsh to find the supabase command. If you’ve installed via npm and still get the command not found error, you might need to configure your PATH to include the npm global bin directory. You can usually find this directory by running npm config get prefix and then checking if that path (often ending in bin ) is in your echo $PATH output.

For other operating systems or manual installation methods, always refer to the official Supabase CLI documentation . They provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive installation instructions. After running the installation command, it’s a good idea to close and reopen your Zsh terminal, or even restart your computer, to ensure all environment variables are reloaded correctly. Then, try running supabase --version again. If this installation worked, the version should appear, and you should now be able to run supabase init without any issues!

Step 3: Configure Your PATH Environment Variable

Okay, so you’ve installed the Supabase CLI, but you’re still getting that pesky command not found error when you try to run supabase init . This is a classic sign that your PATH environment variable isn’t set up correctly. The PATH is basically a list of directories where your shell looks for executable programs. If the directory containing the supabase executable isn’t in this list, Zsh won’t find it. This is super common after installing tools via methods other than Homebrew, or if something went wonky with the installation script.

Let’s fix this! We need to tell Zsh where to find the supabase executable. First, you need to know where it is. If you installed via Homebrew, it’s usually handled automatically, but if you installed via npm, it might be in a global node_modules directory. You can often find the path to globally installed npm packages by running npm config get prefix . Let’s say this command outputs /Users/yourusername/.npm-global . The executable would then likely be in /Users/yourusername/.npm-global/bin . If you installed manually or used a different method, you’ll need to locate the supabase binary file on your system.

Once you know the directory (e.g., /Users/yourusername/.npm-global/bin ), you need to add it to your PATH . This is done by editing your Zsh configuration file, which is typically located at ~/.zshrc . Open this file in your favorite text editor (like nano , vim , or VS Code):

nano ~/.zshrc

Scroll to the bottom of the file and add the following line, replacing /path/to/your/supabase/bin with the actual directory you found:

export PATH="/path/to/your/supabase/bin:$PATH"

This command tells Zsh to add your new directory to the beginning of the existing PATH . Adding it to the beginning ensures that if there are any naming conflicts, your newly added directory is checked first. Save the file (in nano , press Ctrl+X , then Y , then Enter ).

After saving, you need to reload your Zsh configuration for the changes to take effect. You can do this by either closing and reopening your terminal window, or by running the command:

source ~/.zshrc

Now, try running supabase --version again. If everything is configured correctly, it should show the version number. Finally, test the command that gave you trouble: supabase init . It should now work flawlessly! If you’re still having issues, double-check the path you added and ensure there are no typos in your .zshrc file. Sometimes, a simple reboot can also resolve stubborn environment variable issues.

Step 4: Troubleshooting Zsh Aliases and Shell Issues

Sometimes, even after ensuring the Supabase CLI is installed and your PATH is correctly configured, you might still run into the command not found error. This could be due to Zsh-specific configurations like aliases or other shell environment conflicts. Aliases are shortcuts you define in your shell that replace a command with another command. It’s possible (though less common for supabase init ) that an alias is interfering or that there’s an issue with how Zsh is loading your configuration.

Let’s check for conflicting aliases. Open your ~/.zshrc file again:

nano ~/.zshrc

Look for any lines that start with alias supabase= . If you find one, it might be pointing to the wrong location or causing a conflict. You can temporarily disable an alias by commenting it out with a # at the beginning of the line. After commenting out any suspicious aliases, save the file and reload your Zsh configuration with source ~/.zshrc .

Another thing to consider is the order in which your Zsh configuration files are loaded. While ~/.zshrc is the primary file, other files like .zprofile or .zshenv can also affect your environment. Ensure that your PATH modifications are consistently applied. Sometimes, especially after major updates or switching shell versions, Zsh might not be loading the .zshrc file as expected. You can test this by simply adding an echo "Zshrc loaded!" line at the very end of your ~/.zshrc file. Then, open a new terminal window. If you see “Zshrc loaded!” printed, your .zshrc is being loaded correctly.

If you suspect a deeper shell issue, you might want to try running the command with a