# Install OpenStack heat CLI

This example walks through installing the heat client. After you install a client, you must configure environment variables for authentication.

To install the heat client:

- Install Python

  Install Python 2.6 or later. Currently, the heat client does not support Python 3.

- Install the heat client package

  Choose one of the following methods to install the heat client package.

  - Recommended method: `pip`

    Install `pip` through the package manager for your system:

    System | Command
    --- | ---
    Mac OS X |
        $ sudo easy_install pip
    Ubuntu |
        $ aptitude install python-pip
    RHEL, CentOS, or Fedora: |
        $ yum install python-pip

    Run the following command to install the heat client package:

        $ sudo pip install python-heatclient

  - easy_install

    Run the following command to install the heat client package:

        $ sudo easy_install python-heatclient

- Get help for heat client commands

  To get help for heat client commands, run the following command:

      $ heat -h

  Depending on your user credentials, you may not have permissions to use every command that is listed. The heat client was written for use with recent development versions of OpenStack.

  To get help for a specific command, type the command name after the help parameter, as follows:

      $ heat help <command_name>