Installation

ForgeKit CLI can be run instantly with npx (no install needed), installed globally for repeated use, or tried in the browser via GitHub Codespaces.

---

Try without installing: GitHub Codespaces

The fastest way to try ForgeKit with zero local setup is to open it in a Codespace:

The Codespace has Node.js, Python, and Go pre-installed. Once it opens, run:

npx forgekit-cli new my-app --template web-app

---

Option 1: npx (Recommended)

Run ForgeKit without installing anything permanently:

npx forgekit-cli new my-app --template web-app

npx downloads and runs the latest published version automatically. You do not need a global install to get started. Subsequent runs use the cached package and are instant.

One-liner scaffold:

npx forgekit-cli new my-app --template web-app && cd my-app && npm run dev

---

Option 2: Global Install

Install ForgeKit globally to use the shorter forgekit command system-wide:

npm install -g forgekit-cli

After installation, verify it is available:

forgekit --version

Expected output:

0.5.1

Updating a global install

To update to the latest version, run npm install -g forgekit-cli again. npm replaces the existing installation in place.

Permission errors?

If you see EACCES: permission denied, do not use sudo. See the Troubleshooting guide for the correct fix using ~/.npm-global.

---

Verify Your Environment

Run the doctor command to check that all prerequisites meet the minimum version requirements:

forgekit doctor
# or without global install:
npx forgekit-cli doctor

Example output:

  ForgeKit Doctor

  ✔ Node.js v20.11.0
  ✔ npm v10.2.4
  ✔ Python 3 3.11.7
  ✔ pip 23.3.2
  ○ Docker not found (optional)
  ✔ Git 2.43.0

  5 checks passed, 0 failed

Prerequisites by template:

Tool	Minimum Version	Required For
Node.js	18.0.0	CLI + web-app, next-app, serverless
npm	8.0.0	All templates
Python 3	3.9+	api-service, ml-pipeline
Go	1.21+	go-api
Docker	Any	Running docker-compose (optional)
Git	Any	Version control setup

Docker is optional

Docker is only needed if you want to run docker-compose up locally. All templates scaffold and run without it.

---

Uninstall

Uninstall the global package

npm uninstall -g forgekit-cli

Verify it was removed:

which forgekit   # Should print nothing

Remove the config file

ForgeKit stores preferences at ~/.forgekit/config.json. To remove it:

rm -rf ~/.forgekit

This removes your telemetry preference and anonymous user ID. It does not affect any projects you have already scaffolded.

---

Next Steps

• Follow the Quick Start guide to scaffold your first project
• Browse available templates to pick the right stack
• See the CLI Reference for all commands and flags