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v1.0.0

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Arcantry can describe an empty directory or an established project without creating files. Choose an installation path, inspect the project, then decide which sources Arcantry should only read and which it should manage.

Install Arcantry

Section titled “Install Arcantry”

Choose a persistent installation or use the package launcher already available on your computer:
  • npm installs the arcantry command globally.
  • npx, pnpm, and Nub download Arcantry for one command without keeping a global installation.
  • PowerShell and sh install the native CLI from the matching GitHub Release and verify its SHA-256 checksum.

The npm and native installer routes require the corresponding public 1.0 package or GitHub Release. To use the current source directly, install the native CLI from a checkout:

Terminal window
git clone https://github.com/MrMaxie/arcantry.git
cd arcantry
cargo install --locked --path crates/arcantry-cli

Ask an agent to install Arcantry

Section titled “Ask an agent to install Arcantry”

Copy this prompt when you want a coding agent to choose the appropriate installation route, explain material choices, and verify the result without changing a project:

Install Arcantry on this computer using the official getting-started guide.

- Detect the operating system, architecture, and available package managers or runtimes before choosing a method.
- Prefer the official native installer for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Use the global npm package when it is available and fits the existing toolchain. Use the documented source installation only as a fallback.
- Ask me only if the available methods differ in installation scope, required permissions, PATH changes, or another choice I need to make.
- Before running a command, show it to me and explain where Arcantry will be installed and whether it changes PATH or installs globally.
- Do not adopt Arcantry into a repository or change project files unless I ask.
- After installation, run `arcantry --version`. If the current directory is the project I want to inspect, also run `arcantry repo inspect`; otherwise ask which project to inspect.
- If the public package or GitHub Release is unavailable, stop and explain the documented fallback instead of inventing a URL or command.

Inspect a project

Section titled “Inspect a project”

After a persistent installation, inspect the current directory:

Terminal window
arcantry repo inspect

repo inspect is read-only: it does not create arcantry.toml, initialize Git, or modify a recognized source.

Use --cwd to inspect another directory:

Terminal window
arcantry --cwd ../project repo inspect

Add --json when another tool needs the complete machine-readable result.

Read the result

Section titled “Read the result”

Inspection reports:

  • the resolved project root and whether configuration was found;
  • discovered or configured OpenSpec, changelog, and todo.txt sources;
  • each source’s path, visibility, management level, adapter, and compatibility;
  • missing sources as valid absence rather than an initialization error.

An empty result is valid. Git and arcantry.toml are not prerequisites.

Choose what happens next

Section titled “Choose what happens next”
  • Keep using configuration-free inspection when you only need a trace-free observer.
  • Run arcantry repo init --scope private for untracked project context and private agent guidance.
  • Run arcantry repo init --scope shared when collaborators need the same configuration and guidance.
  • Use an explicit external arcantry.toml when the target project must remain unchanged.
  • Use todo.txt queues or skills independently.
  • Follow Adoption paths before planning a source transition.
  • Use Inspect, plan and apply when a source must change.