CLI

The executable is arcantry. Repository and source commands are under repo, queues under todo, local release operations under release, and procedural capabilities under skills.

Global options

Option	Contract
--cwd <path>	Run against another project or catalog location.
--config <path>	Select one explicit TOML configuration without merging.
-V, --version	Print the installed version.
-h, --help	Print command help.

Global options appear before the command group.

Repository adoption

Command	Contract
repo init --scope <shared|private> [--compat claude]	Create minimal configuration and universal managed guidance for one scope. Private scope also ensures the local Git exclusion.
repo update --scope <shared|private> [--compat claude]	Refresh verified universal guidance and optionally add the Claude import adapter.
repo remove --scope <shared|private>	Remove only verified configuration and managed guidance for one scope.
repo validate	Validate the active repository boundary and configured knowledge sources without writing.
repo doctor	Add repair guidance to the same read-only validation.

Initialization does not create package-manager, runtime, task-runner, OpenSpec, changelog, or todo artifacts.

AGENTS.md and .local/AGENTS.md remain canonical. --compat claude creates a managed import in CLAUDE.md or locally excluded CLAUDE.local.md without copying the guidance.

Project knowledge

repo inspect

arcantry repo inspect [--json]

Reports the active and shadowed configuration and every discovered or configured source without writing.

repo plan

arcantry repo plan --source <id> --transition <strategy>
  [--to-path <path>]
  [--to-adapter <adapter>]
  [--from <source...>]
  [--managed-from <version>]
  [--delete-source]
  [--json]

--transition accepts preserve, adopt, rebind, cutover, migrate, or relocate. During adoption, --from records explicit source dependencies. JSON output is the serializable input for apply.

repo apply

arcantry repo apply --plan <path|-> [--allow-outside <path>...]

Applies an unchanged plan to the currently resolved project. - reads standard input. Apply rejects a different project root, conflicts, changed inputs, incompatible tool versions, corrupt planned content, and operations outside the project before writing. Repeat --allow-outside for each exact external operation path that the plan is allowed to change.

Todo commands

Command	Contract
todo list [--source <id>]	List one or all detected queues. root and local are aliases.
todo add <task> [--source <id>] [--apply]	Preview or add one task.
todo complete <line> [--source <id>] [--date <YYYY-MM-DD>] [--apply]	Preview or complete one task.
todo move <line> --from <id> --to <id> [--apply]	Preview or move one line between queues.

Mutations preview unless --apply is present. When multiple queues exist, choose the source explicitly.

Release commands

Release commands require a configured [release] block. They manage local files only and never commit, tag, push, publish, or change CI.

Command	Contract
release baseline <version> --date <YYYY-MM-DD> [--unit <id>] [--apply] [--json]	Preview or record an existing project or unit version as the release baseline.
release plan [--unit <id>] [--json]	Report the current and next version, effective impact, selected changes and dependency readiness.
release cut [--date <YYYY-MM-DD>] [--unit <id>] [--apply] [--json]	Preview or write the next unit manifest, configured versions, and managed changelog.
release render [--unit <id>] [--apply] [--json]	Preview or write the deterministic managed changelog.
release check [--unit <id>] [--sealed]	Check release consistency. --sealed also requires complete scoped assignment and the existing Git seal.

baseline, cut, and render only print their drift-checked plan unless --apply is present. A normal check allows active and unassigned work; a sealed check is the final release gate.

independent and composed projects require --unit for baseline, plan, cut and render. An unscoped normal check validates every unit. A sealed multi-unit check requires --unit and ignores unrelated work owned by other units.

Composed plan JSON includes dependencies, newer pendingDependencies, and ready. A parent can adopt a newer direct dependency only when one of its selected OpenSpec outcomes acknowledges that dependency.

Skill commands

Command	Contract
skills list [--scope <public|private>] [--catalog-root <path>]	List public catalog skills or private repository skills.
skills inspect <name> [--scope <public|private>] [--catalog-root <path>]	Show one public or private canonical package.
skills link <name> (--scope <user|repo|private> [--compat claude] | --target <path>) [--replace]	Link one canonical skill into a standard scope or one advanced explicit destination.
skills unlink <name> (--scope <user|repo|private> [--compat claude] | --target <path>)	Remove only exact universal, compatibility, or explicit links.
skills doctor [--scope <user|repo|private>] [--compat claude] [--target <path>] [--catalog-root <path>]	Validate packages and optionally inspect universal and compatibility links.

--target cannot be combined with --scope or --compat. User scope targets ~/.agents/skills; repository and private scopes target <repo>/.agents/skills. --compat claude also targets the corresponding .claude/skills directory. Private scope reads the canonical package from .local/skills and excludes its links locally. --replace backs up an ordinary target instead of overwriting it silently.

Skills remain usable without project configuration. A declared tool dependency does not authorize an external write.