Installation

Requirements

Node.js >=18
npm

Choose the interface

Use this when you want to…	Install
Pack, inspect, verify, and compare artifacts from the shell	`filepacks` CLI
Call the same operations from a Node.js tool or harness	`@filepacks/core`

Quick trial

Run filepacks without a persistent install:

npx filepacks --help

Use npx filepacks ... throughout the docs when you want copy-pasteable commands from a clean shell.

Persistent install

Install the CLI globally when you want filepacks on your PATH:

npm install -g filepacks
filepacks --help

If you install filepacks into a project instead, invoke it with npx filepacks .... Current public commands:

filepacks pack <input> --output <file>
filepacks inspect <file>
filepacks verify <file>
filepacks compare <baseline> <candidate>

Install the core library

Install @filepacks/core when you want structured results in code:

npm install @filepacks/core

Minimal example:

import {pack, inspect, verify, compare} from '@filepacks/core'

await pack({input: '/tmp/input', output: '/tmp/example.fpk'})
const artifact = await inspect({artifact: '/tmp/example.fpk'})
const verification = await verify({artifact: '/tmp/example.fpk'})
const diff = await compare({
  baseline: '/tmp/baseline.fpk',
  candidate: '/tmp/example.fpk',
})

Verify the CLI install

npx filepacks --help

Or, after a global install:

filepacks --help

The help output should list pack, inspect, verify, and compare.

Verify the core install

Your runtime should be able to import @filepacks/core and call pack(), inspect(), verify(), and compare().

First useful command after install

After installation, the fastest way to confirm the workflow is:

npx filepacks pack ./some-output-directory --output ./example.fpk
npx filepacks inspect ./example.fpk

That tells you the install works and shows you the shape of the artifact you just created.

Notes

Artifact file paths used with pack --output, inspect, verify, and compare must end in .fpk.
The CLI does not expose registry, tag, baseline, import, show, or unpack commands in the public OSS surface.
The core API accepts an optional name field when packing. The public CLI does not currently expose a --name flag.

Getting started

CLI

Artifacts

Guides

Requirements

Choose the interface

Quick trial

Persistent install

Install the core library

Verify the CLI install

Verify the core install

First useful command after install

Notes

​Requirements

​Choose the interface

​Quick trial

​Persistent install

​Install the core library

​Verify the CLI install

​Verify the core install

​First useful command after install

​Notes

Requirements

Choose the interface

Quick trial

Persistent install

Install the core library

Verify the CLI install

Verify the core install

First useful command after install

Notes