CLI reference

Most projects only need install, add, and status. Setup walkthroughs — new projects, Vite, agent setup, the shadcn CLI — live in the installation guide.

• installStart here
  npx garn-ui install [name...]

  Runs init and add in one command. Use it when you want to set up garn and copy in your first components.

• initSet up the project
  npx garn-ui init [--registry <url|dir>] [--force]

  Creates garn.json, adds the shared helper and theme, wires the global stylesheet when it can, and writes the project rules file.

• addAdd components
  npx garn-ui add [name...]

  Resolves registry dependencies, copies source into your project, and installs the packages that source imports. With no names in a terminal, it offers a checklist.

• listBrowse the registry
  npx garn-ui list

  Prints the components available from the registry configured for the current project.

• statusCheck local edits
  npx garn-ui status

  Compares tracked files with their recorded integrity and reports each component as unmodified, edited, missing, or untracked (added before integrity was recorded).

• mcp installConnect an AI client
  npx garn-ui mcp install [--client <name>] [--direct]

  Registers the garn MCP server with Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code so an agent can query and review the component system.

• mcpRun the MCP server
  npx garn-ui mcp

  Runs the MCP server over stdio, sub-loading garn-mcp. This is what a registered client executes; you rarely run it by hand.

--yes

Accept prompts. Useful for scripts, CI, and agent-run setup.

--registry <url|dir>

Use a different registry URL or a local registry directory.

--force

init: overwrite an existing garn.json.

--overwrite

Replace files that differ from the registry copy.

--no-overwrite

Keep existing files that differ from the registry copy.

--no-mcp

init/install: skip the offer to register the MCP server.

--no-install

init/install: skip the missing-peer package installs.

--no-input

Force non-interactive behavior, even in a terminal.

--client <name>

Choose claude, cursor, or vscode for mcp install.

--direct

Register garn-mcp directly instead of routing through garn-ui.

--allow-http

Allow a non-loopback http:// registry explicitly.

The CLI also prints the complete command reference:

garn is source-first. The CLI writes into your project and records enough context for you to understand what it added.

garn.json

Registry URL, component and library aliases, and the provenance manifest used by status.

components/ui/*

The component source, mapped to your configured ui alias.

lib/* and garn-theme.css

Shared helpers, hooks, and the Tailwind v4 token theme required by the components.

.garn/rules.md

Project guidance for keeping garn usage, tokens, and accessibility consistent.

Existing files are never silently treated as disposable. In a terminal, garn asks before replacing changed files; in a non-interactive run it reports the overwrite unless you pass --no-overwrite.

garn does not merge component updates into your implementation. You decide when to replace a copied file, and status shows what would be affected.

Treat --overwrite as an intentional update. Review the resulting diff and keep your project changes in version control.

garn uses the hosted registry by default:

https://garn.ohuba.com/r

Use --registry <url|dir> for a different HTTPS registry or a local directory. The environment variable GARN_REGISTRY is also supported.

The registry origin is the trust boundary. garn validates the shape and destination of registry content, but it does not pin a remote registry to immutable content hashes.