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Install the CLI from a checkout

Build the opend command from the OpenD repository and check that it runs.

You need Node 22.12 or later, pnpm 10, Git, and a checkout of the OpenD repository.

The CLI is not published to npm yet, so you run it from a checkout. Everything it does happens on your machine: it never contacts a server.

  1. Clone the repository and install its dependencies.
    git clone https://github.com/desktopmachineshop/opend.git
    cd opend
    pnpm install
  2. Build the packages: pnpm build.
    The CLI runs the compiled output in packages/cli/dist, so build again after you pull changes.
  3. Check the CLI runs: pnpm opend --help.
    It lists the validate, build and preview commands.
  4. Optional: try it on the starter template.
    pnpm opend validate templates/docs-starter
    pnpm opend preview templates/docs-starter

pnpm opend is a shortcut for node packages/cli/dist/bin.js. To use the CLI from your own docs repository, run that file with its full path, for example node ~/src/opend/packages/cli/dist/bin.js validate ., or pass the docs folder to pnpm opend from the checkout.

Next: Validate a docs project, then Preview as different readers.