Install the CLI and link a workspace | MinuteWork Developer Docs

Current status

The MinuteWork CLI already supports the core local workflow:

minutework init
minutework login
minutework link
minutework env use
minutework session start
minutework session resume
minutework session status
minutework validate
minutework compile
minutework codegen
minutework sandbox status
minutework dev
minutework test
minutework mcp

Prerequisites

Node.js 20.9.0 or newer
pnpm@9
Python plus Poetry only if you plan to include a sidecar

Scaffold a workspace

Start from an empty directory and initialize the workspace:

minutework init my-server --starter tenant-app
cd my-server

If you need both a web surface and Python runtime logic, repeat --starter:

minutework init my-pack --starter tenant-app --starter sidecar

Choose the right starter

Use this for public pages, docs, blogs, authenticated product UI, and the platform-session BFF boundary. If you are unsure, start here.

Authenticate and link the workspace

Once the repo exists, connect it to the right platform account and Server.

minutework login
minutework link
minutework env use preview

What each command does:

login creates or refreshes your machine-local interactive auth profile
link binds the current repo to a tenant and default environment
env use switches the repo-local target between preview and live

If you need to target a different platform origin during preview or local work, pass it explicitly:

minutework login --platform http://127.0.0.1:8000

What gets written where

MinuteWork deliberately separates checked-in source from local-only state.

Checked into the repo: minutework.config.ts, schemas/, starter files, .env.example, and the MCP/bootstrap sample at mcp/claude-desktop.sample.json
Repo-local generated and binding state: .minutework/ by default
Machine-local auth profile plus broker preferences/history: your local MinuteWork CLI state directory

Deploy tokens are intentionally different. minutework tokens can create or rotate deploy and content tokens, but the CLI does not persist the plaintext secret after it prints it once.

Choose a post-link lane

After linking, choose the lane that matches what you want to do next.

Developer-local broker lane

Use this lane when you want MinuteWork to assemble a bounded workspace context for local coding or handoff:

minutework session start --mode human
minutework session start --mode ai --engine claude
minutework session status
minutework session resume

This lane gives you:

human and ai as alternative start modes for the same workspace
Claude as the first supported local coding engine
explicit workspace MCP bootstrap plus a bounded MinuteWork context pack for AI mode
fail-closed session locking, liveness checks, resume semantics, and interrupt-safe cleanup

Local preview and deploy lane

Use this lane when you want to validate the workspace, run local preview surfaces, or submit a hosted preview deploy:

minutework validate
minutework sandbox status
minutework dev
minutework test
minutework deploy --preview

Use these commands to confirm:

the selected schema input is valid
the compile graph can be generated
the enabled preview surfaces can start
starter-local tests pass in a repeatable order
hosted preview deploys can submit against the linked property when the provider substrate is configured

What this guide does not cover yet

This guide does not cover --live, additional local coding engines, or runtime-backed deploy targets. The current reliable developer surface is init, login, link, session broker flows, local preview/test commands, deploy preview, and workspace MCP.

Keep going

First quickstart

Follow the first end-to-end path from Server creation to a working local preview loop.

What is a Server?

Understand the product term you are binding the workspace to.

Model public content

Learn the server-only snapshot contract used by docs, marketing, and other public routes.