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klim

Quick Start

This guide walks through Klim’s core loop: map the tools on this machine, inspect what changed, encode project requirements, and use the same deterministic commands from a TUI, scripts, CI, or agents.

Launch the TUI

Section titled “Launch the TUI”

Simply run klim with no arguments to launch the interactive terminal UI:

Terminal window
klim

Klim will scan your $PATH to discover installed developer tools, then display them in an interactive environment map with version information, install sources, and update status.

What You’ll See

Section titled “What You’ll See”

The TUI opens on the Installed tab showing all detected tools:

klim TUI Installed view with the filter sidebar and tool list

  • ✓ — Tool is up to date
  • ⬆ — An update is available (latest version shown on the right)
  • ★ — Tool is favorited
  • ⚠ policy / ✗ blocked — Compliance status from your active policy
Section titled “Navigate the Tabs”

Use ←/→ arrow keys, Tab/Shift+Tab, or number keys 1–9 to switch tabs:

TabKeyWhat it shows
Installed1All detected tools with versions
★ Favorites2Your favorited tools
Updates3Tools with available upgrades
Marketplace4Browse 110+ tools from the marketplace
Backup5Export, import, and share your toolchain
Project6Multi-project .klim.yaml management
Dashboard7Stats and breakdowns
Config8Edit settings
Security9Health, audit, and compliance

CLI Mode

Section titled “CLI Mode”

For non-interactive usage in scripts, CI, or agent workflows, use subcommands directly:

  1. List installed tools:

    Terminal window
    klim list

  2. Inspect a single tool:

    Terminal window
    klim info kubectl

  3. Export your toolchain:

    Terminal window
    klim export > my-tools.yaml

  4. Import on another machine:

    Terminal window
    klim import my-tools.yaml

  5. Capture your environment for later comparison:

    Terminal window
    klim trail capture --label before-upgrade

  6. Check for klim updates:

    Terminal window
    klim update --check

Common Workflows

Section titled “Common Workflows”

Favorite and Share Your Tools

Section titled “Favorite and Share Your Tools”
  1. In the TUI, press * on any tool to favorite it
  2. Switch to the ★ Favorites tab (press 2)
  3. Press s to generate a share token
  4. Send the token to a colleague — they run klim open <token> to install the same tools

Batch Upgrade

Section titled “Batch Upgrade”
  1. Switch to the Updates tab (press 3)
  2. Press a to select all outdated tools
  3. Press u to upgrade them all at once

Create a Project Environment Contract

Section titled “Create a Project Environment Contract”
  1. Export your toolchain: klim export > .klim.yaml
  2. Commit .klim.yaml to your repository
  3. Team members and CI run: klim check to verify the environment contract

Track Toolchain Changes Over Time

Section titled “Track Toolchain Changes Over Time”

klim trail is git-style history for your environment. Capture, diff, and roll forward across upgrades:

  1. Capture before risky changes: klim trail capture --label before-kubectl-upgrade
  2. Make your changes (brew upgrade kubectl, etc.)
  3. Capture again: klim trail capture
  4. See exactly what changed: klim trail diff before-kubectl-upgrade

Inspect a Single Tool

Section titled “Inspect a Single Tool”

klim info <tool> is the CLI counterpart of the TUI’s tool detail page — every install location, every available package source, GitHub stats, project / pack references, and related installed tools:

Terminal window
klim info terraform
klim info terraform --output json   # for scripts

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”