Publishing blt.diy as npm package for better user experience

thecodacus · December 24, 2024, 6:30pm

I idea came while I was discussing plugins with @wonderwhy.er , when he mentioned bolt can be a npm package which can be used as library.

which sparked the idea of why not first publish the releases of bolt as standalone npm package like jupyter notebook or lab

also I hate the idea of regular end users doing git clone to run the project.
What if we publish the release as bolt package in npm with a bin to start the application

for example:
user goes to terminal and types
npm install bolt -g
this will install bolt as a package in there system

then in the terminal the can type
bolt --port 3000

this will start the local bolt server

here is a simple implementation is did

here is a PR that you can try

github.com/stackblitz-labs/bolt.diy

feat: bolt cli to work as standalone npm package

stackblitz-labs:main ← thecodacus:bolt-cli

opened 06:30PM - 24 Dec 24 UTC

thecodacus

+230 -39

# Add CLI Support for Global Installation ## Overview This PR adds CLI suppo…rt to the Bolt package, enabling users to install and run Bolt globally via npm. This change significantly improves the user experience by allowing users to run Bolt directly as a command line tool, eliminating the need to clone the repository and manage potentially unstable development versions. ## Key Changes ### 1. CLI Implementation - Added new `bin/bolt.js` script for CLI functionality - Configured package.json for global npm installation - Implemented command-line argument parsing for port, help, and version flags - Added user-friendly banner and help messages ### 2. Package Configuration - Updated package.json with bin configuration for CLI support - Added necessary files array to specify published package contents - Changed package name to "bolt-diy" for npm registry - Maintained version numbering and package configuration ## Technical Details ### CLI Implementation Key technical implementation details: - Uses Node.js spawn to manage the development server process - Implements clean process management with proper signal handling - Provides version detection from package.json - Supports custom port configuration Simple usage example: ```javascript // Command line usage bolt // Start with default settings bolt --port 3000 // Start on custom port bolt --help // Show help message bolt --version // Display version info // Core CLI implementation const options = { port: 5173, help: false, version: false }; // Parse arguments for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i++) { const arg = args[i]; switch (arg) { case '--port': case '-p': options.port = parseInt(args[i + 1]); i++; break; // ... other argument handling } } ``` ### System Changes - Added new execution path through CLI entry point - Modified package distribution configuration - Updated development server startup process - Maintained backwards compatibility with existing scripts ## Testing - Verified CLI installation and execution - Tested all command line arguments - Validated process management and cleanup - Confirmed compatibility with existing npm scripts - Tested error handling for invalid arguments ## Migration Impact - No breaking changes for existing users - New installation method available via npm global install - Repository-based installation continues to work as before - All existing npm scripts remain functional ## Future Improvements - Add support for additional CLI configuration options - Implement environment-specific configurations - Add auto-update checking functionality - Consider adding configuration file support ## Example Usage ### Installation ```bash # Install globally using npm npm install -g bolt-diy # Install globally using pnpm pnpm add -g bolt-diy # Install globally using yarn yarn global add bolt-diy ``` ### Basic Usage ```bash # Start Bolt with default settings (port 5173) bolt # Start Bolt on a specific port bolt --port 3000 bolt -p 3000 # View help and available commands bolt --help bolt -h # Check current version bolt --version bolt -v ``` ### Example Output ```bash ★═══════════════════════════════════════★ B O L T . D I Y ⚡️ Welcome ⚡️ ★═══════════════════════════════════════★ 📍 Current Version Tag: v0.0.3 📍 Starting on port: 5173 Please wait until the URL appears here ★═══════════════════════════════════════★ ```

wonderwhy.er · December 24, 2024, 7:07pm

Ouh you already did that.
Thus could make it possible to run it as npx bolt.diy or something.
Love it.
Need to take a look.

thecodacus · December 24, 2024, 7:13pm

done.
you need to use npm link in the project to use the cli, since its not published yet

thecodacus · January 7, 2025, 3:12pm

@wonderwhy.er
try running this command in your terminal, no need to clone the repo just anywhere in the terminal
npm install -g bolt.diy

and then try the command after installation
bolt.diy

@aliasfox this uses build version of the code not the dev version

wonderwhy.er · January 7, 2025, 3:48pm

tried
npx bolt.diy
got this

Tried
npm install -g bolt.diy
got

did work with sudo npm install -g bolt.diy

but then running with
bolt.diy

Running with sudo did work
But honestly running with sudo could be concerning to some people

wonderwhy.er · January 7, 2025, 3:49pm

But still great progress towards this!

aliasfox · January 7, 2025, 6:30pm

Doesn’t work for me, for either bolt.diy or npx bolt.diy after install.

Haven’t tried this on Linux yet, but on Windows it just doesn’t know what to do. And most people probably use Windows:

thecodacus · January 7, 2025, 7:24pm

needs to change the bolt.js file permission with chmod…

also needs to see how this can be done on windows since it might needs a exe maybe

thecodacus · January 11, 2025, 4:43am

@wonderwhy.er
can you try now. i have added steps to fix the permissions
npm i -g bolt.diy@0.0.5-test-2

aliasfox · January 11, 2025, 8:48pm

It tried to launch the shell script again by default, but then I just browsed to the directory and ran the CMD and it worked for me. I’m running Windows 11 and I will check on Linux later.

thecodacus · January 12, 2025, 6:37am

so you where not able to directly run bolt.diy?

aliasfox · January 12, 2025, 6:42am

It defaulted to the bolt.diy (no extension/shell script) on Windows and not bolt.diy.cmd, so no.

thecodacus · January 12, 2025, 12:48pm

I think i need to run a vm with windows to get this fixed

wonderwhy.er · January 12, 2025, 1:13pm

Just tried
This error originated either by throwing inside of an async function without a catch block, or by rejecting a promise which was not handled with .catch(). The promise rejected with the reason:
Error: EACCES: permission denied, open ‘/Users/eduardruzga/Library/Preferences/.wrangler/registry/bolt’
at async open (node:internal/fs/promises:639:25)
at async writeFile (node:internal/fs/promises:1212:14)
at async Object.registerWorker (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bolt.diy/node_modules/wrangler/wrangler-dist/cli.js:197368:3)
at async LocalRuntimeController. (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/bolt.diy/node_modules/wrangler/wrangler-dist/cli.js:198485:17)

I wonder if this is something specific to me or my setup
This is on Mac

thecodacus · January 12, 2025, 1:42pm

my doubt is, because I am the creator of the file so I have execute permission. when you are installing i have a script whichdoes “chmod” to the file to make it executable.
thats where the issue is occurring, its not properly getting executed i believe

wonderwhy.er · January 12, 2025, 1:57pm

I actually released my first npm module over last weeks
As part of it also needed to make things executable
Here how it looks for Claude MCPs usually, may be that can help.

The shx chmod +x dist/*.js part
It should work on windows too

github.com

wonderwhy-er/ClaudeComputerCommander/blob/main/package.json#L22


      
            "setup": "dist/setup-claude-server.js"
          },
          "files": [
            "dist"
          ],
          "scripts": {
            "sync-version": "node scripts/sync-version.js",
            "bump": "node scripts/sync-version.js --bump",
            "bump:minor": "node scripts/sync-version.js --bump --minor",
            "bump:major": "node scripts/sync-version.js --bump --major",
            "build": "tsc && shx cp setup-claude-server.js dist/ && shx chmod +x dist/*.js",
            "watch": "tsc --watch",
            "start": "node dist/index.js",
            "setup": "npm install && npm run build && node setup-claude-server.js",
            "prepare": "npm run build",
            "test": "node test/test.js",
            "test:watch": "nodemon test/test.js",
            "link:local": "npm run build && npm link",
            "unlink:local": "npm unlink",
            "inspector": "npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector dist/index.js"
          },

leex279 · January 12, 2025, 2:01pm

@thecodacus just let me know / ping me in chat, if I should test something out in windows.

thecodacus · January 12, 2025, 2:04pm

i initially put chmod but removed it from the package.json.
never tried shx, is this a builtin command in windows ?

leex279 · January 12, 2025, 2:06pm

it´s not a build in command: GitHub - shelljs/shx: Portable Shell Commands for Node

thecodacus · January 12, 2025, 2:08pm

so the package has to have this as dependency