Command line interface
Nuekit provides a simple command line interface for developing and building websites. The CLI follows UNIX conventions with short flags, long options, and predictable behavior.
Installation
bun install --global nuekit
The nue command becomes available globally after installation.
Basic usage
nue [command] [options] [file_matches]
If no command is specified, dev is used by default:
nue # same as "nue dev"
nue --port 8080 # serve on port 8080 (default 4000)
nue build # build production site
nue preview # preview built siteCommands
dev (default)
Start the development server with hot reloading:
nue dev
nue serve # alias to dev
nue # short alias
nue --port 8080 # serve on specific port
The development server starts at http://localhost:4000 (by default)
build
Build the production site:
nue build # build entire site
nue build --clean # clean output directory first
nue build --dry-run # show what would be built
nue build --init # build Nue runtime files (rare need)
Built files go to the .dist directory by default.
preview
Preview the production build locally:
nue preview # preview on default port (4000)
nue preview --port 8080 # preview on specific port
This serves the built files from .dist directory.
create
Create a new project from a starter template:
# minimal, blog, spa, or full
nue create blog
This extracts downloaded template creates a new directory and cd's to it. Issue nue and the newly created site is served at http://localhost:4000
Global options
-p, --port
Set the port for serve or preview:
nue --port 3000 # serve on port 3000
nue preview --port 8080 # preview on port 8080
-h, --help
Show help information:
nue --help
nue -h
-v, --version
Show version information:
nue --version
nue -v
Displays both Nue and Bun versions.
-s, --silent
Suppress output messages:
nue build --silent # build without progress messages
--verbose
Show detailed output:
nue build --verbose # detailed build informationBuild options
-n, --dry-run
Show what would be built without actually building:
nue build --dry-run # preview build process
Useful for testing build configuration.
-i, --init
Build Nue runtime files to .dist/@nue directory:
nue build --init
This creates the minified JavaScript files needed for client-side functionality. This is done automatically on the first build, or if the Nue version changes. This is mostly for the developers of Nue so you rarely need to do this.
--clean
Clean the output directory before building:
nue build --clean # remove .dist then buildFile matching
Target specific file types by adding patterns:
nue build .md # build only Markdown files
nue build .css .js # build CSS and JavaScript files
nue .html # serve only HTML files
Patterns match file extensions. Multiple patterns are combined with OR logic.
Examples
# Build only content files
nue build .md .yaml
# Serve only stylesheets
nue .css
# Build everything except specific types
nue build --verbose
# Preview with custom port
nue preview --port 5000Configuration
The CLI reads configuration from site.yaml. See Configuration reference for all available options.
Troubleshooting
Command not found
If nue command is not found after installation:
# Check if Bun is in PATH
which bun
# Install globally
bun install --global nuekit
Permission denied
On some systems you may need to make the binary executable:
chmod +x node_modules/.bin/nue
Port already in use
If the default port is taken, specify a different one:
nue --port 3001