init

pnpm dlx @smplcty/ralph init
# or
npx @smplcty/ralph init

Interactive project bootstrapper. Prompts for project configuration, then creates the Ralph Methodology scaffolding.

Prompts

Ralph asks for:

1. Project name — used in generated files
2. Language — TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, etc.
3. Package manager — pnpm, npm, yarn, pip, cargo, etc.
4. Test framework — Vitest, Jest, pytest, etc.
5. Check command — the quality gate command (e.g., pnpm check)
6. AI agent — claude, gemini, codex, continue, cursor (auto-detected from installed CLIs)
7. Model — specific model override (optional, uses agent default)

Generated Files

File	Purpose
docs/PRD.md	Skeleton PRD with numbered sections
docs/tasks/T-000.md	Infrastructure bootstrap task
docs/prompts/rules.md	Project-specific rules (editable)
ralph.config.json	Project configuration

Ralph’s methodology, prompts, and role definitions live in the package code and are used directly at runtime — they are not copied into your project. This means you always get the latest version when you upgrade ralph. See Customizing Prompts for how to extend the built-in content.

Behavior

• If files already exist, ralph warns and asks before overwriting
• For Node.js projects, adds ralph scripts to package.json
• If no check command exists, scaffolds one
• Auto-detects installed agent CLIs (preference: claude → gemini → codex → continue → cursor)
• Warns if the selected agent CLI is not installed