CLI

Install for Coding Agents

Detect local coding agents and editors, then install Better Fullstack MCP and skills safely in one run.

install connects Better Fullstack to the supported coding-agent CLIs and editors detected on your machine. It installs the MCP server and the two Better Fullstack skills in one run:

bash

npx create-better-fullstack@latest install

The command prompts once in an interactive terminal. It runs without prompts when stdin is not a TTY, and --yes, --json, and --dry-run each skip the prompt as well.

Detected targets

Target	Detection	MCP setup
Claude Code	`claude` on `PATH`	`claude mcp add --scope user ...`
Codex CLI	`codex` on `PATH`	`codex mcp add ...`
Gemini CLI	`gemini` on `PATH`	`gemini mcp add --scope user ...`
OpenCode	`opencode` or its global config	Merges `better-fullstack` into `~/.config/opencode/opencode.json` under `mcp`
Cursor	Cursor on `PATH`, the app, or `~/.cursor`	Merges into `~/.cursor/mcp.json` under `mcpServers`
Windsurf	Windsurf on `PATH`, the app, or its config dir	Merges into `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` under `mcpServers`
Zed	Zed on `PATH`, the app, or its config dir	Merges into `settings.json` under `context_servers`

Zed uses ~/.zed/settings.json on macOS and ~/.config/zed/settings.json on Linux. If the legacy Linux-style path already exists on macOS, the installer preserves and updates that file.

The skills are copied, not symlinked, into both compatibility locations:

~/.agents/skills/better-fullstack-scaffold-project
~/.agents/skills/better-fullstack-add-to-project
~/.claude/skills/better-fullstack-scaffold-project
~/.claude/skills/better-fullstack-add-to-project

Flags

Flag	Behavior
`--only mcp`	Install or uninstall only MCP connections.
`--only skills`	Install or uninstall only the skill folders.
`--agent <name>`	Restrict targets. Repeat for several agents.
`--dry-run`	Print every command and file operation without writing or running commands.
`--json`	Print the versioned machine-readable receipt.
`--uninstall`	Remove only MCP entries and skill folders recorded as installer-owned.
`--yes`	Skip the interactive confirmation.

Agent names are claude, codex, gemini, opencode, cursor, windsurf, and zed. claude-code and gemini-cli are accepted aliases.

bash

# Preview only Cursor and Codex
npx create-better-fullstack@latest install --agent cursor --agent codex --dry-run

# Install skills without touching MCP configuration
npx create-better-fullstack@latest install --only skills --agent codex --yes

# Remove only setup previously owned by this command
npx create-better-fullstack@latest install --uninstall

Safety and receipts

Existing JSON is parsed strictly before any change. Invalid JSON, a conflicting better-fullstack entry, or a modified installer-owned skill folder is reported and left untouched. Before an existing config changes, the command writes a timestamped backup beside it. Localized JSON edits keep unrelated keys in their existing order and preserve their source bytes where possible.

The ownership receipt lives at ~/.config/better-fullstack/install-state.json. It records target ownership and content hashes, not config contents or secrets. It is what lets --uninstall leave matching setup that existed before bfs install alone. Paths and config contents are never sent in telemetry.

Human output contains one line per target followed by a Try: prompt. --json returns the same result as a versioned object with selection, target operations, and summary fields. A partial success exits zero; the command exits non-zero only when every requested target fails.

Manual fallback

If a target cannot run this installer, use the per-client commands and config examples in MCP Server. The two installed skills also include a CLI-only workflow for agents that cannot reach the MCP server.