User Guide

User Guide

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This section is for people who want to use ReqPack effectively. Focus here if your goal is installing packages, managing environments, auditing systems, exporting SBOMs, or automating package work through stdin or remote mode. In user commands, system means target ecosystem or plugin such as apt, dnf, npm, or rqp.

What ReqPack Is Good At

• One command surface for multiple ecosystems.
• Manifest-based installs through reqpack.lua.
• Plugin wrapper refresh through a central registry.
• Vulnerability audit and SBOM export.
• Remote command execution through serve and remote.
• Native rqp packages when you want ReqPack-managed artifacts instead of wrapping another package manager.

Fast Reading Path

1. Getting Started
2. Command Reference
3. Configuration
4. Configuration Reference
5. Security, Audit, and SBOM
6. Output and Report Formats
7. Remote Mode
8. Remote Protocol Reference
9. Using Native rqp Packages
10. Troubleshooting

CLI Cheat Sheet

Task	Command
Install packages	rqp install apt curl git
Install from manifest	rqp install .
Dry-run changes	rqp install npm react --dry-run
Refresh all plugin wrappers	rqp update --all
Self-update ReqPack	rqp update
Audit manifest	rqp audit .
Export SBOM	rqp sbom --format cyclonedx-json --output sbom.json
Snapshot installed state	rqp snapshot --output reqpack.lua
Use custom config	rqp --config ~/.config/reqpack/dev.lua list apt
Remote server	rqp serve --remote --token secret

Common Tasks

Task	Page	Command or file
Install packages	Getting Started	rqp install apt curl git
Check syntax and flags	Command Reference	rqp <command> --help
Install from manifest	Getting Started	rqp install .
Tune config	Configuration	~/.config/reqpack/config.lua
Check all config fields and runtime caveats	Configuration Reference	config.lua
Audit vulnerabilities	Security, Audit, and SBOM	rqp audit .
Export SBOM	Security, Audit, and SBOM	rqp sbom --format cyclonedx-json --output sbom.json
Check export schemas	Output and Report Formats	sbom.json / audit.sarif
Build native package	Building rqp Packages and Repositories	rqp pack ./my-package
Run server	Remote Mode	rqp serve --remote --token secret
Connect to server	Remote Mode	rqp remote dev list apt
Implement custom remote client	Remote Protocol Reference	remote.lua, text frames, JSON lines
Use native ReqPack packages	Using Native rqp Packages	rqp install rqp my-tool
Debug common failures	Troubleshooting	rqp host refresh

Mental Model

ReqPack is not trying to replace every package manager with one storage format. Instead, it does three different jobs:

1. It gives users a consistent CLI.
2. It delegates ecosystem-specific work to plugins.
3. It adds shared capabilities around that work: config, planning, audit, SBOM, snapshots, remote execution, and history.

That means you will often use ReqPack in one of two modes:

• Wrapper mode: apt, dnf, brew, npm, maven, sys, and similar ecosystems.
• Native mode: rqp, where packages and repositories are managed directly by ReqPack.

Related Pages

• Getting Started
• Command Reference
• Configuration
• Configuration Reference
• Security, Audit, and SBOM
• Output and Report Formats
• Remote Mode
• Remote Protocol Reference
• Using Native rqp Packages
• Troubleshooting

Home | Next: Getting Started