DevX CLI

DevX is a command-line tool designed to simplify the development workflow for containerized applications. It helps developers manage projects, build Docker images, and update deployments in Kubernetes environments.

Prerequisites

• Colima for local Kubernetes development
• Colima with Docker runtime for building and managing containers

Installation

Homebrew

brew install zenginechris/tap/devx

Nix Flake

{
  inputs = {
    devx = {
      url = "github:zenginechris/devx";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };
  };

  outputs = {
    devx
  } @ inputs: let
    configuration = {pkgs, ...}: {
      nixpkgs.overlays = [
        (final: prev: {
          devx-cli = devx.packages.${prev.system}.default;
        })
      ];
      environment.systemPackages = [
        pkgs.devx-cli
      ];
  };
}

Nix NUR

coming soon

Setting Up the Environment

DevX requires a running Kubernetes cluster managed by Colima. Use the following command to start Colima with the appropriate configuration:

colima start --cpu 8 --memory 26 --disk 50 --vm-type=vz --vz-rosetta --runtime docker --kubernetes

This command:

• Allocates 8 CPUs and 26GB of memory
• Provides 50GB of disk space
• Uses the vz virtualization type with Rosetta translation
• Sets Docker as the runtime
• Enables Kubernetes support

Commands

Project Management

List Projects

devx list
# or
devx ls

Lists all configured projects showing their names and build contexts.

Create a New Project

devx new <project-name>
# or
devx n <project-name>

Creates a new project with the specified name. This command:

• Adds the project to your configuration
• Creates a default Dockerfile in the project directory

Set Project Context

devx context <project-name> [path]
# or
devx c <project-name> [path]

Sets the build context for a project. If no path is specified, it uses the current directory.

Edit Project Configuration

devx edit <project-name> docker
# or
devx e <project-name> docker

Opens the project's Dockerfile in your default editor for modification.

For more configuration edit the project in the devx config file

cd ~.config/devx

Here you can find a devx.toml file that contains all of your configured projects. The file looks a like that:

[[projects]]
name = 'ui'
context = '/Users/chris/github.com/project/ui' # this is the current building context that can be set by the cli
config_path = '/Users/cbartelt/.config/devx/projects/ui' # project specific configuration like the Dockerfile
contexts = [] # additional files and folders that are copied to the build context
deployment_name = 'ui' # the kubernetes deployment name. The building command will update this with the built image tag
namespace = 'default' # the namespace the deployment is in

[[projects]]
name = 'api'
context = ''
config_path = '/Users/cbartelt/.config/devx/projects/api'
contexts = []
deployment_name = 'api'
namespace = 'default'

Build and Deploy Project

devx build <project-name>
# or
devx b <project-name>

Builds a Docker image from the project's context and updates the deployment in your Kubernetes cluster. This command:

1. Creates a temporary build directory
2. Copies the project context and Dockerfile
3. Builds a Docker image tagged with the project name and current timestamp
4. Updates the deployment in the current Kubernetes context

Features

• Multi-architecture support: Builds images for both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures when using Docker BuildX
• Build caching: Implements local caching to speed up subsequent builds
• Automatic deployment: Updates Kubernetes deployments after successful builds
• Flexible configuration: Supports multiple build contexts and custom Dockerfile configurations

Configuration

DevX stores its configuration in a central location. You can manage projects and their settings through the CLI commands.

Examples

Create and build a new project

# Create a new project
devx new my-go-app

# Set the build context to the current directory
devx context my-go-app

# Edit the Dockerfile if needed
devx edit my-go-app docker

# Build and deploy the project
devx build my-go-app

List all projects

devx list

Environment Variables

• EDITOR or VISUAL: Specifies the editor to use for the edit command. If not set, DevX will try to use nano, vim, or vi in that order.

Notes

• The CLI automatically creates a default Go application Dockerfile when creating a new project
• Project names are converted to lowercase and spaces are replaced with hyphens for use in image names and directories
• DevX requires a running Kubernetes cluster managed by Colima for deployment functionality

License