The original implementation tried to integrate `--set` with the prompt /
result-template / schema-strict-partition system: pre-seeding answers,
filtering questions, evaluating function defaults, tracking override
keys for partition exemption, mirroring carry-forward in two collection
helpers, threading state through Config + ui.js + collection helpers +
manifest writer. ~900 lines spawned across 4 review rounds, with bugs
the bots kept finding because every change touched a different layer.
The simpler model: `--set` is a post-install patch. The installer runs
its normal flow untouched, then `applySetOverrides` upserts each value
into `_bmad/config.toml` (team scope) or `_bmad/config.user.toml` (user
scope) AND into `_bmad/<module>/config.yaml` so declared keys carry
forward via the existingValue path on the next install.
What gets ripped out
- All `setOverrides` plumbing through OfficialModules (constructor
field, applyOverridesAfterSeeding, _trackUnknownKeysAsOverrides,
declaredResultKeys, override classification + pre-write +
question-filter + two-pass function-defaults + carry-forward in
collectModuleConfig, _trackUnknownKeysAsOverrides calls in
collectModuleConfigQuick, headless-branch additions in
Installer.build). official-modules.js reset to its pre-#1663 baseline
(commit 48a7ec8b).
- `setOverrideKeys` field on Config, threading from ui.js, partition
exemption parameter on `manifest-generator.writeCentralConfig`.
- The "ignored under quick-update" warning in install.js — `--set` is
now a uniform post-install patch, so it works the same way for
quick-update as for a regular install.
What stays
- `tools/installer/set-overrides.js` parser with the prototype-pollution
guard, prefixed by the new `applySetOverrides` / `upsertTomlKey` /
`tomlString` / `tomlHasKey` helpers.
- `tools/installer/list-options.js` — small standalone discovery
helper, untouched.
- The `--set` and `--list-options` CLI flag registration in
`commands/install.js`.
- ui.js `collectModuleConfigs` retains the early-feedback warning for
overrides targeting modules not in the install set (and now also
filters them out of `setOverrides` before threading).
Routing rules (post-install patch)
- If `_bmad/config.user.toml` already has `[section] key`, update it
there (so user-scope keys like `core.user_name` and
`bmm.user_skill_level` keep their proper file).
- Otherwise update `_bmad/config.toml` (team scope, default).
- A module without `_bmad/<module>/config.yaml` (i.e. not installed)
is skipped silently — no orphan `[modules.notamodule]` sections.
Tradeoffs documented in `docs/how-to/install-bmad.md`
- Values are written verbatim — no `result:` template rendering. Pass
`--set bmm.project_knowledge='{project-root}/research'` if you want
the rendered form.
- Carry-forward is automatic for declared schema keys (per-module yaml
→ existingValue → prompt default → accepted under --yes). For keys
outside any module's schema, the value lands in `config.toml` for
the current install but won't be re-emitted on the next install.
Re-pass `--set` if you need it sticky.
- No "key not in schema" validation — whatever you assert is written.
Tests: Suite 44 rewritten. 355 passing (was 351). Coverage now focused
on what matters: parser + pollution guard, tomlString escaping,
upsertTomlKey across insert/replace/missing-section/empty-file/
preserved-newline cases, applySetOverrides happy path + uninstalled-
module skip + missing-user-toml-creation + empty-input no-op,
discoverOfficialModuleYamls / formatOptionsList sanity.
E2E smoke verified across all 6 scenarios:
1. fresh install with mixed declared + undeclared --set → correct files
2. quick-update no --set → declared keys persist via per-module yaml
3. quick-update WITH --set → applies (used to be warned + dropped)
4. --set for unselected module → warned, no orphan section
5. prototype pollution → exit 1
6. --list-options bmm exit 0, --list-options nope exit 1
Net: -158 lines vs HEAD. The complex integration was load-bearing for
edge cases nobody actually needed; the simple post-install patch
covers the real use case (script a config value from CI) without the
schema gymnastics.
(1) Use process.exitCode instead of process.exit() after --list-options
write (CodeRabbit major). process.exit() forces immediate termination
even with pending I/O, which can truncate buffered writes when stdout
is piped or captured by CI. Await the write callback, set exitCode,
and return so the event loop drains naturally.
(2) Thread setOverrides through Config → OfficialModules.build for
headless callers (CodeRabbit major). Non-UI entry points (direct
installer.install({...}) without going through ui.collectModuleConfigs)
previously got an empty override map. Config now carries setOverrides
and the headless branch of OfficialModules.build also runs
loadExistingConfig + applyOverridesAfterSeeding('core') to mirror the
UI path's semantics. The UI path is unaffected because it takes the
moduleConfigs early-return.
(3) Evaluate function defaults under skipPrompts and accept-defaults
paths (CodeRabbit major). Both branches were dropping function defaults
silently, so any same-module dynamic default (`{other_key}` placeholder
in default:) disappeared under --yes. Two-pass: write non-function
defaults first so the answer bag is populated, then call function
defaults with that bag. Try/catch around the call surfaces resolution
failures as warnings instead of crashing the install.
(4) Track result-only schema keys as declared (Augment medium). A
schema entry with `result:` and no `prompt:` was being classified as
"unknown" when targeted by --set, producing a wrong warning and
overwriting the computed template output with the raw value. Added
declaredResultKeys parallel to declaredPromptKeys; an override on
either is now seeded as the answer so the result template still
renders ({value} substitution preserved). Carry-forward block
refactored to consume the same set.
(5) Diagnose non-object module.yaml under --list-options (Augment low).
The non-object branch silently flipped moduleScopedFailure with no
output. Now emits "module.yaml is not a valid object (got <type>)"
mirroring the catch branch, and the type guard also catches arrays
which typeof reports as 'object'.
(6) Reword --list-options doc cache scope (CodeRabbit minor).
"Installed at least once on this machine" → "currently cached official
modules" with a note that cache can be cleared or absent on ephemeral
CI workers — accurately reflects what the command can discover.
Tests: +4 cases — Config.build setOverrides threading and default,
formatOptionsList non-object yaml diagnostic and ok:false. Total 347
passing.
`--set <module>.<key>=<value>` (repeatable) sets any module config option
non-interactively. Scales to every module without growing the CLI surface
per option, and persists into _bmad/config.toml so values survive upgrades.
`--list-options [module]` prints every available --set key for built-in
and locally-cached official modules (community/custom users read their own
module.yaml). Pass a module code to scope the listing.
Validation rules, all non-fatal:
- Module not in --modules → warn and drop the value.
- Key not declared in module.yaml → warn but persist (forward-compat).
The manifest writer's schema-strict partition exempts these so they
survive into config.toml even though the schema doesn't know them.
- Malformed --set syntax → exit non-zero up front.
The legacy core shortcuts (--user-name, --output-folder, etc.) remain
supported as aliases for `--set core.<key>=<value>`. --set with
--action quick-update is ignored with a warning since quick-update
preserves the existing answers by design.
Files:
- tools/installer/set-overrides.js (new): parser
- tools/installer/list-options.js (new): discovery + formatter
- tools/installer/commands/install.js: flags + early validation
- tools/installer/ui.js: parse, warn-on-unselected, thread to OfficialModules
- tools/installer/modules/official-modules.js: pre-fill answers, persist unknowns
- tools/installer/core/config.js + installer.js: carry setOverrideKeys through
- tools/installer/core/manifest-generator.js: partition exempts override keys
- test/test-installation-components.js: +15 cases (Suite 44)
- docs/how-to/install-bmad.md, README.md: --set as preferred non-interactive path
Closes#1663
* feat(installer): channel-based version resolution for external modules
Adds stable/next/pinned channel resolution so external/community modules
install at released git tags by default instead of tracking main HEAD.
Manifest now records channel, resolved version, and SHA per module for
reproducible installs.
CLI flags: --channel, --all-stable, --all-next, --next=CODE (repeatable),
--pin CODE=TAG (repeatable). Precedence: pin > next > channel > registry
default > stable. --yes accepts patch/minor upgrades but refuses majors.
Interactive "Ready to install (all stable)?" gate with a per-module
picker (stable/next/pin) when declined. Re-install prompts classify tag
diffs as patch/minor/major with semver-class-dependent defaults.
Legacy version:null manifests get a one-time migration prompt.
Custom modules gain an optional @<ref> URL suffix for pinning (https,
ssh, /tree/<ref>/subdir forms supported; local paths rejected).
Community modules honor --next/--pin overrides with a curator-bypass
warning; default path still enforces the approved SHA.
Quick-update now reads the manifest's recorded channel per module so
pinned installs don't silently roll forward.
* feat(installer): interactive channel switch, upgrade refusal, unified docs
Builds on the channel-resolution foundation. The installer now lets users
flip a module between stable, next, and pinned after install — either
interactively via a "Review channel assignments?" gate, or by flag. Quick
and modify re-installs classify stable upgrades; under non-interactive
flows, patches and minors apply automatically but majors are refused with
a pointer to --pin.
Fallback behavior for GitHub rate-limit / network failures is now cache-
aware: re-installs reuse the recorded ref silently; fresh installs abort
with actionable guidance (set GITHUB_TOKEN or use --next/--pin). Bundled
modules (core, bmm) warn when targeted by --pin or --next so users aren't
left wondering why the flag had no effect.
Install summary labels no longer mangle "main" into "vmain"; next-channel
entries render as "main @ <short-sha>" instead. Bundled modules are now
correctly skipped from all channel prompts and tag-API lookups.
Docs consolidated into a single how-to. install-bmad.md now covers the
interactive flow, the channel model (stable/next/pinned plus the npm
dist-tag axis for core/bmm), the re-install upgrade prompts, the full
flag reference, copy-paste recipes, and troubleshooting. The old
non-interactive-installation.md is reduced to a redirect stub.
* fix(installer): review fixes + unit tests for channel resolution
- ui.js: import parseGitHubRepo; fixes ReferenceError in the
interactive channel picker's stable-tag pre-resolve path.
- community-manager: pinned modules now fetch+checkout the pin tag
on cache refresh instead of resetting to origin/HEAD (was silently
drifting to main on re-install).
- channel-plan: parseChannelOptions returns acceptBypass so --yes
auto-confirms the curator-bypass prompt; headless --next/--pin
installs of community modules no longer hang.
- community-manager: simplify recordedVersion (dead ternary branch).
- custom-module-manager: drop "or sha" from the @<ref> comment
(git clone --branch rejects raw SHAs); update-path fetches
origin <ref> so /tree/<branch>/ URLs work too.
- install-bmad.md: rename "Headless / CI installs" to "Headless CI
installs" so the stub's #headless-ci-installs anchor resolves.
- test/test-installer-channels.js: 83 unit tests for channel-plan
and channel-resolver pure modules; wired into npm test as
test:channels.
* fix(installer): address CodeRabbit review findings
- ui.js: skip stable-channel upgrade classification when the user has
already declared intent via --pin/--next=/--channel or the review
gate. Prevents the decline / major-refused / fetch-error branches
from silently overwriting an explicit pin with prev.version.
- external-manager.js: short-circuit cloneExternalModule when the
requested plan matches an existing in-process resolution and the
cache is valid. Avoids redundant resolveChannel() + git fetch on
every same-plan lookup in a single install.
- installer.js: fall back to CommunityModuleManager.getResolution()
when no external resolution exists, so community module result
rows carry newChannel/newSha instead of null under --next/--pin.
- installer.js: don't label a module as "no change" when its version
string is 'main'/'HEAD' — the SHA may have moved and preVersions
doesn't track the prior SHA. Show "(refreshed)" instead.
- official-modules.js: match versionInfo.version to the manifest's
cloneRef || (hasGitClone ? 'main' : version) expression so summary
lines report the cloned ref for git-backed custom installs.
- install-bmad.md: clarify that sha is only written for git-backed
modules and that rerunning the same --modules on another machine
does not reproduce stable-channel installs — convert recorded tags
into explicit --pin flags for cross-machine reproducibility.
* refactor(installer): restructure installer with clean separation of concerns
Move tools/cli/ to tools/installer/ with major structural cleanup:
- InstallPaths async factory for path resolution and directory creation
- Config value object (frozen) replaces mutable config bag
- ExistingInstall value object replaces stateful Detector class
- OfficialModules + CustomModules + ExternalModuleManager replace monolithic ModuleManager
- install() is prompt-free; all user interaction in ui.js
- Update state returned explicitly instead of mutating customConfig
- Delete dead code: dependency-resolver, _base-ide, IdeConfigManager,
platform-codes helpers, npx wrapper, xml-utils
- Flatten directory structure: custom/handler → custom-handler,
tools/cli/ → tools/installer/, lib/ directories removed
- Update all path references in package.json, tests, CI, and docs
* fix(installer): guard ExistingInstall.version and surface module.yaml errors
Guard ExistingInstall.version access with .installed check in
uninstall.js, ui.js, and installer.js to prevent throwing on
empty/partial _bmad dirs. Surface invalid module.yaml parse errors
as warnings instead of silently returning empty results.
Brian Madison
Alex Verkhovsky