8.0 KiB

Raw Blame History

title	description
Non-Interactive Installation	Install BMAD using command-line flags for CI/CD pipelines and automated deployments

Non-Interactive Installation

BMAD now supports non-interactive installation through command-line flags. This is particularly useful for:

Automated deployments and CI/CD pipelines
Scripted installations
Batch installations across multiple projects
Quick installations with known configurations

Installation Modes

1. Fully Interactive (Default)

Run without any flags to use the traditional interactive prompts:

npx bmad-method install

2. Fully Non-Interactive

Provide all required flags to skip all prompts:

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory /path/to/project \
  --modules bmm,bmb \
  --tools claude-code,cursor \
  --user-name "John Doe" \
  --communication-language English \
  --document-output-language English \
  --output-folder _bmad-output

3. Semi-Interactive (Graceful Fallback)

Provide some flags and let BMAD prompt for the rest:

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory /path/to/project \
  --modules bmm

In this case, BMAD will:

Use the provided directory and modules
Prompt for tool selection
Prompt for core configuration

4. Quick Install with Defaults

Use the -y or --yes flag to accept all defaults:

npx bmad-method install --yes

This will:

Install to the current directory
Skip custom content prompts
Use default values for all configuration
Use previously configured tools (or skip tool configuration if none exist)

5. Install Without Tools

To skip tool/IDE configuration entirely:

Option 1: Use --tools none

npx bmad-method install --directory ~/myapp --modules bmm --tools none

Option 2: Use --yes flag (if no tools were previously configured)

npx bmad-method install --yes

Option 3: Omit --tools and select "None" in the interactive prompt

npx bmad-method install --directory ~/myapp --modules bmm
# Then select "⚠ None - I am not installing any tools" when prompted

Available Flags

Installation Options

Flag	Description	Example
`--directory <path>`	Installation directory	`--directory ~/projects/myapp`
`--modules <modules>`	Comma-separated module IDs	`--modules bmm,bmb`
`--tools <tools>`	Comma-separated tool/IDE IDs (use "none" to skip)	`--tools claude-code,cursor` or `--tools none`
`--custom-content <paths>`	Comma-separated paths to custom modules	`--custom-content ~/my-module,~/another-module`
`--action <type>`	Action for existing installations	`--action quick-update`

Core Configuration

Flag	Description	Default
`--user-name <name>`	Name for agents to use	System username
`--communication-language <lang>`	Agent communication language	English
`--document-output-language <lang>`	Document output language	English
`--output-folder <path>`	Output folder path	_bmad-output

Other Options

Flag	Description
`-y, --yes`	Accept all defaults and skip prompts
`-d, --debug`	Enable debug output for manifest generation

Action Types

When working with existing installations, use the --action flag:

install - Fresh installation (default for new directories)
update - Modify existing installation (change modules/config)
quick-update - Refresh installation without changing configuration
compile-agents - Recompile agents with customizations only

Example:

npx bmad-method install --action quick-update

Module IDs

Available module IDs for the --modules flag:

Core Modules

bmm - BMad Method Master
bmb - BMad Builder

External Modules

Check the BMad registry for available external modules.

Tool/IDE IDs

Available tool IDs for the --tools flag:

claude-code - Claude Code CLI
cursor - Cursor IDE
windsurf - Windsurf IDE
vscode - Visual Studio Code
jetbrains - JetBrains IDEs
And more...

Run the interactive installer once to see all available tools.

Examples

Basic Installation

Install BMM module with Claude Code:

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory ~/projects/myapp \
  --modules bmm \
  --tools claude-code \
  --user-name "Development Team"

Installation Without Tools

Install without configuring any tools/IDEs:

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory ~/projects/myapp \
  --modules bmm \
  --tools none \
  --user-name "Development Team"

Full Installation with Multiple Modules

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory ~/projects/myapp \
  --modules bmm,bmb \
  --tools claude-code,cursor \
  --user-name "John Doe" \
  --communication-language English \
  --document-output-language English \
  --output-folder _output

Update Existing Installation

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory ~/projects/myapp \
  --action update \
  --modules bmm,bmb,custom-module

Quick Update (Preserve Settings)

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory ~/projects/myapp \
  --action quick-update

Installation with Custom Content

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory ~/projects/myapp \
  --modules bmm \
  --custom-content ~/my-custom-module,~/another-module \
  --tools claude-code

CI/CD Pipeline Installation

#!/bin/bash
# install-bmad.sh

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory "${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}" \
  --modules bmm \
  --tools claude-code \
  --user-name "CI Bot" \
  --communication-language English \
  --document-output-language English \
  --output-folder _bmad-output \
  --yes

Environment-Specific Installations

Development Environment

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory . \
  --modules bmm,bmb \
  --tools claude-code,cursor \
  --user-name "${USER}"

Production Environment

npx bmad-method install \
  --directory /opt/app \
  --modules bmm \
  --tools claude-code \
  --user-name "Production Team" \
  --output-folder /var/bmad-output

Validation and Error Handling

BMAD validates all provided flags:

Directory: Must be a valid path with write permissions
Modules: Will warn about invalid module IDs (but won't fail)
Tools: Will warn about invalid tool IDs (but won't fail)
Custom Content: Each path must contain a valid module.yaml file
Action: Must be one of: install, update, quick-update, compile-agents

Invalid values will either:

Show an error and exit (for critical options like directory)
Show a warning and skip (for optional items like custom content)
Fall back to interactive prompts (for missing required values)

Tips and Best Practices

Use absolute paths for --directory to avoid ambiguity
Test flags locally before using in CI/CD pipelines
Combine with -y for truly unattended installations
Check module availability by running the interactive installer once
Use --debug flag if you encounter issues during installation
Skip tool configuration with --tools none for server/CI environments where IDEs aren't needed
Partial flags are OK - Omit flags and let BMAD prompt for missing values interactively

Troubleshooting

Installation fails with "Invalid directory"

Check that:

The directory path exists or its parent exists
You have write permissions
The path is absolute or correctly relative to current directory

Module not found

Verify the module ID is correct (check available modules in interactive mode)
External modules may need to be available in the registry

Custom content path invalid

Ensure each custom content path:

Points to a directory
Contains a module.yaml file in the root
Has a code field in the module.yaml

Feedback and Issues

If you encounter any issues with non-interactive installation:

Run with --debug flag for detailed output
Try the interactive mode to verify the issue
Report issues on GitHub: https://github.com/bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD/issues

8.0 KiB Raw Blame History