xian-cli

xian-cli is the operator-facing and automation-facing control plane for Xian. It owns manifests, node profiles, lifecycle commands, health checks, local bootstrap flows, and JSON-first client commands without turning xian-abci, xian-py, or xian-stack into user-facing tools.

The published PyPI package is xian-tech-cli. The installed console command remains xian. Runtime-heavy commands expect access to xian-stack and canonical manifests from xian-configs, either through the default sibling workspace layout or explicit --stack-dir and --configs-dir flags.

Control Plane

flowchart LR
  Operator["Operator or automation"] --> CLI["xian CLI"]
  CLI --> Configs["xian-configs manifests and templates"]
  CLI --> Stack["xian-stack backend"]
  CLI --> SDK["xian-py client"]
  Configs --> Profiles["Network and node profiles"]
  Stack --> Runtime["Local node runtime"]
  SDK --> Node["Running Xian node"]
  Runtime --> Node

Loading

Quick Start

Local development in a sibling-repo workspace:

uv sync --group dev
uv run xian --help

Isolated operator install from a published release:

uv tool install xian-tech-cli
xian --help

Bootstrap installer (requires uv):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xian-technology/xian-cli/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xian-technology/xian-cli/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

Set XIAN_CLI_VERSION before either installer to pin a specific release.

Common Workflows

Guided node setup:

uv run xian setup node

For scripted review without changing files:

uv run xian setup node --mode join --network testnet --name validator-1 --plan

Create a local network from a template:

uv run xian network template list
uv run xian network create local-dev --chain-id xian-local-1 \
  --template single-node-dev --generate-validator-key --init-node
uv run xian node start local-dev
uv run xian node status local-dev

For a metered 0-fee local network, add --tx-fee-mode free_metered plus explicit --free-tx-max-chi and --free-block-max-chi caps to setup node, network create, or network join.

Block production defaults come from the selected network template or manifest. For on-demand local development, use --block-policy-mode on_demand; for scheduled empty blocks, pass both a mode and empty-block interval:

uv run xian setup node --mode local --network local-dev \
  --block-policy-mode periodic --block-policy-interval 1s

The interval controls CometBFT empty-block scheduling. It is not an exact finalized block-time target: observed cadence is still bounded by normal CometBFT consensus timing, especially timeout_commit, and block execution time.

Join a manifest-backed shared network with a local profile:

uv run xian network join devnet-node --network devnet \
  --template single-node-indexed --generate-validator-key \
  --init-node --restore-snapshot
uv run xian node health devnet-node
uv run xian node endpoints devnet-node

Package a clean operator handoff bundle for a network manifest:

uv run xian network package-operator-bundle devnet \
  --bootstrap-seed '<node_id>@<public-host>:26656' \
  --archive

Inspect or recover a configured node:

uv run xian doctor devnet-node
uv run xian doctor devnet-node --skip-live-checks
uv run xian snapshot restore devnet-node

For remote snapshot bootstrap, prefer a signed snapshot manifest plus trusted snapshot signing keys in the network manifest or node profile.

Wallet, query, and transaction automation against a running node:

uv run xian client wallet generate --private-key-out ./wallet.key
uv run xian client query nonce --node-url http://127.0.0.1:26657 <address>
uv run xian client query indexed-tx --node-url http://127.0.0.1:26657 <tx-hash>
uv run xian client tx transfer \
  --node-url http://127.0.0.1:26657 \
  --private-key-env XIAN_PRIVATE_KEY \
  <recipient> 1.25

Operator Journeys

Use xian-cli when you want a stable human-facing command surface. The CLI reads committed assets from xian-configs, delegates runtime-heavy local operations to xian-stack, and uses xian-py for wallet / RPC automation.

Goal	Primary commands	Backing repo
Create a local network	xian network template ..., xian network create ...	xian-configs, xian-abci
Join an existing network	xian network join ...	xian-configs, xian-stack
Guided node setup	xian setup node	xian-cli, xian-configs, xian-stack
Package operator handoff	xian network package-operator-bundle ...	xian-cli, xian-configs
Operate a node	xian node start/status/health/endpoints/stop ...	xian-stack
Diagnose a setup	xian doctor ..., xian snapshot restore ...	xian-stack, xian-abci
Validate deployment bundles	xian contract bundle validate ...	product or contract repos
Submit contract source	xian client tx submit-source ...	product or contract repos, xian-py
Script chain interactions	xian client query/call/simulate/tx ...	xian-py

Typical local development loop:

uv run xian network template show single-node-indexed
uv run xian network create local-indexed \
  --chain-id xian-local-indexed-1 \
  --template single-node-indexed \
  --generate-validator-key \
  --init-node
uv run xian node start local-indexed
uv run xian node health local-indexed
uv run xian node endpoints local-indexed

Product repos own product bootstrap. Use the CLI for generic bundle and transaction helpers, then run the product repo's installer:

uv run xian contract bundle validate ../xian-dex/contract-bundle.json
cd ../xian-dex
uv run python scripts/bootstrap_dex.py --recipe local-demo

Validate a hash-pinned contract bundle directly:

uv run xian contract bundle validate ../xian-dex/contract-bundle.json

Build Xian VM artifacts from source for offline inspection or CI checks:

uv run xian contract build-artifacts ./contracts/con_counter.s.py \
  --output ./dist/con_counter.artifacts.json

Submit contract source through the same signed transaction surface as other client automation:

uv run xian client tx submit-source ./contracts/con_counter.s.py \
  --node-url http://127.0.0.1:26657 \
  --private-key-env XIAN_PRIVATE_KEY \
  --mode commit

For scripts and CI, prefer commands that emit JSON and avoid parsing human status text:

uv run xian client query balance \
  --node-url http://127.0.0.1:26657 \
  <address>

Principles

• Operator UX lives here. Deterministic node logic stays in xian-abci, and local runtime orchestration stays in xian-stack. This repo is the control plane that ties them together.
• Explicit artifacts, not hidden state. Manifests and node profiles are human-readable files. The CLI inspects, generates, and updates them; it does not invent state outside them.
• Templates accelerate, never lock in. Templates shorten common network setups, but an operator who knows what they are doing should still be able to work directly with manifests, profiles, and node homes.
• Diagnostics are first-class. Health, endpoint discovery, and doctor paths are core features, not afterthoughts.
• JSON-first for automation. Client commands and inspection commands emit machine-readable output suitable for scripts and CI.

Key Directories

• src/xian_cli/ — commands, models, manifest handling, and backend integration.
  • cli.py, parser.py — argument parsing and command dispatch.
  • client/ — wallet, query, call, simulate, and transaction commands.
  • config_repo.py, models.py — manifest and profile schemas.
  • abci_bridge.py, runtime.py — node-runtime integration.
  • contract_bundles.py — hash-pinned contract-bundle validation.
• scripts/ — install / packaging helpers (e.g. install.sh, install.ps1).
• tests/ — CLI behavior and manifest / profile validation coverage.
• docs/ — architecture, lifecycle contract, distribution notes, backlog.

Capabilities

• key generation and validator material
• network template discovery
• network creation and network join flows
• node initialization, start, stop, and status
• endpoint and health discovery, including optional dashboard, monitoring, and stack-managed xian-intentkit / xian-dex-automation
• snapshot restore and doctor diagnostics
• Xian VM artifact generation from contract source for offline inspection
• hash-pinned contract-bundle validation
• wallet, query, call / simulate, and transaction automation via xian-py

Command Groups

• xian keys ... — generate validator and account material
• xian setup node — guided wrapper for local node creation or network join
• xian network template ... — inspect reusable network templates
• xian network create ... — create a local / operator-managed network profile
• xian network join ... — join an existing manifest-backed or remote network
• xian network package-operator-bundle ... — package a shareable operator handoff
• xian node ... — initialize, start, stop, inspect, and recover a node profile
• xian client ... — wallet, query, call / simulate, and transaction automation including source-backed contract submission
• xian contract build-artifacts ... — build Xian VM artifacts for inspection
• xian contract bundle ... — validate hash-pinned contract bundles
• xian doctor ... — run broader local diagnostics

Validation

uv sync --group dev
uv run ruff check .
uv run ruff format --check .
uv run pytest

Related Docs

• AGENTS.md — repo-specific guidance for AI agents and contributors
• docs/README.md — index of internal docs
• docs/ARCHITECTURE.md — major components and dependency direction
• docs/BACKLOG.md — open work and follow-ups
• docs/LIFECYCLE_CONTRACT.md — node-lifecycle contract that the CLI enforces
• docs/DISTRIBUTION.md — packaging, install paths, and release-channel rules