CLI

Install the CLI

Install the sankofa CLI from npm, meet the platform prerequisites for iOS and Android builds, verify the install with sankofa doctor, and keep it up to date.

The Sankofa CLI is published to npm as sankofa-cli and installs a single binary named sankofa. It is the one tool you use to scaffold SDK integrations, ship OTA releases and patches (Flutter + React Native), manage feature flags and remote config, upload crash symbols, and seed demo data.

Install from npm

bash
npm install -g sankofa-cli

This puts a sankofa executable on your PATH. Confirm it:

bash
sankofa --version
sankofa --help

You can also run it without a global install using npx:

bash
npx sankofa-cli@latest doctor

Prerequisites

Node.jsruntimeRequireddefault 18+
The CLI is a Node program. Node.js 18 or newer is required; an active LTS (20+) is recommended.
Xcode + macOSiOS builds
Required for sankofa release ios, dist ios, and preview ios. iOS artifacts (.ipa / .xcarchive) can only be built on macOS.
Android SDK + JDK 17Android builds
Required for sankofa release android, dist android, and Android previews. Gradle builds need JDK 17.
Flutter or React Native projectworkspace
release / patch / preview run inside a project. The CLI auto-detects the stack from pubspec.yaml (Flutter) or package.json (React Native).
Sankofa Flutter runtimeFlutter Deploy only
Flutter OTA needs the Sankofa-built Flutter runtime. sankofa init --deploy (or sankofa engine install) fetches it into ~/.sankofa/. See the engine reference.

You do not need to install or configure the runtime by hand for a Flutter Deploy project — sankofa init --deploy and sankofa engine install do it for you. See the engine reference.

Verify your toolchain

sankofa doctor reports on every moving part — Node, Xcode, Java/Gradle, the Flutter SDK, the Android SDK, server reachability, and (for Flutter Deploy projects) the full native wiring.

bash
sankofa doctor            # full toolchain + integration check
sankofa doctor --deploy   # focus on Sankofa Deploy wiring only

Run it before your first release; it flags a missing engine, an unsigned project, or a broken native patch long before a build fails.

Keeping the CLI up to date

There are two update commands with different scopes.

sankofa upgrade — just the CLI binary

bash
sankofa upgrade           # check npm and install if a newer version exists
sankofa upgrade --check   # dry-run: report only, change nothing
sankofa upgrade --sudo    # run the install under sudo (CI that plans for it)

sankofa update — the whole stack

A developer machine has four moving parts: the CLI itself, the bundled Sankofa Flutter SDK, the engine cache, and the per-project pub.dev SDK. update checks all four in one sweep.

bash
sankofa update                 # check + apply updates to all four surfaces
sankofa update --check         # dry-run: report what would change
sankofa update --only cli      # bump the CLI only
sankofa update --only flutter  # refresh the bundled Sankofa Flutter SDK only
sankofa update --only engine   # refresh the engine cache only
sankofa update --only sdk      # flutter pub upgrade sankofa_flutter in this project

The CLI also prints a one-line update notice after commands when a newer version is available. Silence it by setting SANKOFA_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1 (the notice is already suppressed automatically when CI is set).

Next steps

CLI

Configuration & auth

Log in, mint a Deploy Token, and understand sankofa.yaml.

CLI

First release + patch

An end-to-end walkthrough from install to a live patch.

CLI

Command reference

Every top-level command at a glance.

Edit this page on GitHub