Run the first build

Updated Sep 02, 2026

Create an empty project directory and add a file named Netsukefile with the following complete manifest:

netsuke_version: "1.0.0"

targets:
  - name: hello.txt
    command: "echo 'Hello from Netsuke!' > hello.txt"

defaults:
  - hello.txt

Run Netsuke without a subcommand to build the manifest's defaults, then read the generated file:

netsuke
cat hello.txt

The second command prints Hello from Netsuke!.

If Netsuke cannot find Netsukefile, it reports the missing file and suggests --file. A different path can be selected with netsuke --file path/to/manifest.yml build.

Manifest and --directory paths must be valid UTF-8. Netsuke rejects an invalid path while parsing the command line and identifies the affected option. A manifest path supplied by a configuration file must decode as UTF-8, while a NETSUKE_FILE value is checked while the environment layer extracts it. Both fail before manifest discovery or runner setup begins.

The quick-start guide provides a longer walkthrough.