Automation and services

cpak commands return a failing exit status when the requested operation fails. Scripts should inspect exit status first and use JSON output where a command provides it.

Machine-readable status

cpak doctor --json
cpak list --json
cpak update --json
cpak gc --json
cpak alias list --json

Use JSON output for status checks and automation. Human tables are presentation output.

Unattended updates

cpak update --non-interactive --json

The command refuses any update that requests additional permissions. It exits with an error when one or more package updates fail or are denied, while independent successful results remain visible in the output.

Run several applications

cpak orchestrate starts multiple installed applications and can express startup dependencies:

cpak orchestrate \
  --depends-on frontend=backend \
  --delay 2 \
  --retries 2 \
  backend frontend

Add --health when each started application can answer a health command. Use --ignore-errors only when later applications are safe to start after an earlier failure.

Service lifecycle

cpak service enable records an application command, starts it, and installs the best available boot adapter:

cpak service enable api github.com/example/app \
  --service server \
  --restart on-failure \
  --health "/usr/bin/example health"

The cpak service manager does not require systemd or D-Bus. It uses systemd user services, cron, or XDG autostart according to host capabilities and reports when restoration is available only after login. Read Persistent application services for boot behavior, dependencies, environment files, secrets, and lifecycle commands.

Use the runtime status commands in scripts:

cpak ps --json
cpak status github.com/example/app --instance api --json
cpak inspect github.com/example/app --instance api
cpak health github.com/example/app --instance api --json

cpak health returns a failing exit status when the selected runtime is stopped, unhealthy, or still starting.

Logs and instances

Named instances let automation separate repeated launches of the same package:

cpak run --instance worker-a github.com/example/worker worker
cpak logs --instance worker-a --follow github.com/example/worker
cpak stop --instance worker-a github.com/example/worker

Capture the command exit status and logs around a failing run. cpak propagates the child process result for commands that wait for the application.

CI package checks

Use cpak validate, cpak lock, and cpak test in package CI after the OCI image has been published. Include a test of the published image through cpak.

Keep production image builds in CI. Local development commands cover package validation and visual testing. The publishing workflow signs and produces each supported architecture.