@native-sdk/cli
The command line for Native SDK: the complete toolkit for building native desktop applications.
Views are declarative markup in .native files, logic is plain Zig, and Native SDK's own engine draws every pixel into real OS windows — no browser, no WebView, no interpreter in the binary.
Install
npm install -g @native-sdk/cli
The install runs no scripts: the native binary arrives as a per-platform optional dependency (@native-sdk/cli-<platform>), and this package carries the SDK source your apps build against, so native init and native dev work offline after install. The pinned Zig toolchain is fetched into ~/.native/toolchains/ on first build unless a compatible zig is already on your PATH.
Use
native init my_app
cd my_app
native dev
A native window opens with a working counter. The scaffold is a native-rendered markup app with no build files — native dev|build|test own the build — and src/app.native hot-reloads while the app runs, keeping your state. native check validates every view in milliseconds without building.
When part of your product is the web, WebView surfaces coexist with the native canvas; web-frontend scaffolds (--frontend next, --frontend vite, and more) install their generated frontend dependencies automatically on first run.
Read the full guide at native-sdk.dev/quick-start.
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
native init [path] [--frontend <native|next|vite|react|svelte|vue>] [--full] |
Scaffold a new Native SDK app |
native dev [dir] |
Build and run the app (markup hot reload; managed frontend dev server when configured) |
native build [dir] |
Build a ReleaseFast binary into zig-out/bin/ |
native test [dir] |
Run the app's test suite |
native check [dir] |
Validate src/**.native markup and app.zon against the model contract |
native markup check|lsp |
Check individual markup files, or serve diagnostics, completion, and hover to your editor |
native eject [dir] |
Write an owned build.zig/build.zig.zon into the app |
native doctor |
Check host environment, WebView, manifest, and CEF |
native validate |
Validate app.zon against the manifest schema |
native package |
Package the app for distribution |
native bundle-assets |
Copy frontend assets into the build output |
native automate |
Drive a running app: snapshots, widgets, assertions, screenshots, record/replay |
native skills list|get <name> |
List or print the built-in AI agent skills |
native version |
Print the native version |
More
The full documentation is at native-sdk.dev — the app model, native UI authoring, components, testing, automation, capabilities, packaging, and platform support.
Native SDK is pre-1.0 and Apache-2.0 licensed; the source lives at github.com/vercel-labs/native.