generated: '2026-08-30'
method: searched
source: >-
  https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/reference/2.x/config/zilla-cli.html and
  https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/reference/2.x/manager/zpm-cli.html
provider: Aklivity
providerId: aklivity
summary: >-
  Two first-party CLIs. `zilla` is the runtime CLI — it starts, stops, observes
  and tunes the engine. `zpm` is the Zilla Manager, which resolves and packages
  the runtime with minimal dependencies from Aklivity's own Maven repository.
  Both are documented per major line (1.x and 2.x).
clis:
  - name: zilla
    title: Zilla Runtime CLI
    docs: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/reference/2.x/config/zilla-cli.html
    docs_1x: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/reference/1.x/config/zilla-cli.html
    install:
      - method: homebrew
        command: brew tap aklivity/tap && brew install zilla
        docs: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/deployment/install-zilla/homebrew.html
        caveat: the tap formula pins 0.9.159 — see packages/aklivity-packages.yml
      - method: docker
        command: docker run -v ./zilla.yaml:/etc/zilla/zilla.yaml ghcr.io/aklivity/zilla:latest start -ve
        docs: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/deployment/install-zilla/docker.html
      - method: helm
        command: helm install [RELEASE_NAME] oci://ghcr.io/aklivity/charts/zilla
        docs: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/deployment/install-zilla/helm/
    commands:
      - name: start
        description: Start the engine.
        flags:
          - '-c --config'
          - '-e --exception-traces'
          - '-p --properties'
          - '-P --property'
          - '-v --verbose'
          - '-w --workers'
      - name: stop
        description: Stop the engine.
      - name: logs
        description: >-
          Show event logs for a running engine, attaching to the same engine
          directory as `zilla start`. Without -f it prints the current log and
          exits, which the docs call out as usable as a Docker HEALTHCHECK.
        flags:
          - '-f --follow'
          - '--format <format>'
      - name: metrics
        description: Show engine metrics.
        flags:
          - '--namespace <namespace>'
      - name: dump
        description: >-
          Write a pcap of internal engine state, readable in Wireshark via the
          bundled zilla.lua dissector plugin. Incubator feature.
        flags:
          - '-a --affinity <affinity>'
          - '-b --bindings <bindings>'
          - '-i --install <plugin-directory>'
          - '-v --verbose'
          - '-w --write <output>'
        status: incubator
      - name: tune
        description: Tune the running engine.
      - name: version
        description: Print the engine version.
      - name: help
        description: Show help for the CLI or for a specific command.
  - name: zpm
    title: Zilla Manager CLI
    docs: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/reference/2.x/manager/zpm-cli.html
    docs_1x: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/reference/1.x/manager/zpm-cli.html
    description: >-
      Packages the Zilla runtime with minimal dependencies, resolving Java
      artifacts from Maven repositories. Default remote repository is
      https://maven.packages.aklivity.io.
    commands:
      - name: install
        description: Resolve the Zilla Manager configuration into a runtime with minimal dependencies, generating the `zilla` executable.
        flags:
          - '--debug'
          - '--exclude-local-repository'
          - '--exclude-remote-repositories'
      - name: wrap
        description: >-
          Generate an executable `zpmw` wrapper script that downloads zpm on
          demand, so zpm need not be installed manually and its version can be
          pinned.
        flags:
          - '--local-repository <localRepoDir>  (default ${user.home}/.m2/repository)'
          - '--remote-repository <repoURL>  (default https://maven.packages.aklivity.io)'
          - '--version <version>'
      - name: clean
        description: Remove files from the .zpm/ output directory, optionally keeping the runtime image.
        flags:
          - '--keep-image'
      - name: encrypt
        description: >-
          Encrypt secrets with a generated master secret, for supplying
          encrypted credentials to authenticated Maven repositories in the Zilla
          Manager settings.
      - name: help
        description: Show help for the CLI or for a specific command.
related_tooling:
  - name: Zilla VS Code Extension
    id: aklivity.zilla-vscode-ext
    url: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=aklivity.zilla-vscode-ext
    description: >-
      Renders zilla.yaml as an interactive diagram and provides YAML
      IntelliSense over the config schema; also runs in vscode.dev directly
      against a GitHub repository.
    docs: https://docs.aklivity.io/latest/getting-started/vscode/