generated: '2026-07-20'
method: searched
source: https://docs.minimus.io/advanced-tooling/minicli
name: minicli
description: >-
  First-party command-line tool for Minimus. Manages private hardened container
  image recipes as code, triggers and tracks asynchronous private image builds,
  and generates AI agent skills so assistants can drive minicli in natural
  language. Distributed as a single static binary.
docs: https://docs.minimus.io/advanced-tooling/minicli
install_docs: https://docs.minimus.io/manage/minicli
console: https://images.minimus.io/manage/minicli
platforms:
- os: macos
  arch: [amd64, arm64]
- os: linux
  arch: [amd64, arm64]
install:
- method: curl
  note: Download the latest static binary from the console (Manage > minicli). curl, wget, or direct file download are offered.
- method: wget
  note: Alternate binary download command shown in the console.
- method: binary-download
  note: Direct binary download from images.minimus.io/manage/minicli.
authentication:
  style: bearer-token
  token_source: https://images.minimus.io/manage/token
  env_var: MINICLI_TOKEN
  methods:
  - name: environment-variable
    recommended_for: ci-cd
    example: 'export MINICLI_TOKEN={token}'
  - name: login-command
    recommended_for: local
    example: 'echo "{token}" | minicli login'
  note: All commands require MINICLI_TOKEN to be set.
command_groups:
- name: image
  description: Manage private image recipes and builds.
  commands:
  - id: image init
    summary: Create a local YAML template with all supported image fields.
  - id: image apply
    summary: Create or update a private image recipe from a local YAML file.
  - id: image build submit
    summary: Trigger an asynchronous build for a private image.
  - id: image build status
    summary: Look up the current status of a private image build.
  - id: image export
    summary: Retrieve the configuration of a remote private image and output it as a YAML file.
  - id: image list
    summary: List private or starter images.
  - id: image get
    summary: Get the full details of a private image.
  - id: image delete
    summary: Delete a private image from your account.
- name: bundle
  description: Manage file bundles for PKI certificates and configuration files.
  commands:
  - id: bundle list
    summary: List file bundles for PKI certificates and configuration files.
- name: utility
  description: Utility and agent-tooling commands.
  commands:
  - id: version
    summary: Display the current version of the minicli binary.
  - id: generate-skills
    summary: Generate AI agent skills so assistants (Claude, Codex, Cursor) can interact with minicli using natural language.
key_flows:
- name: Private image as code
  steps: [image init, image apply, image build submit, image build status]
- name: Agent-native onboarding
  steps: [generate-skills]
notes: >-
  minicli is the primary programmatic surface for Minimus. The build model is
  asynchronous: image build submit returns a build to be polled with image build
  status. The binary itself lives in packages/ (see packages/minimus-packages.yml).