# crib

> Dev containers without the ceremony. A CLI tool that reads .devcontainer configs, builds the container, and gets out of the way. Supports Docker and Podman.

crib is a devcontainer CLI tool. It reads `.devcontainer/devcontainer.json` configs, builds the container (image-based, Dockerfile-based, or Docker Compose-based), and manages the full lifecycle: creating, starting, stopping, rebuilding, and removing dev containers. No agents, no SSH, no IDE integration, just the CLI.

For the full documentation in a single file, see [llms-full.txt](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/llms-full.txt).

## Getting Started

- [Overview](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/overview/): What crib is, why it exists, and the philosophy behind it.
- [Installation](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/installation/): How to install crib on Linux with Docker or Podman.
- [Commands](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/commands/): All available crib CLI commands and global flags.

## Guides

- [Workspaces](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/workspaces/): How crib tracks and manages your devcontainer projects.
- [Lifecycle Hooks](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/lifecycle-hooks/): How crib handles devcontainer lifecycle hooks.
- [Smart Restart](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/smart-restart/): How crib restart detects changes and picks the fastest strategy.
- [Built-in Plugins](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/plugins/): What crib's built-in plugins do and how to configure them.
- [Custom Config Directory](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/custom-config/): Using a custom devcontainer directory with crib.
- [macOS & Windows](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/macos-windows/): Platform-specific quirks, performance tips, and workarounds
- [Comparison with alternatives](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/guides/comparison/): How crib compares to devcontainers/cli, DevPod, and VS Code Dev Containers

## Reference

- [Troubleshooting](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/reference/troubleshooting/): Common issues and solutions when using crib.
- [CHANGELOG](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/reference/changelog/): All notable changes to crib.

## Contributing

- [Development](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/contributing/development/): Building, testing, and contributing to crib.
- [Roadmap](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/contributing/roadmap/): What's planned, what's being considered, and what's not happening.
- [Implementation Notes](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/contributing/implementation-notes/): Quirks, workarounds, and spec compliance status.
- [Plugin Development](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/contributing/plugin-development/): How to write bundled plugins for crib.
- [DevContainer Spec Reference](https://fgrehm.github.io/crib/contributing/devcontainers-spec/): A distilled reference of the Dev Container Specification for quick lookup.

## Source Code

- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/fgrehm/crib)