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CLI Overview

What is OpenCore CLI?​

The OpenCore CLI is the official command-line tool used to build, validate, and orchestrate OpenCore-based projects.

It is not a generic TypeScript compiler.
It understands FiveM and RedM runtimes, OpenCore architecture, and the constraints of each execution environment.

Conceptually, it plays a role similar to:

  • NestJS CLI (project orchestration)
  • Vite (fast, opinionated builds)

…but designed specifically for FiveM, RedM, and OpenCore.

What problem does it solve?​

FiveM and RedM are not a single runtime.

You are dealing with:

  • Node.js (server)
  • Neutral JS runtimes (client)
  • Browsers (NUI / Views)

Each with different rules, APIs, and limitations.

The OpenCore CLI:

  • Detects what you are building
  • Validates what is allowed
  • Produces runtime-safe artifacts
  • Fails early when something is invalid

This removes an entire class of hard-to-debug runtime errors.

Core concepts​

The CLI understands three types of components:

🧠 Core​

The central brain of your server.

  • Hosts the OpenCore runtime
  • Exposes exports to other resources
  • Owns global systems (commands, players, identity)

There is usually one Core per server.

🛰️ Satellite Resources​

Modular resources that depend on the Core.

  • Contain gameplay logic
  • Register commands and events
  • Delegate shared systems to Core
  • Built for small bundles and fast iteration

This is the recommended way to scale a server.

📦 Standalone Resources​

Independent resources that do not rely on OpenCore.

  • Legacy Lua scripts
  • Utility JS resources
  • Third-party tools

The CLI supports them, but does not enforce framework rules.

High-level build flow​


Source Code
↓
Discovery (server / client / views)
↓
Runtime validation
↓
Adapter selection
↓
Parallel compilation
↓
runtime-ready artifacts

You do not configure this manually.
The CLI infers it from structure and intent.

Why Go?​

The CLI and compiler are written in Go (Golang) by design.

Key reasons:

  • Performance: Parallel builds using goroutines
  • Single binary: No Node.js dependency for the tool itself
  • Low memory usage: Stable even with many resources
  • Fast startup: Near-instant command execution

This makes the CLI reliable in both development and CI environments.

CLI syntax basics​

Command arguments follow a simple convention:

  • <argument> → required
  • [argument] → optional

Example:

opencore create <type> [name]

This mirrors standard CLI conventions and avoids ambiguity.

Automatic discovery​

The CLI performs automatic project analysis:

  • Detects server entrypoints:

    • main.ts, index.ts, server.ts

  • Detects client entrypoints:

    • client.ts, index.ts

  • Discovers NUI / view entrypoints

  • Infers runtime targets per file

No explicit configuration is required.

While npm and yarn are supported, pnpm is strongly recommended.

Reasons:

  • Faster installs
  • Lower disk usage
  • Strict dependency isolation
  • Optimized integration with the CLI linker

The CLI is designed around pnpm’s dependency model.

NUI / Views support​

OpenCore treats views as browser builds handled by Vite or a minimal vanilla fallback.

Supported modes:

  • Vite → recommended for React, Vue, Svelte, Astro, Tailwind, PostCSS, Sass, and other modern UI stacks
  • Vanilla → simple HTML/CSS/JS/TS pages compiled directly by the CLI

The CLI also exposes createOpenCoreViteConfig from @open-core/cli/vite so project-level Vite configs can stay small and consistent.

If required dependencies are missing or a legacy framework mode is used:

  • The build fails
  • A clear error is shown
  • The migration path points you to framework: 'vite'

No guessing, no silent failures.

Runtime Adapters​

An Adapter defines the target platform for your project. It controls the build pipeline, output structure, and platform-specific behavior.

OpenCore supports multiple platforms through official adapters:

AdapterStatusUse Case
FiveMStableFiveM server builds
RageMPDeprecatedRage Multiplayer builds
RedMComing SoonRedM-specific runtime path under the same adapter model
NodeDefaultLocal development / testing

Defining an Adapter​

Configure your adapter in opencore.config.ts:

import { defineConfig } from '@open-core/cli'
import { FiveMClientAdapter } from '@open-core/fivem-adapter/client'
import { FiveMServerAdapter } from '@open-core/fivem-adapter/server'

export default defineConfig({
  name: 'my-server',
  destination: '/path/to/server/resources',
  adapter: {
    server: FiveMServerAdapter(),
    client: FiveMClientAdapter(),
  },
})

The adapter is the central runtime switch. It determines:

  • Build targets and output layout
  • Manifest generation
  • Platform-specific optimizations
  • Runtime behavior

Project Initialization​

When creating a new project, specify the adapter with --adapter:

# Interactive wizard
opencore init my-server

# Non-interactive with platform
opencore init my-server --adapter=fivem

# No adapter (uses framework default - Node)
opencore init my-server --adapter=none

Validation​

The CLI validates your adapter configuration automatically. Use opencore doctor to verify your setup is correct and all dependencies are properly installed.

Philosophy​

The OpenCore CLI is opinionated by design.

Its goals are:

  • Safety over flexibility
  • Correctness over convenience
  • Explicit failures instead of silent bugs

You can build your own tooling — but the CLI is the reference implementation for OpenCore projects.

This overview defines what the CLI is. The following sections explain how to use it.