Getting started

These commands run from a Dirwell repository checkout. Install its dependencies once with pnpm install. The packaged CLI uses the same dirwell commands after installation.

1. Browse a folder

pnpm dirwell serve ./fixture

Open the Local: URL printed by the command. Dirwell watches ./fixture, rebuilds after a change, and reloads connected browsers. Omit serve for the same foreground workflow. The source directory defaults to ., so pass it explicitly when you mean a different folder.

2. Build a publishable tree

pnpm dirwell build ./fixture -o ./generated

build writes static files and exits. Deploy the complete generated/ directory. With no options, Dirwell uses SSG and links relative to each page, so the output can move to another path as one tree. The build replaces the generated output directory; keep unrelated files elsewhere.

If a source directory has index.html or index.htm, Dirwell keeps it and writes the explorer as _dirwell.html. If that name also exists, it skips the explorer page for that directory.

3. Change one setting at a time

Need	Change
A known public path such as /project/downloads/	Set base and urls: "base".
One shared asset directory across many pages	Set mode: "mpa".
A subset of the source tree	Set include and exclude globs.
Different controls or icons	Set theme: createDefaultTheme(...).
A no-script listing	Set theme: createPlainTheme().

Use dirwell.config.ts for settings that do not have CLI flags:

import { defineConfig } from "dirwell";

export default defineConfig({
  include: ["**/*.md", "assets/**"],
  exclude: ["drafts/**"],
});

Run pnpm dirwell build ./fixture -o ./generated again. The CLI positional directory has a . default and overrides config root, so keep the source path in the command. The configuration guide lists every field, accepted value, default, and effect.