New Project

Recommended: devrail init

The fastest way to start a new DevRail project is devrail init. Run it in an empty directory (or a freshly initialized git repo) and it generates all configuration files:

mkdir my-new-project && cd my-new-project
git init

# Interactive mode — prompts for languages and CI platform
curl -fsSL https://devrail.dev/init.sh | bash

# Or non-interactive — specify everything up front
curl -fsSL https://devrail.dev/init.sh | bash -s -- --all --languages python,bash --ci github --yes

This generates all DevRail files including the Makefile, .devrail.yml, pre-commit config, agent instruction files, CI workflows, and documentation. See the CLI Reference for all options.

After running devrail init:

# Install git hooks for local enforcement
make install-hooks

# Run all DevRail checks
make check

# Make your first commit
git add .
git commit -m "feat: initialize project with DevRail standards"

Alternative: From a Template

You can also create a repository directly from one of the official templates. All DevRail configuration files are included and pre-configured.

From GitHub Template

Navigate to the DevRail GitHub template and click “Use this template” to create a new repository in your organization or personal account.

Alternatively, use the GitHub CLI:

# Create a new repository from the DevRail GitHub template
gh repo create my-new-project --template devrail-dev/github-repo-template --public
cd my-new-project

From GitLab Template

In GitLab, navigate to New Project > Create from template > Custom and select the DevRail GitLab template. Enter your project name and create the project.

Alternatively, clone the template manually:

# Clone the DevRail GitLab template
git clone https://gitlab.com/devrail-dev/gitlab-repo-template.git my-new-project
cd my-new-project

# Reset git history for a clean start
rm -rf .git
git init
git add .
git commit -m "feat: initialize project with DevRail standards"

After Creating from Template

# Edit .devrail.yml to declare your project's languages
# Configure your languages (see below)

# Install git hooks
make install-hooks

# Run all DevRail checks
make check

Configure Your Languages

Edit .devrail.yml to declare which languages your project uses. The Makefile reads this file to determine which tools to run.

# .devrail.yml -- declare your project's languages
languages:
  - python
  - bash

fail_fast: false
log_format: json

Supported languages: python, bash, terraform, ansible, ruby, go, javascript, rust. List only the languages your project actually uses.

What Is Included

Whether you use devrail init or a template, you get the following files:

Next Steps

• View Standards Reference to understand which tools run for your declared languages
• Learn About the Container to understand how the dev-toolchain image works
• Customize Templates for advanced configuration