Command Guide

This page lists the commands most likely to answer quick project questions. For full details, use the linked canonical docs.

Command Use it when Source
vib start preparing a project for AI tooling ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib checkpoint saving state before risky edits ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib undo restoring a previous checkpoint ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib history reviewing saved checkpoints ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib config auto-backup status checking whether commits create automatic checkpoints ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib config auto-backup on\|off enabling or disabling automatic post-commit checkpoints ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib backup-db-viewer --json inspecting the Rust backup DB in read-only mode ../../README.md
vib backup-db-maintenance --json planning safe backup DB file cleanup without changing it ../../README.md
vib backup-db-maintenance --apply --json backing up DB files, truncating WAL, and conditionally compacting SQLite ../../README.md
vib doctor checking project health ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib anchor adding or refreshing AI-safe edit markers ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib patch converting natural requests into safer edit instructions ../../README.md
vib explain understanding what changed ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib guard checking whether AI broke the project ../../VIBELIGN_MANUAL.md
vib protect blocking edits to important files ../../README.md
vib secrets --staged blocking accidental secret commits ../../README.md
vib transfer generating project handoff context ../../README.md
vib export generating AI-tool-specific config files ../../README.md

Transfer / handoff quick reference

Use vib transfer when switching AI tools, opening a fresh chat, or preserving context before a token limit.

vib transfer
vib transfer --compact
vib transfer --full
vib transfer --handoff
vib transfer --handoff --no-prompt --print
vib transfer --handoff --session-summary "current session work" --first-next-action "next action"
vib transfer --handoff --dry-run
vib transfer --out ctx.md
  • --handoff adds a Session Handoff block at the top of PROJECT_CONTEXT.md.
  • --session-summary and --first-next-action let you override the two most important handoff lines explicitly.
  • --no-prompt skips questions and fills what it can from project/session signals.
  • --print also prints the handoff summary to the console.
  • --dry-run previews without writing.
  • --handoff cannot be combined with --compact or --full.

Rule Of Thumb

  • Before edit: checkpoint, doctor
  • During edit prep: anchor, patch
  • After edit: explain, guard
  • For recovery: undo, history
  • For backup size questions: backup-db-viewer shows actual DB/object-store storage; BACKUPS “backup range” is logical restore coverage, not physical disk use.
  • If commits create too many automatic checkpoints: vib config auto-backup off, then use vib checkpoint manually when needed.