now

now is a Rust-native local task runner that makes containerized toolchains feel invisible. The long-term product goal is Docker-grade reproducibility with a CLI experience closer to Vercel, Linear, and modern AI-native developer tools.

Current Status

This repository currently contains the Phase 1 proof-of-concept:

• now run <command...> detects a sensible image for the current project.
• The current directory is mounted into /workspace.
• The command runs inside an ephemeral Docker-backed container.
• Container stdout/stderr streams back to the terminal.
• The container is removed after execution.

Quickstart

Install from crates.io:

cargo install nowcli

Run a command in an ephemeral environment:

now run echo "hello from now"

In a Node project:

now run npm install

To force an image:

now run --image alpine:latest echo "hello"

Development

Install the local checkout as the now executable:

cargo install --path . --force

Run from source without installing:

cargo run -- run echo "hello from now"

Run the repository build task:

now run build

Roadmap

• Phase 1: Docker fallback proof-of-concept.
• Phase 2: .now.yaml, sequential execution, and polished terminal UI.
• Phase 3: Astro documentation site and SEO landing pages.
• Phase 4: binary distribution, installers, and native Linux OCI execution.

See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md and docs/ROADMAP.md for the full strategy canvas.