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Verify the Installation

After installing Rapid OS, run these commands to confirm that the CLI responds and your environment is ready to govern projects.

1. Product version (rapid --version)​

Check the installed version:

rapid --version

Expected output:

Rapid OS 3.1.1

If the command does not respond or says the command was not found, see the troubleshooting guide.

2. General help (rapid --help)​

Confirm that the argument parser and main subcommands are available:

rapid --help

Expected output: A list describing Rapid OS and the available commands (init, scan, context, spec, policy, run, harness, evidence, eval, validate, doctor, guide, and others).

3. Workflow overview (rapid guide)​

Rapid OS includes a read-only interactive guide to the governance loop's eight steps:

rapid guide

Expected output: A visual terminal summary of the v3 governance loop that identifies which commands are read-only and which write state.

4. Environment diagnostics (rapid doctor)​

Inspect the environment configuration, template locations, and available tools:

rapid doctor

Expected output:

==> Rapid OS Doctor

Configuration:
  Project config: .rapid-os/config.json (Not found - run 'rapid init')
  Rapid home:     /home/<user>/.rapid-os

Environment:
  Node.js:        Available (v20.x.x)  # or Not installed (optional)
  npx:            Available            # or Not installed (optional)
  Python:         3.12.x

Templates:
  Bundled:        Available (stacks, archetypes, topologies)

Status: OK (Warnings: 0, Errors: 0)
A missing project config is normal here

If you run rapid doctor outside a project initialized with Rapid OS, it is normal to see Project config: .rapid-os/config.json (Not found - run 'rapid init'). This only means the current directory does not have active governance yet.

5. Installed shortcuts (rapid shortcuts list)​

Inside a project where you ran rapid init --shortcuts (or rapid shortcuts install), check the status of each generated file:

rapid shortcuts list

Expected output: Your harness shortcuts should have the installed status. If one is outdated after a Rapid OS update, run rapid shortcuts install; if it is missing, install it. Use --json to get the same status for scripts. If you selected Cursor or VS Code alongside Claude, Codex, or Antigravity, you may see WARNING RAPID1321: this is only a warning about overlapping directories (see Combining harnesses).

6. Diagnostics inside a project (rapid doctor)​

After initializing a project, rapid doctor also checks the porcelain layer. These warnings can be expected and do not indicate an installation failure:

  • RAPID1319: The process tree could not be read, so rapid approve cannot check whether an agent launched it. Approval still requires an interactive terminal.
  • RAPID1414: Shortcuts or hooks are installed, but rapid is not on the PATH used by the agent's shell. This is a warning (exit 0), not an error. Install Rapid OS with the installer or pipx install git+https://github.com/alyconr/Rapid-OS.git, then launch the agent from a terminal where rapid --version works. Global /rapid-init is checked the same way: the skill runs rapid from that shell.
  • RAPID1339: Claude Code hooks are installed, but Claude Code cannot resolve rapid on its PATH. Install Rapid OS where Claude Code can find it (for example, with pipx install git+https://github.com/alyconr/Rapid-OS.git) or add its scripts directory to PATH. This warning does not appear if you do not use hooks.

All set​

If the commands succeeded, your installation is working and reproducible. Continue to Getting Started or the tutorial Your First Governed Project.