Run commands

Shared run flags

run, dev, task, and x share a common set of grant and engine flags:

Flag	Description
`--allow-clock`	Use the real system clock (run is no longer reproducible).
`--allow-random`	Use OS entropy for `Math.random` / `crypto.getRandomValues`.
`--allow-env[=NAMES]`	Expose host env. Bare = all; `=A,B` scopes to those names.
`--trust`	Grant full host access — clock + random + env, and the fs/network sandbox off.
`--sandbox`	Force the fs/network sandbox on (deny network, confine writes to the project).
`--max-old-space-size <MiB>`	V8 heap limit, like Node. Also read from `NODE_OPTIONS`.
`--v8-flags <FLAGS>`	Pass comma-separated flags straight to V8.

meow x is sandboxed by default; meow run/dev/task are trusted by default. See Permissions for the grant model and the MEOW_TRUST_ALL / MEOW_SANDBOX persistent switches.

meow init

Scaffold a new project in the current directory.

meow init
meow init --mode node-compat
meow init --force --no-install

Flag	Default	Description
`--mode <mode>`	`strict-web`	`strict-web` or `node-compat`.
`--force`	off	Overwrite existing `meow.config.json` / `package.json`.
`--no-install`	off	Skip the dependency install after scaffolding.

Writes meow.config.json, a minimal package.json, and a starter main.ts; runs meow sync; then meow install (unless --no-install).

meow run

Execute a file or a package.json script.

meow run main.ts
meow run build
meow run app.ts -- --port 8080      # forward args after --
meow run app.ts --allow-clock
meow run app.ts --sandbox           # run your own project under the fs/net sandbox

Argument	Description
`<target>`	A script name (matched in `package.json` first) or a file path.
`-- <args…>`	Arguments forwarded to your program as `argv`.

Plus the shared run flags. meow run is trusted by default; --sandbox (or MEOW_SANDBOX=1) opts it into the sandbox.

meow dev

Shorthand for meow run dev, with a cold-start banner.

meow dev
meow dev -- --host 0.0.0.0

Accepts the shared run flags and -- <args…>.

meow task

Run a package.json script by name (explicit form, no file-path inference).

meow task build
meow task deploy -- --dry-run

Argument	Description
`<name>`	The script name in `package.json`.
`-- <args…>`	Forwarded arguments.

meow test

Discover and run the test suite in deterministic V8 isolates.

meow test

meow runs every *.test.* / *.spec.* file (.ts, .tsx, .js, .jsx, .mts, .mjs, .cts, .cjs), each in its own hermetic isolate, and prints a pass/fail summary. Exits non-zero if any test fails. Tests use the meow:test API. See Testing.

meow x

Ephemeral package execution — install to a temp workspace, run, discard. Aliased as execute, and reachable via the npx/bunx/meowx binary names.

meow x create-vite my-app
meow x prettier@latest . --write
meow x wrangler deploy --trust       # grants may trail the package

Argument	Description
`<package>`	Package to run, optionally `@version` or `@tag`.
`<args…>`	Forwarded to the package’s binary (no `--` needed).

meow x is sandboxed by default (network denied, writes confined to the cwd

workspace, no subprocesses/native addons). Accepts the shared run flags — which may also appear after the package name — so --trust grants full access and MEOW_TRUST_ALL=1 does so persistently. Tools that need the network (e.g. create-next-app) require --trust.

eval & print

Run inline source without a file.

meow -e "console.log(2 + 2)"
meow -p "Math.max(3, 7)"           # wraps the expression in console.log

Flag	Description
`-e`, `--eval`	Evaluate the given source.
`-p`, `--print`	Evaluate and print the result.

Package commands

install, add, remove, search.

​Shared run flags

​meow init

​meow run

​meow dev

​meow task

​meow test

​meow x

​eval & print