Other Ways to Get Started

Tip

Recommended: For most users the Prompt Bootstrap is the fastest, zero-install way to get DevSpark running. This page covers alternatives, ordered from lightest to heaviest.

Option 1 — Manual File Copy (No tools required)

Clone or download the DevSpark repository and copy only the files you need into your project. This requires nothing beyond Git.

# Clone the DevSpark repo temporarily
git clone https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark-tmp

# Copy the framework files into your project
cp -r devspark-tmp/templates/commands   your-project/.devspark/defaults/commands
cp -r devspark-tmp/templates            your-project/.devspark/defaults/templates
cp -r devspark-tmp/scripts/bash         your-project/.devspark/scripts/bash
cp -r devspark-tmp/scripts/powershell   your-project/.devspark/scripts/powershell

# Clean up
rm -rf devspark-tmp

Then create your .documentation/ folder and add the agent shims for your AI agent by hand per the quickstart guides.

Option 2 — One-Shot CLI via uvx (No global install)

Run the DevSpark CLI once without permanently installing it. Requires uv and Python 3.11+.

Prerequisites

Greenfield (New Project)

uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init <PROJECT_NAME>

Brownfield (Existing Project)

cd /path/to/your-existing-project
uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init --here
Tip

Brownfield Tip: After initialization, use /devspark.discover-constitution to analyze your existing codebase and draft a constitution that reflects how your project already works.

Specify AI Agent

uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init <PROJECT_NAME> --ai claude
uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init <PROJECT_NAME> --ai gemini
uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init <PROJECT_NAME> --ai copilot

Force Script Type

uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init <PROJECT_NAME> --script ps  # PowerShell
uvx --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git devspark init <PROJECT_NAME> --script sh  # POSIX shell

Option 3 — Installed CLI (Global install)

Install the DevSpark CLI globally so devspark is always available in your terminal. This is the heaviest option and is best suited for teams that run DevSpark frequently across many projects.

Install

uv tool install devspark-cli --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git

Initialize a project

# New project
devspark init my-project --ai claude

# Existing project
cd /path/to/existing-project
devspark init --here --ai claude

Upgrade the CLI

uv tool install devspark-cli --force --from git+https://github.com/MarkHazleton/devspark.git

Upgrade DevSpark in a project

# Safe guided upgrade (recommended)
devspark upgrade

# Preview changes without modifying files
devspark upgrade --dry-run

# Back up constitution before upgrade
devspark upgrade --backup

# Override detected agent
devspark upgrade --ai claude

# Skip automatic migration check
devspark upgrade --skip-migration

The upgrade command will:

  • Auto-detect your AI assistant from existing setup
  • Check for uncommitted Git changes
  • Detect old structure and offer migration
  • Download and apply latest templates
  • Preserve your specs and customizations

See the Upgrade Guide for detailed instructions.

Verification

After any installation method, you should see these commands available in your AI agent:

Core Spec Workflow

  • /devspark.constitution — Create project principles
  • /devspark.specify — Create specifications
  • /devspark.plan — Generate implementation plans
  • /devspark.tasks — Break down into actionable tasks
  • /devspark.implement — Execute the implementation plan
  • /devspark.critic — Adversarial risk analysis
  • /devspark.analyze — Cross-artifact consistency checking
  • /devspark.checklist — Generate quality validation checklists
  • /devspark.clarify — Clarify underspecified areas

Constitution-Powered Commands (No Spec Required)

  • /devspark.pr-review — Review pull requests against constitution
  • /devspark.site-audit — Comprehensive codebase audit

Troubleshooting

Git Credential Manager on Linux

If you're having issues with Git authentication on Linux, you can install Git Credential Manager:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -e
echo "Downloading Git Credential Manager v2.6.1..."
wget https://github.com/git-ecosystem/git-credential-manager/releases/download/v2.6.1/gcm-linux_amd64.2.6.1.deb
echo "Installing Git Credential Manager..."
sudo dpkg -i gcm-linux_amd64.2.6.1.deb
echo "Configuring Git to use GCM..."
git config --global credential.helper manager
echo "Cleaning up..."
rm gcm-linux_amd64.2.6.1.deb
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