frappe / bench-cli

What is bench-cli?

bench-cli is a Python command-line tool that replaces the traditional Frappe bench setup. Instead of wrestling with multiple scripts and manual configuration, you write a single bench.yml file describing your apps, sites, database, and Redis settings, then run a handful of commands to get everything running. It installs MariaDB, Redis, and Node.js automatically, creates Python virtual environments using uv, clones your apps, builds assets, and generates process manager configs. For development, it uses honcho to run everything in the foreground. For production, it switches to supervisor with nginx and Let's Encrypt SSL. The project also includes a Vue.js web admin interface that shows process status, logs, database binlogs, and lets you run tasks like migrations and app installs from a browser.

Why is it gaining traction?

The main hook is simplicity: one config file, one init command, done. Traditional Frappe setup involves multiple manual steps across different tools. bench-cli consolidates everything into a coherent workflow. The web admin UI is a genuine differentiator for teams who want visibility without SSHing into servers. Using uv for Python package management is smart -- it's faster than pip and handles the tool installation cleanly. The auto-timeout on the admin UI (15 minutes of inactivity) shows thoughtful design that prevents accidental resource leaks.

Who should use this?

Devs setting up new Frappe environments who want a streamlined workflow. Teams managing multiple Frappe sites who need the web admin for monitoring. Developers tired of the old bench's scattered configuration. Linux server admins who want production-ready nginx and SSL setup without manual steps. This is not for production systems requiring battle-tested stability yet.

Verdict

At 14 stars and marked experimental, this is early-stage software that shows promise but carries real risk for production use. The 1.0% credibility score reflects that reality. The architecture is sound, the CLI is well-designed, and the web admin adds genuine value. But version 0.1.0 means expect rough edges. Try it for local development and staging environments. Wait for a 1.0 release before trusting it on production servers handling real traffic.