How plugins work

When you run:

abstrax <command> [arguments]

Abstrax:

1. Checks whether <command> is a built-in command (built-ins always win).
2. If not, searches for an executable named abstrax-<command>.
3. If found, runs the plugin with remaining arguments unchanged.
4. Attaches stdin, stdout, and stderr directly to the plugin process.
5. Passes through the current environment plus Abstrax-specific variables.
6. Returns the plugin's exit code to the shell.

Example:

abstrax deploy production
abstrax example hello --name Mike

Plugin naming convention

Plugin binaries must be named:

abstrax-<plugin-name>

Examples:

abstrax-deploy
abstrax-backup
abstrax-example

The plugin name (used on the command line) is the part after abstrax-.

Plugin directories

Abstrax searches for plugins in this order (first match wins):

Abstrax never searches the current working directory.

When running as root, abstrax plugin install installs to /usr/local/lib/abstrax/plugins/. Installation records and caches are stored under /var/lib/abstrax/plugins/.

Related

• Plugin commands
• Registry
• Integrating with Abstrax