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CLI Commands ​

insider 2026-10-14 JSON ↗

Global Options ​

The following flags can be passed to any command:

FlagShortTypeDescription
--config-cstringPath to configuration file
--json-jbooleanOutput results in JSON format

Commands Overview ​

CommandDescription
nik cloudCommands for interacting with the Niksphere Cloud (https://my.niksphere.de)
nik devCommands for development tools for Niksphere Apps
nik envCommands for interacting with Niksphere Environments
nik mcpStarts the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server via Stdio
nik selfManage the Niksphere CLI itself

nik cloud ​

Commands for administration and authentication against the Niksphere Cloud (https://my.niksphere.de).

bash
nik cloud

nik cloud auth ​

Authenticate with the Niksphere Cloud (login, logout, and status).

bash
nik cloud auth

nik cloud auth login ​

Authenticates with the Niksphere Cloud.

  • Default (without --no-browser): initiates an interactive PKCE Authorization Code flow on 127.0.0.1 and opens your default browser. If the local loopback server is unavailable or blocked by network policies, it automatically falls back to OAuth 2.0 Device Code authentication.
  • Headless (with --no-browser): suppresses automatic local browser launch for remote, SSH, or headless terminal sessions. Displays an 8-character verification code, authorization URL, and ASCII QR code directly in the terminal.
bash
nik cloud auth login [server-url] [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
server-urlno[server-url]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--no-browser(None)(None)Do not launch a browser; display verification code and QR code for remote/SSH sessions

nik cloud auth logout ​

Logs out by securely removing your local Cloud authentication token.

bash
nik cloud auth logout

nik cloud auth status ​

Displays whether you are currently logged in to the Niksphere Cloud, against which backend, and as which user.

bash
nik cloud auth status

nik cloud env ​

Create, list, edit, and delete Niksphere Cloud Environments.

bash
nik cloud env

nik cloud env create ​

Create a new Niksphere Cloud Environment

bash
nik cloud env create <name> <slug> <region>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
nameyes<name>
slugyes<slug>
regionyes<region>

nik cloud env delete ​

Delete a Niksphere Cloud Environment

bash
nik cloud env delete <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik cloud env edit ​

Edit an existing Niksphere Cloud Environment

bash
nik cloud env edit <id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--name(None)(None)New name for the environment
--slug(None)(None)New slug for the environment

nik cloud env list ​

List all Niksphere Cloud Environments

bash
nik cloud env list

nik cloud region ​

List available regions in the Niksphere Cloud.

bash
nik cloud region

nik cloud region list ​

List all available Niksphere Cloud Regions

bash
nik cloud region list

nik cloud tenant ​

Create, list, edit, and delete tenants in the Niksphere Cloud.

bash
nik cloud tenant

nik cloud tenant create ​

Create a new Niksphere Cloud Tenant

bash
nik cloud tenant create <name> <slug>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
nameyes<name>
slugyes<slug>

nik cloud tenant delete ​

Delete a Niksphere Cloud Tenant

bash
nik cloud tenant delete <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik cloud tenant edit ​

Edit an existing Niksphere Cloud Tenant

bash
nik cloud tenant edit <id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--name(None)(None)New name for the tenant
--slug(None)(None)New slug for the tenant

nik cloud tenant list ​

List all Niksphere Cloud Tenants

bash
nik cloud tenant list

nik dev ​

Building, compiling, and testing Niksphere apps during development.

For more information, see the online documentation.

bash
nik dev

nik dev compile ​

Compile and package a Niksphere App Project

bash
nik dev compile [path] [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
pathno[path]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--ignore-phase-errors-i(None)Run all compilation phases even if earlier phases contain errors

nik dev convert ​

Subcommands for converting external source code or structures into Niksphere formats.

bash
nik dev convert

nik dev convert bc ​

Parses Business Central AL table and enum definitions from &lt;input-dir&gt; and generates standalone Niksphere Pascal (.pas) entities and enums in &lt;output-dir&gt;.

Automatically generates Niksphere UIDs and maps AL data types to Niksphere data types.

bash
nik dev convert bc <input-dir> <output-dir> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
input-diryes<input-dir>
output-diryes<output-dir>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--define-D(None)Preprocessor symbols to define (e.g. -D CLEAN28,CLEANSCHEMA27)

nik dev dap ​

Starts the Niksphere Debug Adapter, communicating over stdio using the Debug Adapter Protocol.

This command is not intended to be run manually. It is started as a subprocess by a DAP-compatible editor or IDE (such as VS Code) to attach to a running Niksphere Engine and debug the next Client Runtime session it creates (e.g. from an API call).

bash
nik dev dap

nik dev generate-uid ​

Generate one or multiple random, cryptographically secure 10-character alphanumeric UIDs

bash
nik dev generate-uid [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--count(None)1Number of UIDs to generate (1-50)

nik dev init ​

Creates a basic Niksphere App Project structure in the current directory. Aborts if nikapp.yaml already exists.

bash
nik dev init

nik dev lsp ​

Starts the Niksphere Language Server, communicating over stdio using the Language Server Protocol.

This command is not intended to be run manually. It is started as a subprocess by an LSP-compatible editor or IDE (such as VS Code) to provide diagnostics, completions, and navigation for Niksphere files.

bash
nik dev lsp

nik dev mcp ​

Registers or removes the Niksphere MCP server (nik mcp) in AI agent configuration files (.mcp.json, .cursor/mcp.json, .agents/mcp_config.json, .vscode/mcp.json) for the Niksphere App Project in the current directory.

bash
nik dev mcp

nik dev mcp disable ​

Removes the Niksphere entry from the AI agent configuration files of the Niksphere App Project in the current directory (or the given path).

Other MCP server entries in these files are left untouched; configuration files that become empty are deleted.

bash
nik dev mcp disable [path] [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
pathno[path]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--client(None)(None)Limit to specific clients (claude-code, cursor, antigravity, vscode). Default: all.

nik dev mcp enable ​

Adds the Niksphere MCP server (nik mcp) to the AI agent configuration files of the Niksphere App Project in the current directory (or the given path), so tools like Claude Code, Cursor, Antigravity, or VS Code Copilot automatically get Niksphere-specific tools and guidance.

Writes to all supported clients unless --client narrows the selection. Existing entries for other MCP servers in these files are preserved; running it again is a no-op if nothing changed.

bash
nik dev mcp enable [path] [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
pathno[path]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--client(None)(None)Limit to specific clients (claude-code, cursor, antigravity, vscode). Default: all.

nik dev mcp show ​

Prints a ready-to-paste JSON configuration snippet for each supported AI client that registers the Niksphere MCP server (nik mcp), or just the clients selected via --client.

Use --json to get a machine-readable list of the supported clients (id, label, config path) instead of the snippets - this is how other tools (e.g. the VS Code Extension) discover which clients are available, rather than hardcoding the list.

bash
nik dev mcp show [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--client(None)(None)Limit to specific clients (claude-code, cursor, antigravity, vscode). Default: all.

nik dev publish ​

Compile and publish a Niksphere App Project to active environment in a single step

bash
nik dev publish [path] [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
pathno[path]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--allow-drops-d(None)Allow destructive database changes (drop columns/tables)
--ignore-phase-errors-i(None)Run all compilation phases even if earlier phases contain errors
--server(None)(None)Alias for --server-url
--server-url-s(None)URL of target Niksphere Engine server

nik dev validate ​

Validate a Niksphere App Project at the specified path without compiling it to a package file

bash
nik dev validate [path] [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
pathno[path]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--ignore-phase-errors-i(None)Run all compilation phases even if earlier phases contain errors

nik env ​

Commands for administration and authentication against a Niksphere Environment.

bash
nik env [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--server-url-s(None)URL of the target Niksphere Engine server

nik env actor ​

Create, update, and remove actors, and manage their sign-in identities (password, personal access tokens, external SSO).

bash
nik env actor

nik env actor add ​

Create a new Actor in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env actor add [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--name-n(None)Actor name (required)
--type-tUSERActor type: USER or SERVICE

nik env actor delete ​

Delete an Actor from a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env actor delete <actor-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>

nik env actor edit ​

Edit an Actor in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env actor edit <actor-id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--name-n(None)New actor name
--status(None)(None)New status: ACTIVE or SUSPENDED

nik env actor identity ​

Manage identities (Password, Personal Access Tokens, External SSO) for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity
nik env actor identity external ​

Manage external SSO identities linked to an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity external
nik env actor identity external delete ​

Delete an external SSO identity link for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity external delete <actor-id> <external-identity-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>
external-identity-idyes<external-identity-id>
nik env actor identity list ​

List all identities (Password, PATs, External SSO) for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity list <actor-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>
nik env actor identity password ​

Manage embedded username/password identity for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity password
nik env actor identity password set ​

Set or update the password identity for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity password set <actor-id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--password-p(None)Password (required)
--username-u(None)Username (required)
nik env actor identity pat ​

Manage Personal Access Tokens for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity pat
nik env actor identity pat create ​

Create a new Personal Access Token for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity pat create <actor-id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--expiry-days(None)30Token validity in days (0 for no expiration)
--name-n(None)Token name / description (required)
--scopes(None)(None)Allowed scopes (e.g. 'data:read,apps:publish')
nik env actor identity pat delete ​

Delete a Personal Access Token for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity pat delete <actor-id> <pat-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>
pat-idyes<pat-id>
nik env actor identity pat list ​

List all Personal Access Tokens for an Actor

bash
nik env actor identity pat list <actor-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
actor-idyes<actor-id>

nik env actor list ​

List all Actors in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env actor list

nik env app ​

Upload, list, install, uninstall and delete apps deployed to a Niksphere Environment.

bash
nik env app

nik env app delete ​

Delete a Niksphere App from the active Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env app delete <id> <version>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>
versionyes<version>

nik env app download ​

Download an installed Niksphere App Package

bash
nik env app download <app-id> <version> [output-dir]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
app-idyes<app-id>
versionyes<version>
output-dirno[output-dir]

nik env app drop-data ​

Drop all data for an uninstalled Niksphere App

bash
nik env app drop-data <id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--yes-y(None)Confirm and skip interactive prompt

nik env app install ​

Install a Niksphere App Package

bash
nik env app install <id> <version> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>
versionyes<version>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--allow-drops-d(None)Allow destructive database changes (drop columns/tables)

nik env app list ​

List all installed Niksphere Apps in the active Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env app list

nik env app uninstall ​

Uninstall a Niksphere App from the active Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env app uninstall <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik env app upload ​

Upload a Niksphere App Package to the active Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env app upload <path-to-.nikapp-file>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
path-to-.nikapp-fileyes<path-to-.nikapp-file>

nik env auth ​

Authenticate with a Niksphere Environment (login, logout, and status).

bash
nik env auth

nik env auth login ​

Authenticates with a specified Niksphere Environment.

  • Default (without --no-browser): initiates an interactive PKCE Authorization Code flow on 127.0.0.1 and opens your default browser. If the local loopback server is unavailable or blocked by network policies, it automatically falls back to OAuth 2.0 Device Code authentication.
  • Headless (with --no-browser): suppresses automatic local browser launch for remote, SSH, or headless terminal sessions. Displays an 8-character verification code, authorization URL, and ASCII QR code directly in the terminal.
bash
nik env auth login <engine-url> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
engine-urlyes<engine-url>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--no-browser(None)(None)Do not launch a browser; display verification code and QR code for remote/SSH sessions

nik env auth logout ​

Logs out by securely removing your local authentication token.

bash
nik env auth logout

nik env auth status ​

Displays whether you are currently logged in, against which engine, and as which user.

bash
nik env auth status

nik env client ​

Register, update, activate or deactivate, and remove OAuth clients.

bash
nik env client

nik env client add ​

Register a new OAuth Client in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env client add [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--actor-id(None)(None)Linked Service Actor ID (for S2S client credentials)
--client-id-i(None)Unique client identifier (required)
--client-name-n(None)Display name of the client (required)
--grants(None)(None)Allowed grant types
--redirect-uris(None)(None)Allowed redirect URIs
--secret(None)(None)Client secret (required for CONFIDENTIAL clients)
--type-tPUBLICClient profile: PUBLIC or CONFIDENTIAL

nik env client delete ​

Delete an OAuth Client from a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env client delete <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik env client disable ​

Disable an OAuth Client in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env client disable <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik env client edit ​

Edit an OAuth Client in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env client edit <id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--grants(None)(None)New allowed grants
--name-n(None)New display name
--redirect-uris(None)(None)New allowed redirect URIs

nik env client enable ​

Enable an OAuth Client in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env client enable <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik env client list ​

List all OAuth Clients in a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env client list

nik env idp ​

Subcommands for managing external identity providers.

bash
nik env idp

nik env idp external ​

Manage External Identity Providers

bash
nik env idp external
nik env idp external add ​

Add a new Niksphere External Identity Provider

bash
nik env idp external add <name> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
nameyes<name>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--active(None)trueIs this IdP active?
--auto-provision(None)(None)Auto-provision users from this IdP?
--client-id(None)(None)OIDC Client ID (required)
--client-secret(None)(None)OIDC Client Secret (required)
--issuer-url(None)(None)OIDC Issuer URL (required)
--scopes(None)openid profile email offline_accessOIDC Scopes
nik env idp external delete ​

Delete a Niksphere External Identity Provider

bash
nik env idp external delete <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>
nik env idp external edit ​

Edit an existing Niksphere External Identity Provider

bash
nik env idp external edit <id> [flags]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--active(None)(None)Set active status (true/false)
--auto-provision(None)(None)Set auto-provision status (true/false)
--client-id(None)(None)New OIDC Client ID
--client-secret(None)(None)New OIDC Client Secret
--issuer-url(None)(None)New OIDC Issuer URL
--name-n(None)New name for the IdP
--scopes(None)(None)New OIDC Scopes
nik env idp external list ​

List all Niksphere External Identity Providers

bash
nik env idp external list

nik env inspect ​

Subcommands for inspecting the active Niksphere Environment, monitoring health, and exploring data.

bash
nik env inspect

nik env inspect data ​

Launch an interactive terminal UI to explore your installed applications, database tables, and real data mapped back to their logical, human-readable names.

bash
nik env inspect data

nik env inspect monitor ​

Connects to the active Niksphere Environment via WebSockets to stream live logs, database status, and memory metrics directly into your terminal.

bash
nik env inspect monitor [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--stream(None)(None)Output log events directly as a continuous stream of text

nik env session ​

List and terminate active Client Runtime Sessions.

bash
nik env session

nik env session list ​

List active Client Runtime Sessions on a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env session list

nik env session terminate ​

Terminate an active Client Runtime Session on a Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env session terminate <id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
idyes<id>

nik env task ​

Inspect, follow live streams, and manage background tasks executing on a Niksphere Environment.

bash
nik env task

nik env task cancel ​

Cancels a task if it is still in the queued state. Running tasks cannot be cancelled to preserve data integrity.

bash
nik env task cancel <task-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
task-idyes<task-id>

nik env task follow ​

Connects to the streaming endpoint of a running or queued background task and renders real-time progress.

bash
nik env task follow <task-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
task-idyes<task-id>

Aliases: stream, attach

nik env task list ​

List all background tasks in the active Niksphere Environment

bash
nik env task list

Aliases: ls

nik env task show ​

Show details and current status of a background task

bash
nik env task show <task-id>

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
task-idyes<task-id>

nik mcp ​

Starts the Niksphere MCP server, communicating over stdio using the Model Context Protocol, and exposes the Niksphere CLI's commands as tools plus Niksphere-specific architectural guidance.

This command is not intended to be run manually. It is started as a subprocess by an MCP-compatible AI client (such as Claude Code, Cursor, or Antigravity) once registered via nik dev mcp enable.

bash
nik mcp

nik self ​

Manage components, check for updates, and print info about the Niksphere CLI itself.

bash
nik self

nik self about ​

Print information about Niksphere CLI

bash
nik self about

nik self completion ​

Generate the autocompletion script for nik for the specified shell. See each sub-command's help for details on how to use the generated script.

bash
nik self completion [bash|zsh|fish|powershell]

Arguments:

ArgumentRequiredDescription
`bashzshfish

nik self completion bash ​

Generate the autocompletion script for the bash shell.

This script depends on the bash-completion package. If it is not installed already, you can install it via your OS's package manager.

To load completions in your current shell session:

source &lt;(nik self completion bash)

To load completions for every new session, execute once:

Linux:

nik self completion bash &gt; /etc/bash_completion.d/nik

macOS:

nik self completion bash &gt; $(brew --prefix)/etc/bash_completion.d/nik

You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.

bash
nik self completion bash [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--no-descriptions(None)(None)disable completion descriptions

nik self completion fish ​

Generate the autocompletion script for the fish shell.

To load completions in your current shell session:

nik self completion fish | source

To load completions for every new session, execute once:

nik self completion fish &gt; ~/.config/fish/completions/nik.fish

You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.

bash
nik self completion fish [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--no-descriptions(None)(None)disable completion descriptions

nik self completion powershell ​

Generate the autocompletion script for powershell.

To load completions in your current shell session:

nik self completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression

To load completions for every new session, add the output of the above command to your PowerShell profile ($PROFILE).

bash
nik self completion powershell [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--no-descriptions(None)(None)disable completion descriptions

nik self completion zsh ​

Generate the autocompletion script for the zsh shell.

If shell completion is not already enabled in your environment you will need to enable it. You can execute the following once:

echo "autoload -U compinit; compinit" &gt;&gt; ~/.zshrc

To load completions in your current shell session:

source &lt;(nik self completion zsh)

To load completions for every new session, execute once:

Linux:

nik self completion zsh &gt; "${fpath[1]}/_nik"

macOS:

nik self completion zsh &gt; $(brew --prefix)/share/zsh/site-functions/_nik

You will need to start a new shell for this setup to take effect.

bash
nik self completion zsh [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--no-descriptions(None)(None)disable completion descriptions

nik self release-notes ​

Show release notes for the currently installed version

bash
nik self release-notes

nik self uninstall ​

Uninstall Niksphere CLI and remove system integrations

bash
nik self uninstall [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--yes-y(None)Skip interactive confirmation prompt

nik self update ​

Update the Niksphere CLI to the latest version

bash
nik self update [flags]

Flags:

FlagShortDefaultDescription
--channel(None)stableRelease channel to check (stable, insider)
--check(None)(None)Only check for new versions without updating
--force-f(None)Force update even if version is up-to-date
--yes-y(None)Skip interactive confirmation prompt

nik self update release-notes ​

Show release notes for the versions an update would install

bash
nik self update release-notes

Release v1.0.0-build.67-channel.insider