Beginner to Pro: A Complete CdFly TutorialCdFly is an emerging tool designed to simplify and accelerate workflows for developers and content creators who deal with code distribution, package management, or lightweight deployment tasks. This tutorial walks a beginner through core concepts, installation, basic usage, intermediate workflows, advanced tips, and real-world examples so you can progress from novice to power user.
What is CdFly? — Fundamental overview
CdFly is a lightweight utility that helps package, distribute, and deploy small code artifacts or configuration bundles. It focuses on speed, simplicity, and minimal dependencies. While similar in spirit to other packaging or deployment tools, CdFly emphasizes:
- Speed: quick package creation and transfer.
- Simplicity: minimal configuration and sensible defaults.
- Portability: produces self-contained bundles that work across environments.
Who should use CdFly?
CdFly is useful for:
- Developers shipping small CLI tools or scripts.
- Teams distributing configuration bundles across environments.
- Educators sharing teaching materials or code examples.
- DevOps engineers needing a fast way to move assets between systems.
Installation
CdFly offers prebuilt binaries for major operating systems and can also be installed via package managers where available.
Linux / macOS (curl + install script example):
curl -sSfL https://cdn.cdfly.dev/install.sh | sh Homebrew (macOS / Linux):
brew install cdfly/tap/cdfly Windows (PowerShell):
iwr https://cdn.cdfly.dev/install.ps1 -useb | iex Verify installation:
cdfly --version Basic concepts and terminology
- Bundle: a compressed package containing files, metadata, and an optional manifest.
- Manifest: JSON/YAML describing bundle contents, dependencies, version, and metadata.
- Target: the destination environment (local, remote host, cloud storage).
- Hook: a script executed before or after certain CdFly operations (pre-pack, post-deploy).
Creating your first bundle
-
Prepare a directory with the files you want to package:
mkdir demo-app cd demo-app echo '#!/usr/bin/env bash' > run.sh echo 'echo "Hello from CdFly bundle!"' >> run.sh chmod +x run.sh -
Initialize a CdFly project (creates a manifest):
cdfly init
A sample manifest (cdfly.json) might look like:
{ "name": "demo-app", "version": "0.1.0", "entry": "run.sh", "files": ["run.sh"], "hooks": { "post-pack": "echo Packaged demo-app" } } - Pack the bundle:
cdfly pack
This produces a file like demo-app-0.1.0.cdfly.
Installing / deploying a bundle
Install locally:
cdfly install ./demo-app-0.1.0.cdfly Install to a remote host (via SSH):
cdfly install ./demo-app-0.1.0.cdfly --target ssh://user@host:/opt/apps CdFly will transfer the bundle, extract it on the target, run any post-install hooks, and set up permissions as specified.
Versioning and updates
CdFly uses semantic versioning in manifests. To release a new version:
- Update version in cdfly.json.
- Run
cdfly pack. - Optionally, publish to a registry:
cdfly publish --registry https://registry.cdfly.dev
Consumers can update with:
cdfly update demo-app --registry https://registry.cdfly.dev Intermediate workflows
- Creating environment-specific bundles using manifest overlays (cdfly.dev/overlays):
cdfly pack --overlay production
- Signing bundles for integrity:
cdfly sign --key ~/.ssh/id_rsa- Verify with
cdfly verify demo-app-0.1.0.cdfly
- Using hooks to run migrations, tests, or cleanup:
"hooks": { "pre-install": "scripts/check-env.sh", "post-install": "scripts/setup.sh" }
Advanced topics
- CI/CD integration: add
cdfly packandcdfly publishto your pipeline (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI). - Delta updates: CdFly can produce incremental patch bundles to minimize transfer size:
cdfly diff demo-app-0.1.0.cdfly demo-app-0.2.0.cdfly --output patch-0.1.0-0.2.0.cdfly - Custom transport plugins: write plugins to store bundles in S3, GCS, or private servers.
- Cross-platform compatibility: include platform-specific binaries and detect at install time via manifest selectors.
Security considerations
- Always sign bundles you distribute publicly and verify signatures on install.
- Run post-install hooks with least privilege; avoid running untrusted code as root.
- Store secrets outside bundles — use environment variables or secret stores integrated at deploy time.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Pack fails with permission errors: ensure files are readable and executable bits set as needed.
- Install hangs on large bundles: check network and consider using delta updates or compression flags (
--compress=zstd). - Hook scripts not executing: confirm manifest hooks paths are correct and executable.
Example: From local dev to deployment (concise walkthrough)
- Develop your app in ./my-tool.
- Add cdfly.json with entry, files, version.
- Run
cdfly pack. - Test locally:
cdfly install ./my-tool-0.1.0.cdfly --target local - CI: on tag push,
cdfly pack && cdfly publish --registry $CDFLY_REGISTRY - Prod deploy:
cdfly install my-tool --version 0.1.0 --target ssh://deploy@prod:/apps
Alternatives & when not to use CdFly
CdFly is great for small, self-contained bundles. Consider alternatives when:
- You need heavy-weight package management with deep dependency resolution (use apt, npm, pip).
- Your deployment requires full container orchestration at scale (use Docker + Kubernetes).
Comparison table:
| Use case | CdFly | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Small CLI/tools distribution | Good | Overkill with containers |
| OS-level package management | Not ideal | apt/dnf/homebrew |
| Large microservices orchestration | Limited | Docker + Kubernetes |
| Quick config sync across servers | Excellent | rsync scripts (manual) |
Resources and next steps
- Read the manifest reference and hook docs.
- Try packaging a real small tool and deploy to a test VM.
- Add CdFly steps to a CI pipeline and practice signing/verifying.
CdFly aims to be the fast path from “it works on my machine” to “deployed everywhere.” Start small, automate packing/publishing, and adopt signing and CI integration as you move toward production.
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