Overview
The sync command is a development tool for thepopebot maintainers and contributors. It synchronizes changes from a local thepopebot package repository to a test installation, enabling rapid iteration without publishing to npm.
This command is for package development only. End users should use npx thepopebot upgrade to update their installations.
Usage
npx thepopebot sync <path-to-test-project>
What It Does
- Builds the package (runs
npm run build)
- Packs the package into a tarball (
npm pack)
- Installs the tarball in the target project
- Mirrors template files to the target project (overwrites managed files)
- Rebuilds Docker images if running in Docker
Example
# From your local thepopebot package repository
cd ~/thepopebot
# Sync to a test installation
npx thepopebot sync ~/test-agent
Requirements
- Must be run from the thepopebot package source directory
- Target path must be an existing thepopebot project
- Target project must have a valid
package.json
Workflow
This command is designed for the develop-test cycle:
# 1. Make changes to the package source
vim lib/chat/api.js
# 2. Sync to test project
npx thepopebot sync ~/test-agent
# 3. Test the changes
cd ~/test-agent
npm run dev
# 4. Repeat
What Gets Synced
Package code:
api/lib/config/bin/setup/drizzle/
Template files:
.github/workflows/docker/app/docker-compose.yml- Other managed files
What doesn’t get synced:
- User configuration (
config/*.md, config/*.json)
- User’s
.env file
skills/active/ directorydata/ directory
Docker Rebuild
If the target project uses Docker, sync will:
- Rebuild the event handler image with the new package
- Restart Docker Compose services
- Ensure the new code is running
Use Cases
- Testing changes before publishing to npm
- Debugging issues in a realistic environment
- Developing new features with live reload
- Validating breaking changes
For Contributors
If you’re contributing to thepopebot:
- Fork and clone the repository
- Create a test project:
mkdir test && cd test && npx thepopebot@latest init
- Run setup in the test project:
npm run setup
- Make changes to the package source
- Sync changes:
npx thepopebot sync ../test
- Test your changes in the test project